NEWS FROM BERLIN

35,000 people at Wagenknecht and Schwarzer’s rally

A demonstration in favor of the war in Ukraine until Kiev’s “victory” had about 7,000 people. For that, the Berlin police projected 10,000 participants. The much larger rally organized by Sahra Wagenknecht and Alice Schwarzer, following the “Manifesto for Peace,” signed by over 600,000 people, had an estimated 35,000 people at the place, but the police declared only 13,000 participants. The police seemed to take note of the strong influx to the rally, though. For instance, no trains were stopping at the Brandenburg Gate station, citing overcrowding. Schwarzer mentioned “It was such a peaceful and happy mood. No party-linked mood, no sectarian mood.” Source: jW

Greenpeace occupies SPD HQ’s roof

Activists from the group Greenpeace climbed onto the roof of the Willy Brandt House in Berlin on Monday to protest against the construction of motorways. The group is demanding that Social Democrats speak out against further construction projects. The protesters put up a banner with the inscription “Fortschritt wagen: Bahn statt Beton” (“dare progress: rail instead of concrete”) on the house. Greenpeace activists also wanted to demonstrate on the ground but were stopped. Police were present at the scene with a large contingent of around 100 officers. Lena Donat, advisor on low-carbon mobility, affirmed on the spot that “Building motorways is not socially just.” Source: welt

Die Linke demands expropriation law in Berlin by mid-2024

The Berlin regional association of the Left Party (die Linke) is calling for the drafting of an expropriation law by mid-2024. Since eleven of the party’s twelve district chairpersons have signed the motion, a clear adoption can be assumed. The proposers call for “the drafting of a bill and its vote in the House of Representatives by mid-2024 at the latest”. The demand is justified, among other things, by the interim report of the expert commission on the implementation of the referendum, published in mid-December. Left Party state leader Katina Schubert also spoke about the implementation depending on “coalition negotiations.” Source: tagesspiegel

SPD clears the way for talks with CDU

The SPD in Berlin wants to start coalition negotiations with the CDU, which won the election. According to state chairman Raed Saleh, the vote of the state executive board was clear, with 67.6% in favor. Asked why the SPD had decided against the previous red-green-red coalition, Giffey replied that they had received “very clear” signals from the CDU in the exploratory talks, “which were much more responsive to what is important to social democracy.” In the SPD, however, there were also many voices against an alliance with the CDU. The Jusos in particular are firmly opposed to a coalition with the CDU. “The CDU does not suit Berlin and does not suit the SPD,” Berlin co-chair Sinem Taşan-Funke declared. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Scholz woos workers in India

Olaf Scholz (SPD) is interested in skilled workers from India. He wants to facilitate their immigration, especially for the IT sector – but not only. In Bengaluru, India’s software and IT centre, Scholz visited, among other things, the local site of the German IT company SAP and met Indians who will soon start a job in Germany. Scholz had also agreed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to expand economic relations between the two countries. Both heads of government advocated the conclusion of an EU-India free trade agreement. The background is also Germany’s desire to become less dependent on China, Germany’s largest trading partner. Source: dw

Significantly fewer vegetables harvested in Germany

The quantity of vegetables harvested in Germany fell significantly last year, partly due to heat and drought. A total of 3.8 million tons were harvested, 12% less than in 2021, according to the Federal Statistical Office. That was also 2% less than the average for the years 2016 to 2021. Carrots saw a particularly sharp drop of 19%. Organic farms produced a total of 431,000 tons of vegetables on 17,800 hectares. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture currently sees no signs there could be shortages in the supply of vegetables and fruit in Germany like in other countries such as Britain. Source: n-tv

GFF wants to defend freedom against security

Suddenly, the Society for Freedom Rights (GFF) is on everyone’s lips. The non-governmental organisation, which has existed since 2015, recently won three court cases. One case was about automated data analysis by the police, so-called data mining. In the second case, a complaint was filed against the storage of mobile phone data of refugees. In the third case, the court ruled negotiating skills should not be an argument for different pay for women and men. The initial spark of the association was Ulf Buermeyer, now the chair of the GFF board. The former judge is known through his podcast “State of the Nation”, created together with journalist Philip Banse. Source: nd

