NEWS FROM BERLIN

GEW trade union announces massive resistance in Berlin

The Education and Science Union (GEW) and advice centres have announced massive resistance to the planned city cuts in the social and education sectors in Berlin. “We will continue to press ahead with the protests, the situation will get worse,” said GEW state head Gökhan Akgün. In December, the House of Representatives passed budget cuts totalling 3 billion euros in practically all areas for 2025, with the votes coming from the CDU and SPD. It has become clear lately that the cuts affect numerous projects in the areas of prevention and education, particularly in schools. Source: tagesspiegel

Berlin wants a “democracy clause” this year – what’s behind it

Instead of the controversial anti-Semitism clause in cultural funding, Berlin wants to formulate a “democracy clause” this year. Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has prioritised this and commissioned 4 Senate departments to draw it up, according to Culture Senator Joe Chialo (CDU). The antisemitism clause, from December 2023, had to be withdrawn due to legal concerns. There were fears in the cultural scene that it could restrict artistic freedom. Wegner then announced that he was striving for a new, broader-based solution. “We will work together to find a way to make the issue legally secure and apply it to all Berlin administrations,” said the CDU politician at the time. Source: berliner-zeitung

Demonstration against event with right-wing extremist Martin Sellner

Around 100 people demonstrated against an event with the Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner in Berlin-Wilmersdorf last Thursday. According to participants in the protest outside a restaurant near Güntzelstraße underground station, the event with Sellner was supposed to be a reading. He recently visited German cities to read from his book “Remigration”. During the demonstration, an unknown person sprayed irritant gas in the restaurant, police said on Friday. One person was sustained injuries and the perpetrator fled. The state police are investigating this as a case of dangerous bodily harm. Source: rbb

 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Ver.di calls for warning strike in clinics, care facilities and rescue services

The trade union ver.di has called for a nationwide warning strike next Thursday in the healthcare sector in the labour dispute with the federal government and local authorities. Even rescue services could be affected. The reason is that the federal and local governments did not present an offer for employees in the second round of negotiations in mid-February. “The employers’ request to agree on little to no wage increase, and worse, with no outlook for 36 months, is a provocation. The employees have the right response to this: a warning strike,” as affirmed by ver.di national board member Sylvia Bühler. Source: rbb

State health insurance records deficit of 6 billion euros

The German healthcare system is under great financial pressure. The health insurance providers blame this primarily on the sharp rise in expenditure. An initial analysis by the AOK (an association representing 11 healthcare providers in Germany) shows that the statutory health insurance scheme recorded a deficit of almost 6 billion euros last year. In addition to the AOK figures, the company health insurance funds (BKK) and the guild health insurance funds (IKK) were also scrutinised. The Federal Ministry of Health usually summarises the health insurance companies’ figures and publishes them in March. Sustainable financing of the healthcare system is likely to be one of the major tasks of the next federal government. Source: pharmazeutische-zeitung

Official complaints against German citizenship delays quadruple in 2024

More than 1,600 Berlin residents filed official “inactivity complaints” (Untätigkeitsklagen) against the German government over citizenship application processing delays in 2024. The number of complaints is up from 402, which were filed in 2023, representing a 313% increase. These figures were given in response to a parliamentary information request filed by Elif Eralp (The Left). The measure is a legal pathway for residents inGermany to challenge authorities’ processing delays. If one has not received a decision 3 months after submitting the papers, it is possible to submit such “Untätigkeitsklage”to the administrative court. Berlin’s immigration authorities affirm they have long been struggling under a worker shortage. Source: iamexpat

Rheinmetall could convert two factories to weapons production
Rheinmetall, the automotive and arms manufacturer from Düsseldorf, intends to manufacture mainly products or components for the “Weapon and Ammunition” division at two German sites that have so far belonged to the civilian division. The sites in question are in Berlin and Neuss. “Final decisions on the organisation have not yet been made, however,” its statement continued. In order to secure capacity utilisation and employment at the two sites in the future, Rheinmetall’s management is planning to transfer the plants to the Weapon and Ammunition division and turn them into“hybrid sites”. Source: handelsblatt

“Germany urgently needs these billions”

Sebastian Dullien, Director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK), has said he considers the idea of setting up two special funds worth billions for the Bundeswehr and infrastructure as “very sensible.” According to a report by the Reuters newsagency, 4 economists from the IMK, as well as from the Ifo Institute and the University of Düsseldorf outlined a plan, envisaging two pots of money, eachwith a volume of 400 billion euros. These funds are to be used to finance future investments in bridges and railways on the one hand and expenditure on military armaments on the other. Dullien comments: “Germany urgently needs these billions.” Source: t-online

