NEWS FROM BERLIN

Left wants “electricity shield” for municipal utility customers

Berlin’s Left Party (“die Linke”) has many ideas on how people could be relieved of high costs. In the debate about relief in the face of exorbitantly high energy prices, the party has put a new proposal on the table: it calls for an “electricity shield” for customers of public utilities. Around 40,000 people now get their green electricity from Berlin’s public utilities, said Left Party leader Anne Helm at a state party conference. If there is a possibility to at least create an “electricity umbrella” for that group, this should be used, Helm said. Source: rbb

Berlin might repeat election

The Berlin Constitutional Court began its hearings on appeals against the elections to the House of Representatives a year ago. According to a preliminary assessment, it is considering a complete rerun of the elections for the Berlin House of Representatives as well as the district councils to be necessary. According to the court, the preparation of the election has probably not met the legal requirements. The state election administration organized the election in such a way that every eligible voter had the opportunity to cast a complete and valid vote under reasonable conditions on election day. In last year’s election, however, the number of options available was probably not sufficient. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Nord Stream pipelines: pressure drop

Following the drop in pressure in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, the German government is concerned that this could be a targeted attack. The Danish navy said that there were indications of sabotage. Also, a leak in Nord Stream 2 was discovered on Monday by Danish F-16 fighter jets. According to the Danish Energy Agency, ships can lose propulsion when they enter the area. There is also a possible risk of ignition. Lastly, there has also been a climate hazard risk in the escaping methane. However, the composition of the gas in the Nord Stream pipes is not known. Source: Spiegel

Russian deserters – welcome or not in Germany?

Because of Putin’s mobilisation, conscientious objectors are fleeing abroad. Germany is open to welcome them. But the Ukrainian community is skeptical. Katerina Rietz-Rakul, who looks after Ukrainian fellows at the Humboldt Forum, cannot understand this. Giving asylum to Russian deserters is a clear political mistake. ” They had no problem with Russian politics until a few days ago, and now they have woken up. But it is not the West’s job to protect these people.” More than a million people from Ukraine are already registered in Germany, mostly women and children – many fled from Russian soldiers. Source: dw

Energy situation in retail: close the door, turn off the lights

Retailers’ energy costs have risen by 150 percent since the beginning of the year. The industry now relies on energy-saving measures to get through the Winter, and is considering shortening opening hours. Illuminated outdoor advertising must now be switched off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and shop doors may no longer be permanently open. Carina Peretzke from the North Rhine-Westphalia Trade Association is particularly critical of closed entrance doors: “If the door is closed, fewer customers come in.” To continue to lure people into the shops, the climate offensive of the HDE has launched the poster campaign “Door closed, shop open.” Source: dw

Germany to return Benin statues to Nigeria

Germany is set to return hundreds of bronze busts from the Kingdom of Benin to Nigeria. More than 400 statues and a myriad of other artefacts are currently on display at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin. Such collection is one of the largest in the world. Apparently, only the British Museum has more items. Now, the construction of a museum in Benin to house the pieces is being planned, and around a third of the artefacts will remain in Germany, for a loan period of 10 years; Forty of these will be on display, while the rest will be studied by researchers. Source: iamexpat

LKA and public prosecutor’s office search AfD party headquarters

The public prosecutor’s office and the police have been searching the AfD’s federal headquarters in many cities in Germany. Search warrants were executed at seven search locations in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia in two preliminary proceedings against former party leader Jörg Meuthen and former federal treasurer Klaus-Günther Fohrmann on suspicion of violating party law. According to the Berlin prosecutor’s office, there are facts to suggest the AfD made false statements in the accountability reports to the Bundestag in the years 2015 to 2018. Documents such as the confidential minutes of the meetings of the federal executive board are considered to be taken along. Source: rbb

Fire alarm system at Tesla does not work

The Tesla car factory in Grünheide (Oder-Spree) apparently does not have a functioning fire alarm system. It is also unclear so far why production was allowed to start in the factory without such safety device. It is also not known whether there was an official exemption for opening the factory despite the lack of fire alarm systems. Independently of this, Tesla must now re-sort its waste disposal on the site and clear out a previously 5,000 square meter storage area for waste. The responsible Ministry of the Interior of the State of Brandenburg has so far refused to make a statement. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Union calls for all-day warning strike at Berlin’s schools

The Education and Science Union (GEW) has again called on its members in Berlin to go on warning strike on September 28. Teachers and school psychologists are to stay away from school all day. “The aim is to conclude a collective agreement on health protection, in which the ratio of pupils to teachers and thus the class size at general and vocational schools is bindingly regulated,” the union has announced. GEW also announced that it would extend its strike activities beyond 28 September and call for further strikes “in a timely manner”. Around 2,500 teachers participated in the last warning strike on 29 June. Source: tagesspiegel