Warning strikes in South Brandenburg

The city and district administrations of southern Brandenburg are to go on strike all day on Thursday, according to ver.di. The reason for the strike is the unsuccessful collective bargaining round for public service workers on the federal and local level. The union is demanding a 10.5% wage increase, with a minimum of 500 euros, and a monthly increase of at least 200 euros for trainees, retroactive to 1 January. Municipal day-care centers in the Königs Wusterhausen area and its surroundings are also expected to be closed Thursday due to the strike, ver.di explained. Source: rbb24

What changes in March

From 1 March on, price brakes for electricity and gas will take effect. There also will be financial relief for students. As of 15 March, they can apply for the flat-rate energy allowance of 200 euros. Corona measures will be relaxed in March, too: the staff of health and care facilities will no longer be required to wear masks. In this month, all owners of mopeds, mopeds, scooters, or e-scooters should remember to change their number plates again. And last, but not least: the Federal Cross of Merit will be the same size for women as for men. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin strikes in March

The nationwide collective bargaining round in the public sector will likely escalate at the beginning of March. And the United Services Union (ver.di) is planning to strike the participating employers during this time – work stoppages are being prepared that could last several days. In Berlin, these warning strikes would affect the city cleaning service (BSR), the Vivantes clinics, the Charité, the Jewish Hospital, the water companies, the College of Applied Sciences and the Student Union. The decisive factor will be whether employers move significantly towards the union’s positions in the next round of negotiations on 22 and 23 February. Source: tagesspiege

Action against deportation from BER

According to information from the Brandenburg Refugee Council, 34 people were deported to Pakistan against their will last Wednesday. Beforehand, activists had tried to prevent the deportation. Since the afternoon, around 200 demonstrators blocked all three access roads to Terminal 5 of BER for hours. They wanted to prevent people from being brought onto the airport grounds. Divided into groups, the activists blocked the main entrance on Willy-Brandt-Strasse, a second entrance via a car park and the rear entrance on Kirchstrasse. However, in the evening, the deportation plane to Islamabad was able to take off – with all likelihood from another terminal. Source: taz

Syrian woman dies after fire in Berlin-Pankow

Last Monday, Syrian family A. mourned the loss of a family member. Ten days ago, the 43-year-old woman, wife and mother of six, Yazi A., died having been severely injured in a fire on January 25. A serious fire broke out in the stairwell of an apartment building in the Pankow district of Französisch Buchholz. The case received attention after being tweeted about by Tarek Baé. The activist criticized the media and politicians in numerous tweets for not reporting on the new developments in the case until ten days after Yazi’s death. Source: tagesspiegel

Tesla postpones battery construction plans in Germany

Tesla is delaying its plans to manufacture entire batteries in Germany. The focus on complete cell production is currently in the USA due to tax incentives according to a Tesla spokeswoman. “We have started local assembly of battery systems at the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg and are in the production ramp-up phase” the American company said. Company boss Elon Musk had announced the Berlin Gigafactory to be the largest battery factory in the world. When it opened in March 2022, he said the battery plant would reach mass production by the end of 2023. Source: dw

NEWS FROM GERMANY

No more excuses on equal pay

An important loophole for employers trying to wriggle out of the European law requirement of “equal pay for equal work” has finally been closed with the ruling of the Federal Labour Court. It is more worthwhile than ever to inquire about wage differences in ones company, to question them and, if in doubt, to file a complaint against them. Above all, the ruling means: Discrimination is forbidden on the basis of gender: Everyone doing the same work is entitled to the same rate of pay. The decision of the court will mean the presumption is that if there is a pay differential for equal work, there is discrimination, which the employer must rebut with objective reasons. Source: taz

Inflation rate rises to 8.7 per cent in January

Inflation in Germany accelerated significantly at the beginning of the year. Consumer prices rose by an average of 8.7 per cent in January compared to the same month last year, the Federal Statistical Office reported. Compared to the previous month, prices rose by 1.0 per cent. Experts had expected for a stronger inflation – however this is also due to the statistics office changing the weighting within the basket of goods used for its estimation. The question now, among economists, is how quickly the inflation rate might fall. This will depend on how energy prices move, but we could see inflation rates falling at a fast pace. Source: spiegel

Stübgen calls for “migration control”

