NEWS FROM BERLIN

Nursing strike starts in Lichtenberg

Staff shortages, wage disputes and the looming election campaign: Berlin’s health service is facing turbulent months. On the last days, with the support of ver.di at the Sana hospital in Lichtenberg, nursing staff have stopped work. According to the union, the nursing staff should receive at least 150 euros more basic salary per month as well as new shift bonuses. A tough round of collective bargaining is underway not only at Sana-Klinikum. The doctors at Charité, who are members of the Marburger Bund, are also demanding a wage increase and more reliable shift work. Source: Tagesspiegel

Election to the Berlin House of Representatives must be repeated

After electoral breakdowns and massive organizational problems during the elections in Berlin on 26 September 2021, the Berlin Constitutional Court has declared the elections for the House of Representatives and the district councils invalid. They will thus have to be repeated. The Constitutional Court had already considered such a repetition of the elections to the House of Representatives at an oral hearing on 28 September this year and justified this on the grounds of serious electoral errors. According to the new state election commissioner, Stephan Bröchler, the most likely date is 12 February. Source: Spiegel

Good climate for referendum

For a long time, many doubted that the supporters for radically more climate protection in Berlin would manage to gather enough signatures for a referendum. But exactly 261,968 signatures were collected within the past four months, said Jessamine Davis, spokesperson for the initiative Klimaneustart Berlin. “This is an incredible number”, she added. Werner Graf (“die Grünen”) was also pleased with the large number of votes collected. Nevertheless, according to Graf, the Greens will not support the draft bill of the Climate Start initiative, which will be put to a vote. This stipulates that Berlin must be climate neutral by 2030. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Can it get worse?

On 10 November 2022, a new and still little-noticed law was discussed in the Bundestag. On the surface, it is supposed to speed up asylum procedures and legal action – in fact, it will make it even harder for refugees to sue for their rights in court. PRO ASYL demands the abolition of the disadvantageous special asylum procedure law. Among other issues, it can be that, during the hearing, which is considered to be the heart of the asylum procedure, the persons concerned often have to talk about stressful and shameful experiences, for example, if they have been raped. Source: proasyl

Hanau victims allegedly mocked

Last week, the fire alarm went off during the Hanau enquiry committee in the state parliament, and everyone left the building. The issue was that an exit was closed in the Landtag. Many from the group which left the building laughed. The episode speaks of a disrespectful incident without a minimum of sensitivity. It was an allusion to the escape door in the Arena Bar. There, Hamza Kurtovic and Said Nesar Hashemi were killed, and several people were seriously injured. After the alarm episode in the latter days, those who were there, including the CDU parliamentary group, rejected the accusations of being discourteous. Source: fr

Majority of Germans want to boycott Qatar World Cup

An online survey has revealed 65 percent of Germans support a public screening boycott of the 2022 men’s World Cup, which is about to begin in Qatar. Over the weekend in Germany, football fans attended the penultimate weekend of the nationwide Bundesliga competition to demonstrate their opposition to Qatar hosting the quadrennial competition. Most notably, Hertha BSC fans in Berlin brandished a sign reading “15.000 dead for 5.760 minutes of football. Shame on you!” Fans also had pride flags. Also, on Tuesday evening, Qatar’s World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman made blatant homophobic comments, which has made the situation even more tense. Source: iamexpat

Something is moving on the left again

Health should not be organized according to profit logic. The increased prices for food, which should be “subsidised”. And the climate movement bloc was demanding a faster switch to renewable energies. All these problems and concerns have one thing in common: they need money. It is therefore only logical that the city’s left movement, in an alliance of more than 50 groups, took to the streets on Saturday, united behind the slogan: “Redistribute. From top to bottom.” Around 7,000 took part. Source: taz

Union blocks Hartz IV reform

The CDU and CSU made it clear they would not approve the “citizen’s income” bill from the traffic light coalition (“die Ampel”) in the Bundesrat. This plan did not receive the necessary majority in the state chamber, this week. Immediately after the meeting, Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) declared that the federal government has nonetheless decided to appeal to the mediation committee. The CDU and CSU once again emphasized what matters to them: they demand changes at the Job Centres such as lowering the limit of €60,000 on private assets, which was raised during the corona pandemic. Source: jW

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Sensors in the underground tunnel