Berlin pensioner pays almost 900 monthly euros for gas

Due to the energy crisis, many customers are seeing their gas bills rise significantly. This is also the case for Renate Sloma, an 82-year-old who suddenly must pay ten times as much as before. Yet she lives frugally, currently only turning on the heating briefly in the morning when she takes a shower. She gets her gas from Mitgas, which has given her an explanation, saying that the company believes that customers like Renate Sloma have long benefited from a favorable tariff with a fixed price guarantee. The new bill was “calculated at short notice”. In such cases, the consumer advice center suggests terminating the contract. Source: rbb

The €29 Berliner ticket

From October 1, Berlin will have the option to buy a monthly subscription for €29. But this ‘ticket’ has some differences than the popular 9-Euro-Ticket from last summer: it is actually a subscription and is valid only in the Berlin AB zone. Being a subscription, means you need to sign up for it on the website or app. And, quite importantly, that subscription does not end automatically on 31 December. This means you will have to cancel it before January or you will be charged for the month of January at the normal rate. Source: ExBerliner

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Active waiting

It is phenomenal what a communicative blunder the German government has made since the beginning of the war in Ukraine: it supports an attacked country with weapons – and yet it is seen at home and abroad as lacking solidarity and being useless. This is actually incorrect. The fact this support is not adequately realized is partly due to a distorted view of German Ukraine policy. To some extent, the German government can blame itself for the mistrust because of the hesitancy that precedes every new aid pledge, and which has long exceeded the level of justified caution. Source: taz

EU Commission launches infringement proceedings against Germany

According to the EU, national governments must ensure that there is enough time for family life alongside work. Germany has not communicated in time how the directive on the so-called work-life balance, which has been in force since 2 August, should be implemented at national level. Therefore, the EU Commission will send a letter of formal notice to Germany, as well to other 18 EU member states, initiating a so-called infringement procedure. The aim of the new directive is gender equality in labor market participation. The work-life balance directive also targets workers who care for relatives. Source: DW

Deutsche Bank expects a ‘longer and deeper’ recession in Europe

Last Wednesday, Deutsche Bank’s economists argued their previous prediction for a “mild recession” in Europe is no longer valid as the energy crisis has worsened substantially since July. Europe’s energy crisis has wreaked havoc on the global economy since the Ukraine war began, but its roots stretch back to years before the conflict. Even with alleviation measures, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist, Mark Wall, argues that the efforts won’t be enough to avoid economic disaster. Wall’s comments came just a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the “partial mobilization” of some 300,000 reserve troops in a major escalation of the war this week. Source: fortune

NEWS FROM BERLIN

More than 3,800 students waiting for a place in in Berlin

In no other federal state there are so few available places in student halls of residence as in Berlin. The Senate promised to create more affordable housing. But three weeks before the semester starts, rooms in shared flats are rare – and very expensive. The Studierendenwerk Berlin, which offers halls of residence, has a very long waiting list: this year, more than 3,800 students are on it, and the number is rising. Those in the queue are likely to get a place there… in two to three semesters. Also, because of rising energy costs, the Studierendenwerk recently announced it would increase the rents in its halls of residence. Source: rbb

Day care centre: additional fees and child separation

700 euros in extra fees in a private day-care provider in Berlin-Lichterfelde – and if you can’t pay, your child must go into an extra group, bringing its own food and not having age-appropriate toys. This was confirmed by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family. According to the senate administration, the Berlin day-care centre supervisor has already made an unannounced visit to the facility in Drakestraße on Tuesday and sought talks with the management. The education administration by the Senate threatens to withdraw the operating licence if the situation does not change. Source: rbb

Berlin police officer allegedly racially insulted woman on duty

A couple from Berlin reported a police officer after an operation in their home because he allegedly made racist insults to the wife. According to the report, the police came to the woman’s flat because she was confronted with a threat. Her husband, against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for fraudulent payment of benefits, was also there. After his arrest, the threat assessment was carried out. During the operation, one of the police officers allegedly said in a condescending manner the woman should return to her home country. The couple submitted a video documenting the insult. Source; Spiegel

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Energy prices – Redistribution from the bottom to the top

Energy prices continue to explode. But the federal government is sticking to its gas levy, which means that citizens will have to fork out even more money. This redistribution from the bottom to the top orchestrated by the federal government is in no way alleviated by the “third relief package” presented this week. Christoph Butterwegge, a researcher about poverty, complains the package is a “poking around at symptoms”, but does not solve any problems. Furthermore, according to a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation recently published, three out of four adults agree with the statement the state should “ensure a reduction in the difference between rich and poor”. Source: jW