When it comes to housing and integrating refugees, Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) sees Brandenburg’s municipalities as at their limits. The interior minister called for stronger limits on immigration and faster deportation of rejected asylum seekers. The federal government must do more to repatriate immigrants who have no prospect of a legal right to remain, he also said. Last year, Brandenburg’s municipalities took in around 39,000 refugees, most of them from Ukraine. On the topic of immigration, Andrea Johlige, an MP from the Left Party, says that municipalities need to be better equipped, with more social infrastructure, staff in schools and housing as well. Source: rbb

Germany expels two Iranian diplomats after death sentence

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) announced that the German government has expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to the death sentence passed by a court in Tehran against German-Iranian Djamshid Sharmahd. The Iranian judiciary holds Sharmahd responsible for planning several terrorist attacks. The court also charged him with cooperating with foreign intelligence services. The accusations cannot be verified. Baerbock explained she summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Iranian in view of the death sentence. He was informed “we do not accept this massive violation of the rights of a German citizen”. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Fast admission for earthquake victims with relatives in Berlin 

After one of the worst earthquake catastrophes of the last decades at the Turkish-Syrian border area, with several thousand dead, the readiness to help and donate is great in Berlin. Turks, Syrians and other people from the affected region who want to reach their relatives in Berlin should be able to obtain the necessary visa quicker than usual. More specifically, the regulation applies to close relatives such as minor children and spouses, the Senate’s internal administration announced on Friday evening. According to the statement, the acceleration of visa issuance is valid until 31 July 2023. “The relatives will receive a residence permit.” Source: berlin.de

CDU election winner Wegner wants to start talks “immediately”

“A clear mandate to govern” is what CDU top candidate Kai Wegner sees after the Sunday election in Berlin. After his victory, Wegner wants to enter into talks with the SPD and the Greens immediately. “In essence, we have two runners-up, two two-party constellations are possible – that is, black-red and black-green. I will invite both at the same time and hope for quick talks,” Wegner mentioned last Monday. The SPD won only 105 votes more than the Greens in the repeat election for the Berlin state parliament. Source: rbb24

Almost 4 million inhabitants

Berlin keeps growing and growing. Last year, the number of inhabitants rose by more than 75,000. A large part of the new Berliners are refugees from Ukraine. The number of residents in Berlin has reached a new high: as of 31 December 2022, around 3,851,000 people had their primary residence in the capital, more than at any time since the Second World War. This was announced by the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office on Tuesday; the data comes from the population register. At the same time, the number of people with German citizenship fell by 13,481. Source: rbb24

Police station at Kottbusser Tor opened

After years of discussions and planning, the controversial new police station at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg has opened. Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) spoke on Wednesday morning of the most modern police station in Berlin. She was “incredibly proud” of the project. However, in front of police cordons at Kottbusser Tor, around 200 mostly young people from the left-wing scene demonstrated against the police station, chanting: “Get lost, get lost”. The new small “Nebenwache am Kottbusser Tor”, as it is officially called, is located on the first floor of a high-rise building in the overpass over Adalbertstraße. Source: tagesspiegel

Little credibility

Activists from Fridays for Future at the Technical University of Berlin stand in front of the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall) during a demonstration under the motto “#BerlinWantsClimate”. In view of the election of the Berlin House of Deputies, the activists are calling for a climate-neutral Berlin by 2030. Many voters do not trust the parties represented in the Berlin state parliament to be able to meet the challenges of the climate crisis. This is suggested by the results of a representative survey, the results of which were published on Sunday by the Initiative Clever Cities of climate and transport lobbyist Heinrich Strößenreuter. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

At the expense of victims

Since the beginning of December, the Cologne Regional Court has been hearing a claim for damages for pain and suffering that could have extremely costly consequences for the Catholic Church, not only in this specific case, but overall. A young altar boy in the 1970s, who was repeatedly the victim of sexualized harassment at the hands of the Catholic priest Erich J., demands around 750,000 euros in damages. The Cologne archdiocese under the leadership of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki does not deny the acts, which are part of the so-called Cologne Abuse Report. Source: jW

Saxony denies hardship case

The Saxon Hardship Commission does not consider the case of the family of former Vietnamese GDR contract worker Pham Phi Son, who is threatened with deportation, to be a case of hardship. Last Friday, the commision rejected the family’s application for a humanitarian right to stay. The 65-year-old Pham Phi Son came in 1987 as a contract worker and lived in Chemnitz as a blameless citizen. He had an unlimited residence permit. In 2016 he made a mistake: he extended his Vietnam leave to nine months for health reasons. However, a maximum of six months is allowed, otherwise the right of residence expires. Source: nd