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Election in Germany: the country shifts right, Berlin votes left

Germany’s most closely watched election in recent memory is over. Despite the conservative CDU winning the largest share of the vote nationwide and the far-right AfD coming in second, Berlin offered hope on an otherwise gloomy day for progressive politics. “Die Linke” politicians Ferat Kocak in Neukölln, Ines Schwerter in Lichtenberg, Pascal Meiser in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, and the veteran Gregor Gysi won direct mandates in Berlin. With this, “die Linke” is considered as the city’s strongest political force. This result is even more striking given that, ahead of the vote, Friedrich Merz (CDU) declared in his final major campaign speech, “The Left is over.” Not in Berlin. Source: the Berliner

Uproar over cancellation of Albanese at Berlin FU

Last week police were present in large numbers at the Free University of Berlin (FU). This was due to the cancellation of a lecture by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The lecture was to be on topics including “Legaland forensic perspectives on the ongoing Gaza genocide”. However, this was cancelled following criticism. In response, the General Students’ Committee (Asta) announced resistance. The “Students for Palestine” group posted pictures and videos from the lecture hall. According to the footage, police officers were in the building. A short video shows officers asking a person to unlock a door. Source: berliner Zeitung

Berlin culture will probably have to make further savings

The austerity programme for Berlin’s culture continues. After the budget for 2025 has already been reduced by 130 million euros, another 15 million euros less will be available in 2026, according to figures from the cultural administration. In 2027, the Senate’s key figures provide for three million euros more – however, additional funds have been earmarked to compensate for possible pay rises. It is still unclear what the budget cuts will mean in detail for cultural institutions in the coming year. There is nonetheless the threat of higher ticket prices or fewer premieres. Source: rbb

 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

The AfD was strong in the east, but it won the election in the west

The crashing end of the traffic-light coalition caused a great deal of resentment across almost all parties and has resulted in electoral success for the AfD. It is the big winner in the east, with figures ranging from 32.5% in Brandenburg to 38.6% in Thuringia. It won in each of the eastern German states, only in Berlin did the extreme-right wing party come fourth. The rise of the AfD in the east is considerable, but it is crucial to have in sight that elections in Germany are won or lost in the West because of its much larger number of voters; the East cannot achieve such a result on its own. Source: berliner Zeitung

Immigration does not raise crime rate, according to German study

Immigrants or refugees do not have a higher tendency to commit crime and there is no correlation between the proportion of immigrants in a certain district and the local crime rate, according to new analysis of the latest German crime statistics carried out by the renowned ifo institute. The Munich-based institute correlated the latest national crime stats from 2018 to 2023 with location-specific data (a new aspect in this kind of study), to explain the overrepresentation of immigrants in crime statistics. This evidence goes against the current popular narrative. Source: dw

Rising rents can represent more support for AfD, study finds

According to a new study by the Centre for European Social Studies (MZES) at the University of Mannheim, low-income residents in German cities are more likely to support the AfD if they live in areas with fast-rising rents. The MZES found that rising average rents have the opposite effect on the political allegiances of high-income residents and landlords living in the same areas. “When rents rise, some people profit from the reevaluation processes. Others, however, perceive these developments as a socioeconomic threat. The latter are increasingly leaning towards the AfD,” study author Denis Cohen explains in a press release. Source: iamexpat

New donation scandal demands an explanation from the AfD

A few days before the general election, the AfD was apparently facing a new party donation scandal. “Der Spiegel” and the” Austrian Standard” reported on an advertising campaign worth around 2.35 million euros that former FPÖ functionary Gerhard Dingler is said to have donated to the party. It is suspected Dingler merely acted as a front man for the transaction. If the suspicion is confirmed, the AfD could face a fine for illegal party funding of three times the amount of the unauthorised donation. If this does turn out to be true, they will face a fine of around seven million euros. Source: t-online

100,000 demonstrate against the right

Over 100,000 gathered across Germany on the weekend of the general election. They demonstrated against right-wing extremism and the AfD. In Hamburg itself, up to 40,000 people gathered at two events. There were also rallies and demonstrations in Essen, Krefeld, Freiburgand Hanover, among other cities. In Berlin, around 100 neo-Nazis gathered on Friedrichstraße. Around 1,200 counter-demonstrators disrupted the march severaltimes, but the blockades were broken up by the police. According to “taz”, between 1.9 and 2.2 million people have taken to the streets in Germany in recent weeks out of concern about a shift to the right. Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin: public transport on strike this week

