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Category: News from Berlin and Germany

News from Berlin and Germany, 12th June 2024

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


12/06/2024

NEWS FROM BERLIN

How Berlin voted in the European elections?

Across Europe, people took to the polls for the European elections on last Sunday, and results in Berlin saw some changes in the political landscape of the city. In comparison to 2019, the winners were the AfD, the BSW and the CDU, while there were losses from the Greens, the SPD and Die Linke. Although the Greens remain as the largest party in Berlin, they suffered considerable losses, with a drop of 8.3%. The CDU gained slightly in that same time (+2.4%) while the 13.2% shared by the SPD represented their worst result to date in a European election in the German capital. Source: the Berliner

TU President: ‘I am not resigning’

The President of Technische Universität Berlin (TU), Geraldine Rauch, will not resign. At its meeting last Wednesday, the Academic Senate of TU Berlin left the decision as to whether she would remain at the university in her own hands. However, it also drew up an opinion poll by secret ballot. A narrow majority voted in favour of her resignation. Rauch was also specifically criticised for likes for X posts in which ‘genocide in Gaza’ was written or in which the questions ‘We are valued partners with war criminals?’ and ‘With which Israel are we valued partners?’ were posed. Students and staff expressed their solidarity with the President. Source: taz

Berlin increases cinema funding

Berlin is increasing its cinema funding by six million euros for the next few years. This was announced by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB) on the occasion of the cinema programme awards ceremony. This means that there will be significantly more funding for cinema investments and cultural programmes in the future. ‘Anyone who is committed to cinema as a cultural asset must also support the industry appropriately so that it can continue to compete with the major television broadcasters and streaming providers,’ said Florian Graf, Head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery and Chairman of the MBB Supervisory Board. Source: welt

NEWS FROM GERMANY

The AfD and how it won over young voters

The far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) made gains in almost all age groups in the recent European elections, but its biggest success was among young people. In the last EU election, in 2019, it garnered just 5% of the young vote. This year, 16% of youths voted for the AfD, tripling the party’s share in this demographic and putting it almost on par with the center-right alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU). The AfD managed to target the young voters like no other German party — mainly via TikTok and Instagram, striking a chord with emotional messages, punchlines and humor. Source: dw

Dead fish discovered again in the river Oder

Around two years after the environmental disaster in the river forming part of the German-Polish border, dead fish have again been discovered in the Oder. The toxic golden algae, which was partly responsible for the large `fish kill’ in the summer of 2022, was able to happen again. The Brandenburg State Environmental Agency plans to discuss further steps. Poland also wants to curb the spread of golden algae. Last May, the Polish Ministry of the Environment announced that the authorities wanted to increase the water flow to make it more difficult for the golden algae to spread. It had been washed into the river from the Gliwice Canal. Source: rbb

Floods destroy harvest on many farms

In the submerged areas of southern Germany, enormous crop failures are imminent. The recent floods have ruined the harvest for many farmers. ‘Masses of water have often destroyed large parts of this year’s harvest,’ said Markus Drexler, spokesman for the Bavarian Farmers’ Association (BBV). The situation is particularly bad in Swabia and parts of Upper and Lower Bavaria. The state government wants to make at least 100 million euros available for those affected by the disaster. In a letter to Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU), BBV Secretary General Carl von Butler emphasised that in individual cases, farms may be significantly affected. Source: tagesschau

S21: New railway station delayed again

The new underground main railway station in Stuttgart is behind schedule – even more so than previously thought. Deutsche Bahn (DB) last planned to complete Stuttgart 21 (S21) in December 2025. Now the opening of the new building has been postponed by another year, to the end of 2026. According to Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens), one of the main reasons for the delay is that the digitalisation of the Stuttgart hub in the rail network is more complex than originally assumed. Test operations are due to begin there in stages in mid-2026. Source: taz

News from Berlin and Germany, 5th June 2024

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


05/06/2024

NEWS FROM BERLIN

‘But it’s nice here’