Germany to produce Gepard ammunition

Germany has delivered more than 30 Gepard tanks to Ukraine – but ammunition is in short supply. Switzerland is blocking the delivery of Swiss-produced ammunition, considering the country’s neutral status, so Germany now wants to produce ammunition itself. “The contracts for the production of Gepard ammunition have been signed,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) told at the NATO defence ministers’ meeting. He also appealed to the German defence industry to ramp up production capacities. The NATO countries are in Brussels to discuss further military support for Ukraine. Possible fighter jet deliveries are also likely to be a topic. Source: zdf

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Kottbusser Tor police station in to open on 15 February

The controversial new police station at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg is to open on 15 February. This was announced by Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) during a visit to the future station, found on the first floor of a high-rise building in the overpass over Adalbertstraße. Senator Spranger explained that at around 3.24 million euros, the costs for the conversion of the rooms there remained somewhat below the planned budget. Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) said that after years of discussion, the project has now been implemented in one of the most crime-ridden locations. She went on: “It needs a clear signal that the rule of law will not back down.” Source: tagesspiegel

Cement injection to save U2 at Alex

The excavation pit for the tower block the French investment firm Covivio is planning next to the Park Inn Hotel has damaged the tunnel of underground line 2. As things stand currently, the line will only shuttle between Klosterstraße and Senefelderplatz until August. However, official documents show the retaining walls, which are supposed to secure the excavation pit, could not withstand the pressure of the groundwater, and were pushed in by more than five centimetres. It has already led to water ingress in the tunnel. An elaborate procedure is being discussed to solve the issue, with steel anchors and an injection of a special emulsion to make the ground under the station harder. Source: rbb

Strike day in the public sector

Ver.di has called for a large-scale warning strike in the public sector in Berlin this Thursday. Among others, the city cleaning services and clinics are affected. The GEW already called teachers to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ver.di and the civil servants’ association DBB demand for 10.5 per cent more income or at least 500 euros more for the approximately 2.5 million employees. According to the union the reason for the strike is the so far inconclusive round of collective bargaining for federal and local government employees. There will be no strike in the senate and district administrations, as their employees are paid according to a different collective agreement. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Germany should take in earthquake victims

After the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Baden-Württemberg’s state parliament president Muhterem Aras (Greens) has spoken out in favour of allowing people from the Turkish earthquake region to stay temporarily in Germany. “I suggest a three-month residence permit for those affected,” she said. “The prerequisite must be relatives living here make a declaration of commitment to pay for all costs incurred,” Aras added. On Monday, Aras wrote on Twitter that she herself had experienced an earthquake in Turkey as a child in 1971. “I remember exactly where I stood – rooted to the spot, in shock – until my aunt swept me away,” Aras said. Source: swr

Poor, poorer, old

Another (sad) record to get used to: in 2022, real terms wages in Germany fell by 4.1 per cent compared to 2021. This was reported by the Federal Statistical Office. It is also true that gross earnings rose by an average of 3.4 per cent during the same period. However, the inflation rate of 7.9 per cent has outstripped the nominal increase by some margin. This is the first time since 2008 that earnings have lost value, reported the Wiesbaden-based authority. Moreover, declining incomes today mean fewer resources in later retirement. Data from July 2021 shows that almost 18 percent of all pensioners in Germany find themselves below the poverty line (under 1,135 euros per month).Source: jungewelt

Höcke´s Party

An old email is catching up with Alice Weidel (AfD) for the second time. Sent in 2013, the email shows the current party leader speaking of Germany being ruled “by enemies of the constitution” who are “nothing more than puppets of the allied powers”. ZDF magazine “Frontal” recently confronted the AfD leader with this email, which was already discussed a few years ago. The AfD politician, on the other hand, refuses to comment. This and other examples actually show the politics of the party today, like the politics of the far-right Thüringens Landeschef Björn Höcke, were already recognisable in its founding year of 2013. Source: nd-aktuell