Once a neighboring high-rise construction project had a negative impact on the tunnel, one track had to be closed at the Alexanderplatz underground station. Now it has become known that not only the U2 is under observation, but also the two other underground lines in this part of Mitte are being monitored. Sensors in the area reported the structure with the U2 station was moving. Such movement can lead to cracks in the structure. What about the U5 and U8? So far, no critical settlements or heave have been detected on the U5. This also applies to the measuring system at the U8 station Jannowitzbrücke. Source: Berliner Zeitung

Bundestag election to be repeated in 431 constituencies in Berlin

Due to numerous glitches in the elections in Berlin in September 2021, the Bundestag election is to be repeated in 431 of around 2,300 voting districts. This has been proposed by the parliament’s electoral review committee. The parliament’s approval is considered certain. Berlin has already set a date for the repeat election in February 2023. Recently, however, an expert report by the Senate’s internal administration revealed reservations – according to this report, the authority is convinced that the decision on the repeat election would first have to be confirmed by the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. Source: rbb

9-Euro Social Ticket until the end of 2023

The Senate decided to reduce the sales price for the Berlin social ticket from 27.50 euros per month to 9 euros from 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2023, following a proposal by Social Affairs Senator Katja Kipping. “All Berliners with a Berlin pass will benefit from the 9-euro social ticket. This is a concrete and noticeable relief for people with little money who are particularly affected by the crisis. We, the Left Party, have been campaigning for this for a long time.°, explained the chairpersons of the Left Party in Berlin, Anne Helm and Carsten Schatz, as well as the spokesperson for mobility policy, Kristian Ronneburg. Source: Linksfraktion Berlin

Flat evictions in Berlin have not decreased

In Berlin, the number of flat evictions has remained almost stable despite calls for judicial leniency – for the current year there are even indications that it could be higher. Actual evictions have only been fully recorded statistically since the fourth quarter of 2019. At that time, 594 Berlin flats were evicted following a judgement. In the first half of 2022, 914 flats are now already affected. Last month, Senator Lena Kreck and Social Affairs Senator Katja Kipping (both Left Party) publicly called for a moratorium on evictions in October. The German Judges’ Association rejected the appeal as inadmissible political influence. Source: tagesspiegel

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Gas price brake may come sooner

The federal and state governments have reached an agreement on the gas and electricity price brake. Gas prices are to be at twelve cents per kilowatt hour, electricity prices at 40 cents, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). This will now be implemented together with other regulations. The resolution paper of the federal-state summit states the gas price brake will be “introduced on 1 March 2023” as proposed by the Gas Price Commission. However, “a retroactive effect to 1 February 2023 is being sought”. Agreements were also reached on the financing of the 49-Euro-Ticket and the support of the States and Municipalities in providing for refugees. Source: dw

Online retailer wants to take over 47 Galeria locations – Cottbus shop on list

The online retailer Buero.de wants to take over 47 branches of the department stores’ chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof in Germany, says its managing director, Markus Schön. The prospective buyer has made a corresponding offer to the insolvency administrator. The Cottbus branch is the only one from Brandenburg on the list of 47 locations. Currently it is not foreseeable when a transaction might take place. In any case, Buero.de is quickly ready to act. Should Buero.de win the bid to buy 47 Galeria shops, they would no longer be run under that name. Source: rbb

Lindner wants fracking in Germany, and geologists are for it

Finance Minister Christian Lindner is tired with the talking about extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants. What the FDP leader is suddenly keen on, however: fracking gas “made in Germany”. According to the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Resources, Germany has 2.3 trillion cubic metres of shale gas, the fourth largest resource within the EU after France, Spain and Romania. And Lindner´s party is not alone in its initiative: the Professional Association of German Geoscientists also advocates German fracked gas. On the other side, parties such as SPD and environmentalists criticize the alternative. Source: Berliner Zeitung

“Mehr Demokratie” welcomes lowering of voting age at state level

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the sixth federal state in which 16- and 17-year-olds are now allowed to vote for the state parliament. In April, the Green-Black-governed state of Baden-Württemberg passed a corresponding constitutional amendment. “In NRW, the CDU and the Greens have written the voting age of 16 into the coalition agreement.” In Berlin, too, a constitutional amendment is pending, but it is now delayed by the rerun of the elections. The association “Mehr Demokratie” in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, welcomes this measure as a correct and necessary step and calls for a reform also on the federal level. Source: mehr demokatie

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“Last generation” at the Naturkundemuseum