Germany’s green card plans

Germany wants to make it easier for non-EU citizens to enter the country and combat the shortage of skilled workers: with a green card variant, the so-called “opportunity card”. The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) estimated that Germany lacks about 250,000 skilled craftsmen. To get that card, the skilled workers must meet at least three of four criteria: a) university degree or vocational qualification; b) at least 3 years of professional experience; c) language skills or previous residency in Germany; and d) age below 35 years. Those conditions are though criticized by experts, not to mention some challenges to be faced such as the German bureaucracy. Source: DW

Municipalities warn of blackouts

The German Association of Towns and Municipalities warned of widespread power cuts in Germany because of the energy crisis. “There is a danger of a blackout,” mentioned Chief Executive Gerd Landsberg. On the other hand, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) assured at the weekend about the energy crisis: “We have prepared ourselves.” A power grid stress test by the federal government recently concluded: “hourly crisis situations in the power system are very unlikely in winter 22/23, but currently cannot be completely ruled out”. Still, experts reaffirm the German power grid to be well prepared. Source: taz

Brandenburg Greens call SPD position on nine-euro ticket a ‘mistake’

As part of the latest relief package, the federal government is seeking a successor to the nine-euro ticket for 49 to 69 euros per month. Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) had held out the prospect of a temporary, regional successor offer. She is planning a bridging solution from October to December 2022 for the capital until a nationwide ticket arrives. The Brandenburg state government has so far rejected a transitional solution, affirming it has less money than the federal capital. The passenger association IGEB criticised the attitude of the Brandenburg state government. Source: rbb

Fridays for Future calls for 100 billion euros for energy transition

The climate movement Fridays for Future is calling for a special fund of 100 billion euros to accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuels. The sum could be raised through a combination of excess profits taxes and a relaxation of the debt brake, spokesperson Luisa Neubauer said. The roughly 65 billion euros in subsidies for fossil fuels could also be used for this purpose. The movement is also calling again for a global climate strike on 23 September. “The is a direct consequence of a policy that has refused for too long to establish true energy independence based on renewable energies,” Neubauer said. Source: Berliner Zeitung

NEWS FROM BERLIN

SPD blocks haven for refugees

Although Franziska Giffey (SPD), the mayor of Berlin, welcomed 108 Syrians in Berlin in June through the state reception programme for people in need of special protection from Lebanon, reality show her party excuses itself and uses delaying tactics. For example, the SPD-led interior administration has refused since July to implement the increase in the state’s Lebanon admission programme from 100 places per year to 500, as agreed in the coalition agreement. Source: taz

Lieferando tries to sack people who set up a union

The Berlin branch of the food delivery service Lieferando has only had an elected workers’ representation for 25 days – and already it is being threatened with being broken up. As Sebastian Riesner from the Berlin-Brandenburg branch of the Food, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (NGG) confirmed, the company has initiated dismissal proceedings against 14 of the 17 committee members. The management’s accusation is those affected had fraudulently wasted paid working time in their function as election committee members in the preparation of the works council election. Martin Bechert, a labour lawyer representing the Lieferando works council, says that Lieferando has used “criminal methods”. Source: jW

Breakthrough in case examining arson against Ferat Kocak

Only two of 70 alleged right-wing extremist attacks in Neukölln are blamed on ex AfD member Tilo P. (39) and his alleged accomplice. For the rest, there was not enough evidence. This means that a new statement by the ex-girlfriend of Tilo’s btoher can be devastating. The neo-Nazi allegedly committed an arson attack on the car of left-wing politician Ferat Kocak four years ago. According to the report, the 47-year-old from northern Germany accuses Tilo P. of having carried out the attack. Even worse: In an overheard conversation, P. also announced that he wanted to murder the public prosecutor in charge. Source: bz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

We need now a €0 ticket!