Over 6,000 people demonstrated against displacement and the often-unaffordable rents in Berlin on Saturday. In the Wannsee district, which has not been known for tenant struggles in the past, Vonovia tenants also resist the five-fold increase in their service charges. ‘It’s not just millionaires who live in Wannsee,’ a resident mentioned. A plaque on the ‘Gemeinsam gegen Obdachlosigkeit und Zwangsräumung’ (Together against homelessness and eviction) demo van remembered some of those who suffered because of displacement. Numerous names of people who had to live and die on the streets were written by hand. Source: jW

Queer community in Berlin threatens to disinvite mayor from CSD

The Berlin Christopher Street Day (CSD) have issued Kai Wegner (CDU) with an ultimatum: either meet some of the longstanding demands from the queer community, or have the invitation withdrawn. A statement issued by the organisation begins: “In 2024, the queer Berlin community will not be fobbed off with warm words from politicians, but will demand the implementation of its demands with vigor.” Among those demands are the inclusion of queer people in the protections enshrined in the Federal Grundgesetz, Germany’s constitution (currently being blocked by the CDU at a federal level), and an introduction of measures against hate crime, with adequate funding of their implementation. Source: the berliner

HU President receives backing

Following the occupation at Humboldt University (HU), President Julia von Blumenthal has received backing from the deans of eight faculties. They published a statement in which they described von Blumenthal’s actions as ‘level-headed and de-escalating.’ The statement was signed by around 500 other HU employees. According to the deans’ letter, part of the challenge was that the group of occupiers was heterogeneous. There was a core of activists who were not interested in dialogue, but in escalation. However, there were also students who were ‘willing to talk.’ In the statements, the deans also write that they oppose all attempts to incite Jewish and Palestinian students against each other. Source: morgenpost

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Germany sees its highest number of naturalisations in 23 years

The year 2023 saw quite an uptick in the number of residents being granted German citizenship (200,100). Among them, Syrian nationals represented the largest group to naturalise (75,485), compared to Turkish nationals (10,735). The large discrepancy can be explained by the fact that many of the Syrian nationals who came to Germany as refugees between 2014 and 2016 were newly eligible for citizenship in 2023. In Germany, people with refugee status are not required to renounce their original citizenship to get a German passport. Of the 16 federal states, Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, naturalised the largest number of people in 2023 (51,185). Source: iamexpat

Survey on racism in the national team causes outrage

The European Men’s Football Championship kicks off on 14 June. Taking advantage of the focus that is currently on this sport, Philipp Awounou will release Unity and Justice and Diversity, a documentary where he explores the question of how the proportion of migrants in the German national team has developed over the past decades and which will be broadcast on 5 June. The electronic magazine Sport Inside commissioned a survey for the film, according to which one in five Germans would prefer to see more white players in the DFB team. The survey triggered a wave of outrage on social media. Source: islamiq

In Remembrance of Walter Lübcke: 500 balloons for democracy

A tribute for Walter Lübcke (CDU) took place in Kassel, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of his murder. Lübcke, who was shot dead on his terrace by right-wing extremist Stephan Ernst, became known in 2015 above all for his commitment to refugees. He was a ‘hero of action,’ President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) recalls, an ‘upright democrat who was committed to the community.’ However, Steinmeier himself admits that ‘in the end, we didn’t do enough to avert the crime. For far too long, we held on to the judgement that we were dealing with lone perpetrators or perhaps a small gang.’ Source: nd

A new Oury Jalloh case?

Hans-Jürgen Rose died 26 years ago. Now it has emerged that his death could be linked to the police station that became famous years later for the death of Oury Jalloh. His widow Iris Rose has charged four of the police officers who were on duty at the time with murder. She is supported by the donor-funded initiative ‘Recherche-Zentrum.’ In an interview with the ARD political programme Kontraste, she declared: ‘We hope that it will be cleared up. Especially for Jürgen’s mum.’ The complaint is based on new findings: apparently, documents from that night in 1997 have been tampered with. Source: tagesschau

The attack in Mannheim will have consequences

The footage of a perpetrator stabbing several people in blind rage last Friday in Mannheim is disturbing. A 29-year-old police officer died on Sunday as a result of the injuries suffered. If he and his colleagues had not reacted with such presence of mind, there would have been even more victims. The attack in Mannheim is evidence of problematic radicalisation. Meanwhile, the city’s residents are showing how to react in a level-headed manner, opposing initiatives such as the Young Alternative, which organised a rally to promote their idea of ‘remigration.’ However, such attacks might have consequences not yet foreseeable. Source: taz