Can’t get no satisfaction, for good reason

For the more than 2.3 million young people without vocational qualifications, what the federal government is now planning must seem like sheer mockery. As early as February, the cabinet wants to pass a further education law that is also supposed to encourage the training market. But little more remains of the training guarantee announced in the coalition agreement than the word itself. A real training guarantee is only possible with a legal right to a place on a relevant course. Incentives for more training places in companies can only be found with a future fund into which all companies pay and from which new in-company training places are funded. Source: taz

Nice extra for existing rail customers

According to plans from the coalition government, from May onwards people will be able to use buses and regional trains all over Germany for 49 euros a month. This provides a good incentive for climate-friendly behaviour, but is it enough? The great thing about the 9-Euro-Ticket was that suddenly almost everyone could afford mobility and it was so much cheaper than driving (and thus good for the environment). Poor people will fall by the wayside, as well as the environment. For 49 euros, will people really switch from cars to packed buses? Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

French citizens insulted and beaten in Gesundbrunnen

Several French citizens were attacked and beaten outside a bar in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen on Saturday night. The police reported that the eight French citizens living in Berlin were attacked because they were talking in their mother tongue. According to the statement, they were approached and insulted by a group of 10 to 15 people. During the ensuing scuffle, one of the perpetrators hit a 22-year-old man in the face. A man of the same age and a 35-year-old woman were also beaten. The attackers escaped unrecognised. Source: faz

Getting distant from the Greens and the Left

Berlin’s governing mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) is distancing herself from her left-wing and green coalition partners two weeks before Berlin’s repeat election. “There are very different views in this coalition at key points about what is the best way forward for this city,” she said in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. She claimed that the statement is completely non-judgemental. According to Giffey, the fundamental differences of opinion in the coalition are also the reason for the dissatisfaction of many Berliners with Red-Green-Red in the capital. According to polls, only 24 percent are satisfied with their work. Source: tagesspiegel

Election with reservations

The repeat elections for Berlin’s House of Representatives and district parliaments on 12 February can go ahead as planned. In its decision announced on Tuesday, the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) refused to issue an interim injunction against holding the elections. It will consider the constitutional challenge against the rerun at a later date. The repetition of the election had been decided among others due to the complaint of the satirical party Die PARTEI. “After the unambiguous ruling won by Die PARTEI before the state constitutional court, the BVerfG can hardly rule otherwise,” mentioned its MEP and direct candidate for the Berlin House of Representatives, Martin Sonneborn. Source: jW

Vonovia stops the building of 1,500 apartments in Berlin

The Vonovia housing group, the largest landlord in Europe, has announced it will not start any new construction projects this year. Plans in Berlin and Dresden are particularly affected. In the capital alone, this affects around 1,500 planned apartments. The reason for this is the increasingly difficult conditions, said the group’s press spokesman, Matthias Wulff. Among those conditions are inflation, interest rates, and construction costs. This applies to apartments planned for the Vonovia core brand and for the real estate companies Deutsche Wohnen and Buwog – in which Vonovia is the majority owner. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

First nationwide reporting centre on antifeminism

The Amadeu Antonio Foundation has set up a nationwide reporting centre on anti-feminism. This will be the first time a civil society organisation will collect and document incidents of sexist hostility and physical attacks, according to the Berlin-based Amadeu Antonio Foundation. Experiences with anti-feminist attacks and incidents can be reported immediately on the website www.antifeminismus-melden.de. These include sexist hostilities, physical attacks, and organised campaigns against equality and gender self-determination. The results of the documentation and evaluation will be anonymised and published in the future in the form of an annual report. Source: dw

Hans-Georg Maaßen: right-wing radical in the highest positions

Hans-Georg Maaßen is the former president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and a former CDU politician. However, members of the association “Werteunion” – which is not part of the CDU, but simply an association – elected Maaßen as chairman. So, in a way, a right-wing radical flip towards the CDU. From 2012 to 2018, when he was President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen passed on confidential information to the US National Security Agency (NSA), sued journalists, and met with AfD representatives, among other things. Source: nd

Refugees and Upahl

A small community in northern Germany, Upahl, is to get a container village for refugees. Opponents of the project say it is too much of a burden. They oppose a planned shelter for 400 refugees that is to be built in the community of 1,600 inhabitants. Some days ago, when the refugee area was discussed, about 700 people demonstrated in front of the town’s assembly hall. Among them, was a group with known right-wing extremists. In the end, 120 officers cordoned off the building. Nevertheless, it looks like Upahl will get the container village – despite all the protests. Source: dw