For five weeks, ver.di and BVG havebeen negotiating over pay. In the wage dispute with Berlin’s public transport operators, the trade union has called for another warning strike, affirming that the company “has still not understood that the employees will not accept a real wage reduction.” Following this, next Thursday and Friday (February 20-21), Berlin’s public transport system will be on strike. Metro lines, buses and trams will not be running. The strike is to last for around 48 hours from the start of the shift until the early hours of Saturday morning, as announced by the union. Source: rbb

“The strike affects us all”

The union ver.di has called for a strike in Berlin on Thursday and Friday in the wage dispute in the public sector at federal and municipal level. Among those taking part: employees of Berlin’s municipal waste disposal service (BSR), water company (BWB) and swimming pool company (BBB). A demonstration on the issue took place in Berlin-Mitte, where demonstrators marched from Leipziger Straße via Alte Jakobstraße up to Spittelmarkt. However, in response to a suspected attack in Munich, the union called off the demonstration early. Beyond the workers, organization such as “Berlin Stands Together” support the industrial action. Source: berliner Zeitung

 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

BSW calls for a minute’s silence in the Bundestag for victims of the Gaza war

After the Bundestag honored the many innocent victims of the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2024, Sahra Wagenknecht’s alliance party (BSW) is now proposing to commemorate the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in the Gaza war. In the related document, the BSW also condemns the US President Donald Trump’s plans to resettle the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and criticises the fact that the German government “has not imposed an arms freeze on the Israeli government even after Trump’s resettlement plans”. The BSW is once again calling for a halt to armsdeliveries to Israel in view of the announced breaches of international law by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Source: spiegel

Transport and public sector strikeshit cities across Germany

A wave of transport and public sector strikes hit Germany last week as ver.di continues pay negotiations on behalf of thousands of workers. There was, for instance, a public transport “warning strike” in Frankfurt on February 12. In Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr, employees at the Ruhrbahn company also went on strike on the same day. One day later, in Hamburg, travellers were also affected by strikes at the airport. It wasn’t just public transport affected by the industrial action, as employees in several public services, including Kitas, hospitals and rubbish collection, also in multiple federal states. Source: iamexpat

Muslims have little trust in German politics

A recent study by the DeZIM Institute reveals a worrying trend: Muslims’ trust in politics fell drastically between 2022 and 2024. Indeed, only 28% of Muslim women surveyed in 2024 said they had confidence in the German government – a drop of 13% compared to 2022. This loss of trust is not only a political problem, but also an indicator of the growing political alienation of marginalised groups who increasingly no longer feel represented by the government and political institutions. These feelings are particularlyheightened in times of social polarisation, which have been exacerbated by political crises and migration issues. Source: islamiq

Number of right-wing extremist offences rises

The number of right-wing extremist offences registered in Germany rose to a record high in 2024. The total number was at least 41,406 offences, according to the federal government’s response to a question from the Bundestag Vice President Petra Pau (Left Party). The figures are still preliminary and might increase due to late reports. Nancy Faeser (SPD) said in January, when the rise in figures became apparent, that “all the instruments of our constitutional state are being used to protect people in our country.” She considered that the increase also shows there are more investigations being carried out. Source: msn

What’s next for the climate movement in Germany?

Climate protection is hardly an issue before the general election, coming on February 23. The mood currently prevailing in Germany is very different from the optimistic momentum that Pit Terjung, a spokesperson of the environmental group “Fridays for Future”, experienced during the mass demonstrations in 2019. Back then, an estimated 1.4 million people took to the streets for more climate protection. In contrast to the 2021 federal election, where the issue was at the top of the agenda, climate protection is being overshadowed in the current election campaign by heated debates about immigration, a weakening economy and the rise of the far right. Source: dw

Federal Public Prosecutor Generaltakes over investigation

Following the attack in Munich, where a 24-year-old had driven into a group of demonstrators from the ver.di trade union last Thursday leaving two dead and more than thirty injured, the Federal Public Prosecutor General has taken over the investigation. The Federal Public Prosecutor General is the supreme federal prosecution authority. The investigators have evidence that the man had an Islamist motive. He remains in incustody. So far, there is no proof that the man was part of a network. The investigators also have no leads to connections to the terrorist organisations such as Islamic State (IS) nor to any other people involved. Source: tagesschau

Does Germany have to choose between climate and economy?