Two climate protesters (“Last Generation”) stood in front of a 66-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton at Berlin’s Natural History Museum. Commenting on the action, the Last Generation protest group said, “Just like the dinosaurs back then, we are threatened with climate changes that we cannot withstand. If we don’t want to face extinction, we need to act now.” The police mentioned the 34- and 42-year-old women detached themselves from the poles at around 2:45 pm and were temporarily arrested. According to the police, the museum has filed charges of trespassing and damage to property. The hall where the skeleton is located was temporarily closed. Source: rbb

IG Metall continues strikes in Berlin

The industrial union IG Metall for the Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony district is continuing its series of warning strikes in Berlin. As a prelude, it called for action at the Mercedes engine plant in the Marienfelde district. According to the union, about 200 workers stopped working there. Later, 800 workers at the BMW motorbike plant in Spandau followed. There were also warning strikes at the offices and plants of Stadler Deutschland, Stadler Rail and GE Power in the Pankow district and at G-Elit Präzisionswerkzeug GmbH in Reinickendorf. IG Metall also called for warning strikes at companies of the Siemens Group. Source: tagesspiegel

NEWS FROM GERMANY

“Last generation”: “We have drawn attention to the issue”.

For months “Last Generation” acts have been met with anger from the population. And in politics, it feels like very little is happening. But a central demand of the “Last Generation” last summer was that no new oil drilling should be carried out in the North Sea. In mid-July, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate declared, in response to a request from NDR, that the federal government was not preparing any oil drilling or reviewing the possibilities for such drilling. A sign of success? “What we have managed to do is draw attention to the issue,” says Lukas Popp, a participant of the movement. Source: Berliner Zeitung

Baerbock employee becomes RWE lobbyist

The RWE coal compromise of the Greens is causing a lot of criticism from environmentalists: according to a report, a close confidant of Foreign Minister Baerbock (“die Grünen”), Titus Rebhann, is now moving to that energy giant. He is to accompany the “political opinion-forming processes on energy-related issues” there, and expected to be the head of the capital city representation from 1 March 2023. The Foreign Office assured that Rebhann had neither had professional contacts with RWE nor participated in projects directly related to RWE during his active time there. Source: n-tv

Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof: more difficult days to come

Germany’s last big department stores’ group Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof wants to close more than 40 of its remaining 131 department stores. This was announced by company boss Miguel Müllenbach, in Essen. A few hours earlier, the company had sought rescue in protective shield proceedings for the second time in less than two years. The manager considers that “operational layoffs would be unavoidable.” In a letter to the staff, Müllenbach wrote the company would have to divest itself of those branches that “could not be operated profitably in the foreseeable future.” The retail giant with its 17,000 employees is still represented in 97 German cities. Source: morgenpost

Study proves: 9-Euro-Ticket strengthens social participation of people with low incomes

A new study by the Institute of Transport and Space at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt shows that the 9-Euro-Ticket has significantly improved access to the transport system and thus the opportunities for social participation of people with low incomes. For the respondents, the ticket enabled increased social contacts, more activities outside the home, and improved accessibility to services of general interest, and thus led to a better quality of life for low-income people overall. In view of the study results, a successor regulation is suggested by the researchers to be oriented towards the needs of those beneficiaries. Source: idw

The German 49-euro ticket

Federal and state governments agreed about a successor to the nine-euro ticket. It is to be called the “Deutschlandticket”. The agreement by financial matters provides the Federal Government and the Länder will share the costs for the 49-euro ticket totalling three billion euros per year. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said the new ticket would be “digital” and “simple”. Whether the “Deutschlandticket” can be launched as planned on 1 January is still open, however. The nine-euro ticket, which was bought by millions, had made bus and train journeys possible for one month each in June, July and August. Source: rbb

Court sentences Boateng for assault

The Munich I Regional Court has convicted football world champion Jérôme Boateng of assault in his appeal trial. It imposed a fine of 120 daily sentences of 10,000 euros, or 1.2 million euros. This is a total of 600,000 euros less than the district court had imposed previously in the first verdict. The public prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of one and a half years for Boateng. He was to be sentenced for dangerous bodily harm, intentional bodily harm and insult. This prison sentence could be suspended, and the probation period should be set at three years. Source: spiegel

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“The mullahs must go”

Tens of thousands took to the streets in Berlin last Saturday in solidarity with the protests in Iran. The roads towards Berlin’s Siegessäule were full before the official start of the Iran Freedom Rally at 3pm. Dozens of coaches are parked on the Straße des 17. Juni; Iranian exiles from all over Europe responded to the call for a demonstration. The protest was announced by the transnational collective Women*_Life_Freedom. Many participants carried Kurdish flags, too. Hamed Esmaeilion, an Iranian-Canadian activist, spoke to great cheers. The wording of his emotional speech was reminiscent of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Source: nd