News from Berlin and Germany, 29th May 2024

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


29/05/2024

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Police officer beats journalist during evacuation at the Humboldt University

A video documented how a police officer hits a reporter from the ‘Berliner Zeitung’ (BZ) during the evacuation of an occupied institute at Humboldt University (HU) on Thursday. As BZ reported on the next day, the reporter, who had identified himself as a representative of the press, was beaten by an officer while filming the eviction. The newspaper also published the video about the incident. The police commented on the article, saying the following: ‘We were not previously aware of this video.’ The authorities had sent it ‘immediately’ to the State Office of Criminal Investigation for evaluation. The Journalists’ association demands a “complete clarification”. Source: tagesspiegel

Rent demo on 1 June

The official website of the Left party invites citizens to a demonstration against the rise of rent prices. It considers that “While rents are being increased, many people receive horrendous utility bills and everything is more expensive, little is happening when it comes to wages. And while the federal government prevents improved tenant protection, the CDU-SPD Senate allows rents to rise at the state-owned housing companies and it delays the referendum.” They then invite people to join for a demonstration shortly before the European elections taking place at 2pm on June 1st at Potsdamer Platz. Source: die Linke

Separation of powers in danger

The Berliner Senate admits that the ‘Palestine Congress’ was hastily ended in April. State Secretary of the Interior Christian Hochgrebe (SPD) now admits that the four bans on political activity were imposed at very short notice and communicated to the police. Salman Abu Sitta himself was not informed of the ban either verbally or in writing. The organisers only found out about it while Sitta’s video greeting was already running, even though he had been announced as a speaker for weeks. Furthermore, during the eviction at Humboldt University, a lawyer was arrested and a journalist was beaten by police officers. Lawyer Michael Plöse doubts that the Senate acted lawfully. Source: taz

Berlin 29-euro ticket: 75,000 subscriptions sold in its first month

Almost one month after Berlin’s 29-euro public transport ticket first went on sale, 75,000 passengers subscribed for it. According to the Berlin Senate for Transportation, 85 percent of the 29-euro tickets were sold to existing customers who were transferring over from another kind of ticket. Transport authorities in other German federal states fear the Berlin-wide ticket could diminish the popularity of the Deutschlandticket. Criticism has also come from police and emergency services in Berlin, which, according to police union representative Stephan Weh, have had 31,8 million euros of funding cut at the expense of “internal security” services, namely ambulances and police cars, to fund the 29-euro ticket. Source: iamexpat

The statue of “comfort women”: is Berlin planning to remove it?

The Friedenstatue (the statue of peace) which was inaugurated in September of 2020, is a memorial for the so-called “comfort women”, the hundreds of thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the Second World War – as well as to stand as a symbol against sexual violence more widely. Meanwhile, the recent years have seen the Japanese government putting pressure on foreign cities to remove such memorials. During a diplomatic visit to Japan, mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) affirmed he is committed to ensuring there is a monument against violence against women, but a “one-sided representation should no longer take place.” Source: the berliner

Berlin State Secretary Claudia Elif Stutz resigns

Berlin’s new transport senator Ute Bonde (CDU) has lost an important member of staff. State Secretary Claudia Elif Stutz (CDU) has announced that she is leaving the transport administration. According to the ‘rbb’ and ‘B.Z.’, the dispute over the 29-euro ticket is one reason for the resignation. The previoud State Secretary had argued in favour of the reintroduction of the ticket in the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB). Bonde, the new transport senator as of last week and now Elif Stutz’s superior, was the chairwoman at the time. State Secretary Britta Behrendt (CDU) will take over until the position is filled. Source: rbb

 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Champagne, Rolexes and racism

At the end of last week, a short video went viral. The video was taken last Sunday in the exclusive club ‘Pony’ in Kampen on the island of Sylt. A group of young people sing the phrase ‘Foreigners out, Germany to the Germans’ to Gigi D’Agostino’s song ‘L’Amour toujours’. The Nazi version was also sung on Monday at the Schützenfest in Löningen in the district of Cloppenburg. In the midst of these scenes, bottles of champagne are opened, using the teeth, or credit cards. All of it makes clear that racist statements are not just a phenomenon of boozing neo-Nazis. Source: taz