Jobs, income and Germany’s weakening economy are important topics in the election campaign for the early federal elections in February – and some of the parties’ promises are at the expense ofclimate protection. Economic issues seem to be taking precedence over climate ones, even though, according to the Climate Alliance Germany, the majority of the population do not want this. Climate protection measures are nevertheless not responsible for this recession, says Gunnar Luderer, energy expert at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research., adding “The problems of the German economy are of a structural nature and they run deeper.” Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Rents in Berlin have risen the most nationwide

In the fourth quarter of 2024, rents in Berlin rose by 8.5%, more sharply than in any other major German city. Nationwide, rents increased by an average of 4.7%, compared to the same period last year, according to a study by the German Economic Institute. This is the result of a response from the German government to an enquiry by the Left Party (“die Linke”). According to Caren Lay (Linke), the price per square metre for a newly rented flat in Berlin has doubled since 2014, going from an average of €8.10 to €16.35 in 2023. Source: rbb

Only two languages allowed at pro-Palestine demo in Berlin

The police in Berlin have imposed strict restrictions for an upcoming rally this Saturday: Slogans may only be shouted in English and German. The rally will be stopped in the event of any violations. This is in response to reports of propaganda offences being committed in Arabic at recent rallies. A police spokesperson also mentioned that bans on participation are being considered. This means that people who have already been targeted by the police for inciting hate at demonstrations will be approached in advance and not be allowed to take part. In the context of the Gaza war, the police say they are aware of around 100 to 200 people who are in control of events at demonstrations. Source: rbb

Berlin: German lanuage compulsory for demos?

Will it now be a requirement to be proficient in German to be allowed to protest in Berlin? According to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) on Monday there will be no “blanket language bans”. In April 2024, activists at a pro-Palestinian protest camp in front of the Bundestag were banned from speaking Irish. And again, last Saturday there was one of this kind, on a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Only English and German were allowed to be spoken, sung and shouted. The event was suspended by the police after a speech was given in Hebrew and a song was played in Arabic.  Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Hundreds of thousands demonstrate for democracy in Germany

Several hundred thousand people took once again to the streets across Germany at the weekend to protest against the extreme-right and for democracy. Large demonstrations took place mainly on Saturday. In Munich, at its largest rally, the police counted around 250,000 people demonstrating peacefully. The organisers spoke of more than 320,000 participants. Numerous people also demonstrated against a shift to the right in Germany in other cities across Bavaria. Demonstrations also took place in Lower Saxony and Bremen on Saturday. According to the police, around 24,000 people took part in a rally organised by the “Omas gegen Rechts” initiative in Hanover city centre. Source: faz

Suspected AfD sympathisers attack counter-demonstrators in Brandenburg

Suspected AfD sympathisers threatened and attacked two counter-demonstrators on the fringes of an election campaign event in Templin, Brandenburg, on Saturday. The background to the incident was an AfD election rally on the market square in Templin, against which two counter-rallies were organised. Around 80 people took part in the AfD event, and about 100 people in the counter-protests. According to the police, speakers at the AfD event included Hannes Gnauck, a member of the Bundestag. He is also a chairman of the AfD youth organisation Junge Alternative (JA), which has been classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation. Source: Unternehmen heute

Legalisation of abortions fails for the time being

A bill to legalise abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy has failed for the time being. The Bundestag’s Legal Affairs Committee decided not to allow a vote on the corresponding bill in the Bundestag. In contrast, the SPD and the Greens, who had been instrumental in pushing for the bill, were disappointed. Prior to the hearing, an alliance of organisations demonstrated in front of the Bundestag in favour of the amendment and handed over a petition with more than 300,000 signatures to MPs. They referred to the high level of public support for a liberalisation of abortion law according to various surveys. Source: tagesschau

“Transparency International” criticises party funding

Germany has fallen in Transparency International’s annual corruption index in an international comparison. In its new country ranking on the perception of corruption, the non-governmental organisation put Germany in 15th place out of 180 countries surveyed. Last year, Germany had performed better in 12th place. “Germany is not making any progress in the fight against corruption,” said Alexandra Herzog, Chairwoman of Transparency Germany. This is a “worrying trend”. Herzog cited weaknesses in the regulation of party funding and in the legal regulations on freedom of information as the most important reasons. Source: tagesschau

Brandenburg to naturalise considerably more people in 2024

Significantly more people were granted German citizenship in Brandenburg last year. According to preliminary figures, 3,764 people were naturalised in 2024, as announced by the Ministry of the Interior in Potsdam. According to the statistics authority, this is the highest number in more than 20 years. The rise within two years is quite significant: there were 1,195 naturalisations in Brandenburg in 2022 and 2,490 in 2023. In the previous 20 years, fewer than 1,000 people were granted a German passport each year. By far the largest group of naturalised citizens comes from Syria. Ukrainians, Poles and Iranians have also been granted German passports. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM BERLIN