Berlin Police raid chat group

The Berlin police launched a major raid against members of a Telegram chat group. According to the report, the reason was messages which included violent fantasies against politicians and comparisons between Corona politics and the Holocaust. Four Berlin men aged 41 to 57 and a 66-year-old woman are being investigated. They are accused of incitement of the people, use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations, public incitement to commit crimes and depiction of violence. Mobile phones, tablets and laptops were confiscated during the raid, and several violations of the Weapons Act were also found. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Pension justice for Eastern Germans

More than 30 years after the annexation of the GDR, the East is still left behind. The traffic-light coalition is doing nothing for pensioners in East Germany who have been fighting for more than 30 years for recognition of their life’s work. It is shameful that the coalition is obviously relying on a biological solution to save funds, so Christian Lindner also gets the “debt brake”. The previous federal government had already promised to pay at least partial compensation to pensioners whose entitlements were not taken into account in the pension transition. The “Ampel” coalition wanted to finally implement this plan, but funds were not available in 2022. Source: jW

Boris Palmer: risk and opportunity

Boris Palmer (“die Grünen”) is generally regarded as a controversial figure, but in Tübingen the situation is clear: Palmer has won the mayoral election, for the third time in a row. He won because, from the majority’s point of view, he is a very good mayor. He has brought the city forward economically and ecologically. But Palmer´s victory can be also considered complicated for his party due to some of his statements such as those concerning refugees. Given the whole figure, Palmer’s victory is both an opportunity and a risk for the party. Source: Süddeutsche

Blackout 2022 in Germany

Since the Ukraine war started, the energy supply in Germany (and ultimately in the EU) has been in danger. In the worst-case scenario, a blackout is imminent in 2022. In Bremen, the police, fire brigade and disaster control are preparing themselves against this. For instance, emergency power and digital radio ensure that work can function smoothly. Using digital radio, the crisis teams will be able to communicate with each other independently of the telephone network and electricity. Clinics are also equipped with emergency power generators. Furthermore, the Bremen fire brigade is on standby and can help with additional generators. Source: kreiszeitung

Corona variant BQ.1.1 in Germany

The so-called “hellhound” has arrived in Germany. The new Corona variant BQ.1.1 seems to live up to its nickname. Experts are increasingly concerned about the variant which currently rapidly circulating. It may make sense to already consider a fifth Corona vaccination against the virus. In Germany, 15 per cent of the sequenced Corona samples currently come from BQ.1.1, according to Moritz Gerstung, professor at the University of Heidelberg. The data is not particularly robust, however, as sequencing is rather rare in Germany compared to the rest of the world. This means the number could be much higher. Source; kreiszeitung

Brandenburg extends infection protection ordinance

The state of Brandenburg is extending the current infection protection regulation against the Corona virus until 24 November. This was announced by the Potsdam Ministry of Health, Ursula Nonnenmacher (“die Grünen”). This means, for example, that the obligation to wear a mask in public transport, hospitals, and for patients in doctors’ offices will remain in force. Patients will also be required to take a test. In Brandenburg, the Corona traffic light has been red since 6 October. Nonnemacher said the cabinet has agreed on discussing further protective measures when necessary. Source: rbb

Germany faces recession

After the economic forecast dropped again in October, the Munich-based research institute “Ifo” points out the business community expects a negative business trend in the future. According to its index, the retail sector, for example, is afraid of losing more customers due to high inflation. The concern is justified. Due to the recent high inflation of ten per cent, consumer behavior is at its lowest level in 16 years, according to a survey published on Tuesday by the German Savings Banks and Giro Association (DSGV). According to the survey, 65 percent of the interviewees are already saving on everyday expenses. Source; jW

Legalize… maybe in 2024

The Federal Cabinet has agreed on key points for the planned legalization of cannabis. According to a plan, presented by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), the purchase and possession of cannabis is to be permitted within limits. However, a concrete bill will only be drafted when it becomes clear that the EU has no legal objections to the release of cannabis – which is by no means certain. Also, Bavaria reiterated its criticism of the plans of the “traffic-light” coalition. Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) fears, among other issues, of a “drug tourism to Germany.” Source: Süddeutsche