CDU cancels online vote against combustion engine ban

The planned ban on combustion engines for new cars has met with disapproval from the CDU, and the party wanted to secure support with an online poll.  However, reports from the Bild am Sonntag claim that things didn’t go according to the CDU’s plan.  The vote took place last saturday and in the morning more than 85 per cent of participants were in favour of a ban. The poll was taken offline in the afternoon and the vote cancelled. This was justified by Christoph Schleifer, who works for the company commissioned to conduct the survey, speaking of massive manipulation. He claims that ‘Tens of thousands of votes were cast automatically.’Source: tagesschau

News from Berlin and Germany, 22nd May 2024

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


22/05/2024

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Neukölln and the Nakba

The CDU wants to have the publication ‘Mythos Israel 1948’ in Berlin schools. Die Linke in Neukölln opposes this. The brochure was published a few weeks before 7 October and has since been the subject of a fierce debate. ‘It is important for us to point out that it [the Nakba] was not a systematic expulsion,’ declared a spokesperson for the Masiyot association, which published the brochure. The authors mention that ‘the brochure was never intended to be distributed to schools,’ but only as background material for informed readers. Source: taz

Tuntenhaus is saved

For three months, the residents of the Tuntenhaus in Prenzlauer Berg had to fear for their home, but since Thursday it has been clear: the district of Pankow has a preemptive right to buy the property and the future of the queer house project is secure. Tuntenhaus has occupied the building in Kastanienallee since 1990. The Bavarian investor who had bought the house had until last Wednesday night to sign a settlement agreement, but failed to do so. The house will be sold to the Edith Maryon Foundation. Source: taz

Musk is allowed to build

The alliance ‘Tesla den Hahn abdrehen’ (Turn off the tap on Tesla) describes the vote in the Grünheide municipal council as a ‘bitter blow for water protection and democracy:’ 11 of the 19 Grünheide representatives voted in favour of a development plan last Thursday. Despite the fact that more than 60% of Grünheide residents had spoken out against it in a public survey in February, the US car manufacturer Tesla was given the green light to expand its plant. After the result of the vote became known, its opponents announced further resistance. Source: jW

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Investigations after demonstration to remember Nakba

The Berlin Police are investigating 25 criminal charges following another demonstration involving thousands of people to mark the Palestinian Nakba Memorial Day. The charges include incitement, insults, and attacks on police officers. 25 participants were provisionally arrested during the protest march on Saturday. According to the police, around 6,200 people took part at the peak. Around 2,000 participants had been expected. The protest march was therefore stopped several times, but the demonstration managed to reach its destination in Mitte. Source: zeit

EU elections: German 16-year-olds to cast their first votes

A decrease in Germany’s voting age from 18 to 16 could bring more than a million additional people to the polls for the European elections. There are even posters designed to encourage young people to vote in June’s European elections. One has the slogan “First kiss, first time, first vote” and was created by media design students Maja Steinbach, Maria Viktoria Junker and Fabian Navarro. Within Germany, 16-year-olds are eligible to vote in state elections in six states, but this is the first year that people as young as 16 can vote in the elections for the European Parliament. Source: dw

Bystron’s offices raided over bribery probe

German police have raided the offices of a leading member of the AfD over money-laundering and bribery allegations. MP Petr Bystron is accused of receiving money from Russia in return for influence – something he denies. The raids were carried out in a number of locations, including Munich, Mallorca, and the MP’s parliamentary office in Berlin. The Bundestag has agreed to lift parliamentary immunity and to allow for criminal proceedings against him. Bystron is the party’s number two candidate for next month’s European Parliament elections. Another of the AfD’s lead candidates, Maximilian Krah, is currently being investigated for alleged payments from Russia and China, but denies any wrongdoing. Source: bbc

News from Berlin and Germany, 15th May 2024

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


15/05/2024

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Neukölln: ‘Mythos Israel 1948’ brochure in schools