SPK reform: a sigh of relief

With the votes of the CDU and the FDP, the German Bundestag passed a law last Friday on the reform of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), by far the most important cultural institution in the Federal Republic of Germany. The foundation’s institutions will now be given significantly more room for manoeuvre, for example by having their own budgets, as Berlin Minister for Culture Claudia Roth explained during a press conference at the Neues Museum. Roth referred to some of the SPK museums as “sleeping beauties” to which additional life will be breathed. Source: taz

The “firewall:” at least 160,000 people demonstrate in Berlin

Demonstrations against co-operation with the AfD took place in several German cities over the weekend. According to the police, around 160,000 people took part in a large demonstration in Berlin. The organisers counted many more, estimating the number of participants to be up to 250,000. Only around 20,000 demonstrators had initially been expected. Many protesters had placards and banners with them, with messages such as “It’s 5 to 1933” and “No Merz in February.” Due to the large crowds, the police had restricted access to the Konrad Adenauer House and asked the demonstrators to spread out. Source: rbb

Black-red coalition wants to continue austerity programme in Berlin

Berlin is cutting three billion euros in this year’s budget, and more cuts are still on the agenda after that. The Senate wants to save more in 2026 and 2027, with at least around 800 million euros are expected to be cut in the Berlin state budget. According to a report, all Berlin Senate administrations are expected to make cuts. However, the shortfall for education, science and home affairs will likely be smaller than for other departments. The concrete figures are still subject to change, and the pressure to save could even increase. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Merz runs aground

The Bundestag session last Friday was eagerly awaited after the CDU/CSU’s proposals on migration had achieved a majority AfD support and were now up for discussion. Less than a month before the Bundestag elections, the debate became political. After a long interruption and a heated discussion, the bill was rejected with 350 votes against. 338 MPs voted in favour, five MPs abstained. The bill contained measures to curb migration: at its core was the suspension of family reunification for refugees with limited protection status. Source: jW

Germany’s population sees slight growth in 2024

As of December 2024 sat at 83.6 million, the population of Germany, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). As has been the case every year since German reunification in 1990, more people died in Germany in 2024 than were born. The birthrate has however “recently accelerated significantly,” according to a 2024 study by the ifo Institute in Dresden. Population growth is due to immigration: in 2024, between 400,000 and 440,000 people arrived in Germany (based on data up to October 2024). Nevertheless, the same study points out that this is a 34% lower net migration than in 2023. Source: iamexpat

Southern German cities likely to impose a tax for disposable packaging

Germany’s Constitutional Court has overruled a legal complaint lodged by McDonald’s in Tübingen after the city introduced a tax on disposable food packaging, first introduced in 2022. The franchise challenged its legality in an administrative court in Mannheim and won, arguing that it infringed on businesses’ freedom to operate as a vendor, which is protected by German law. The Constitutional Court, Germany’s highest court, has now however sided with the city. Other cities in the region, such as Konstanz, Freiburg and Heidelberg, are expected to enforce similar taxes. Source: iamexpat

Dr. Özgür Özvatan: “Migrant voters can be game changers”

In an interview, Dr. Özgür Özvatan, a sociologist at the Humboldt University, observed that the electorate in Germany is changing – and with it, its political landscape. Özvatan also spoke about voter groups and the established parties. He mentions that “the cohorts after 2000, i.e. after the citizenship reform, are another factor in the migrantisation of the electorate. They will enter the voting age in the 2020s. Therefore, yes, migrant Germans can be game changers with currently more than 15% and they will inevitably be decisive for the outcome of the upcoming federal elections in 2029 and 2033.” Source: islamiq

Michel Friedman: CDU resignation because of Merz

After being a CDU member for 42 years, author Michel Friedman returned his party membership card in protest against the CDU/CSU’s asylum vote with the AfD. He spoke in Wiesbaden about his reasons for doing so, mentioning “a catastrophic turning point for democracy” in Germany. Faction leader and candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) put his five-point plan for a stricter asylum policy to a vote in the Bundestag on Wednesday, accepting that a majority could only be achieved with the votes of the AfD. Friedman criticizes Merz’s behaviour as “serious mistakes and a breach of promise.” Source: mittelhessen.de

Old-age poverty at record level

In Germany, old-age poverty is affecting more and more retired people. This is according to data from the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, as requested by the BSW parliamentary group. The response shows that around 3.54 million people aged 65 and over are at risk of poverty in Germany. A year-on-year increase of 1.2% to just under a fifth of all older people. The BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht affirmed pensions are a “mega problem” in Germany, calling for a pension system modelled on that of Austria, where civil servants and the self-employed also pay into the system. Source: jW