The parliamentary group “the Left” in Neukölln has criticised the decision made by the CDU and SPD district council (BVV) on the use of the brochure ‘Mythos#Israel1948’ in schools. According to a Facebook post, the Left believes that politics is influencing the choice of schools materials. Moreover, the brochure itself does not clarify myths about Israel, but rather produces them. A panel discussion on the use of the brochure has been organised on 16 May (7 pm at Café Engels in Herrfurthstraße 21). Taking part are Middle East expert Hikmat El-Hammouri, Neukölln student Yazan Abo Rahmie and Udi Raz, PhD student at the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies. Source: berliner Zeitung

Police initiate 39 proceedings in Neukölln

The Berlin police have initiated 39 criminal investigations related to a pro-Palestinian demonstration and subsequent riots in the Neukölln district on Saturday evening. According to the police, the charges include suspected incitement to hatred, offences against the assembly law, attempted prisoner liberation and attacks on law enforcement officers. Around 1,500 people marched from Kreuzberg to Neukölln in the late afternoon. Individual participants threw bottles at police officers. The police said they had temporarily detained almost 50 people, in order to take their personal details. Around 220 police officers were deployed. Source: rbb

 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Nathan Thrall: award-winning there, but cancelled here

It was announced last Monday that Nathan Thrall is one of this year’s Pulitzer Prize winners. His book ‘A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy’, published in 2023, won in the non-fiction category. It deals with the reality of life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation in the West Bank. The next day, the author was due to speak about the current situation in Israel and Palestine at the Union International Club in Frankfurt am Main. However, few days beforehand, the club cancelled the event – without an official explanation. It is not the first time he has been “cancelled”. Source: nd-aktuell

AfD cannot shake suspicion

Last Monday, the AfD’s appeal against its categorisation by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) was rejected in Münster. This means that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution can monitor the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist organisation and inform the public about it. The same applies to the Junge Alternative, a now disbanded ‘wing’ of the party, which was even definitively categorised as right-wing extremist. The judgement is not yet final. As usual, a further assessment of the AfD will now be made in due course in an open-ended review process. Source: taz

Protesters attempt to storm Tesla German plant in Brandenburg

Last Friday, protesters opposed to the expansion of the U.S. electric vehicle company Tesla clashed with police. The activists claim the expansion would damage the environment. “We are here today to draw attention to the Tesla factory in Grunheide for the environmental destruction here,” Disrupt Tesla spokesperson Ole Becker told Reuters. The group also wants to highlight environmental destruction in other countries like Argentina or Bolivia, brought about by lithium mining, according to Becker. Lithium is a key resource for electric vehicle batteries. Some of the demonstrators have damaged a few Tesla cars using pyrotechnics and paint at a nearby car storage site, a police spokesperson added. Source: Reuters

Germany plans to end homelessness

The federal German government has released an Action Plan to eradicate homelessness by 2030. However, the plans have been critised by Homeless people and charities as too vague, although admirable. In recent years, homelessness has been on the rise, due to an ongoing lack of affordable housing. The 31-point plan includes ideas such as giving money to state governments to build social housing, and helping people get access to health insurance, among others. However, charities say the situation in the housing market is so desperate that, without any indication of how this will be achieved, it is little more than a statement of intent. Source: dw

Asylum seekers in Brandenburg to receive support as cash

The payment card for asylum seekers is to be introduced throughout Brandenburg with only some of the finanical support to be paid out in cash. A decision has now been made regarding the amount of support paid out in cash which does not meet demands of the Greens. According to the local government, adult asylum seekers in Brandenburg will receive 50 euros per month in cash, while children will receive 25 euros in cash. Refugees from Ukraine will not receive a payment card, as they receive citizens’ benefits. Source: rbb

German forests in poor condition

Many trees in German forests are sick. So says a survey carried out by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in 2023. Around 80 per cent of the most common species – spruce, pine, beech, and oak – are damaged. Such stressed condition is due to the heat, drought and beetle damage. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) said during the presentation of new data in Berlin that only one in five trees is still completely healthy. ‘The forest is turning into a permanent patient.’ The study attributes the problems facing German forests to climate change. Source: rbb