The €9 ticket “experiment” has proved to be a huge achievement. The only people who were surprised by this success, apparently, were the managers of public transport companies. This is what happens when millionaires oversee the transport system. After this summer, we know we need more vehicles, more routes, and better conditions for workers. We need a €0 ticket. The S-Bahn is a basic need for everyone, just like a sidewalk or a park, and shouldn’t require a ticket. I’m confident that not a single working-class person would vote for the expensive chaos we have today. Source: ExBerliner

New initiative will cover your public transport fines if you pay €9 a month

Due to high demand, politicians are discussing a successor solution to relieve citizens in the energy crisis and give them cheap access to public transport. While several proposals have been made for a nationwide ticket between 9 and 69 euros, some federal states and transport associations already have successors. Meanwhile, until the government comes to an agreement, a private initiative has launched a temporary solution: at 9eurofonds.de you can pay nine euros per month (or more if you wish) into a fund and if you are then caught fare evasion, the “increased transport fee” is paid from the fund. Source: Deutschland Funkkultur

Massive jump in gas prices

The last pause in Russian gas deliveries has caused the price of gas to shoot up. The price of the TTF futures contract (considered a benchmark for the European price level) for Dutch natural gas climbed by about 72.5 euros to 281 euros per megawatt hour at the last count. It is the fear of a severe recession caused by energy shortages and high energy prices that is worrying investors. In such a situation, investors shy away from the risk of investing in the euro, as a recession would further weaken the common currency. Source: Tagesschau

How prepared is Germany for the impending gas shortage?

People keep talking about how quickly the various gas storage facilities in Germany are filling up. The first 85 percent mark was already exceeded at the beginning of September. Nevertheless, this is roughly only about two winter months’ consumption. Beyond that, other challenges come up: for instance, for many households it will be a blind flight until the heating bill arrives. Although economists still consider it unlikely that Germany will really run out of gas in winter, gas-intensive industries such as glass production, which are based in states such as Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony, are expected to face more challenges. Source: rbb

Germany starts to run out of water

Water is a scarce commodity, and its value has multiplied lately as well as the competition for it. Although Germany has always been considered a country rich in water, climate change makes summers hotter – and drier. As a result, wetlands are drying out, and forests are burning. Rivers fail as traffic arteries because they do not carry enough water for shipping. And just as groundwater levels are sinking, there is growing concern about the water of tomorrow. Water conflicts between cities and their surrounding areas, as well as with industries, already happen – and they tend to further escalate. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin announces its own successor for 9-Euro-Ticket

Berlin is planning a follow-up solution for the 9-Euro-Ticket financed by the state from 1 October until the end of the year. How much the new local public transport ticket will cost, however, is still open. This was announced by the governing mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) last Friday. Giffey pointed out too there are still a number of unanswered questions that need to be clarified. To this end, there will be talks, not least with the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB). Source: Spiegel

Police attack Black man with taser

Police in Kreuzberg wanted to call an ambulance for a man who was probably confused, but then the situation escalated: One officer pulled out his pistol. The residents’ initiative “Wrangelkiez United”, which campaigns against racial profiling, called the incident a “blatant police assault” and published a photo of the operation. There, the person involved in the operation, a black man, is pixelated and lying on the pavement of Falckensteinstraße. The police officers then lost their nerve: one of them drew his pistol, another the Taser. It was not the police who de-escalated the situation, but passers-by and neighbours. Source: taz

One-off government rebate for energy

September will bring many different issues to Germany, some related to energy: in the next month, the Federal Government will pay out a one-off flat-rate energy allowance of 300 euros. It also comes a new energy-saving regulation in force, from 1 September to 28 February. Monuments in public spaces, for instance, will no longer be illuminated after 10 pm. The fuel rebate and nine-euro ticket end, too. In Berlin, there should be more car-sharing vehicles available in the city´s outlying areas. Also, nursing staff in Germany should receive more money because nursing homes will then have to pay at least according to the collective wage agreement. Source: rbb

Left wing Green MP dies

Christian Ströbele, RAF lawyer, co-founder of the taz and the Greens, “king of Kreuzberg”, died on last Monday, after a long disease. He was from the 1968 generation, and no ordinary politician. Among the increasingly indistinguishable members of the Bundestag, he was a singular phenomenon: radical, persistent, incorruptible, eccentric. His strongly developed sense of justice, his deep need for justice, he said himself, was always the driving force behind his actions. For many Greens and even more of his voters, he was even considered as the conscience of the party. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Demonstration planned after arson attack on asylum shelter

In the week of remembrance of the racist riots in Rostock-Lichtenhagen 30 years ago, an arson attack was carried out on a shelter for refugees in Leipzig. Unknown perpetrators threw several incendiary devices against the wall of a house on Saturday night, according to the State Criminal Police Office (LKA). No one was injured. Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) called it an alarming sign “that such inhuman crimes are not a thing of the past”. The action network “Leipzig nimmt Platz” called for a demonstration on last Monday evening in Grünau. Source: t-online

SPD wants direct payments and 49-euro ticket

As a reaction to the rapidly rising energy prices, the SPD is seeking, among other things, direct payments, a price brake for basic energy needs and a 49-euro ticket. This is the result of a draft resolution for the parliamentary group meeting at the beginning of September. The direct payments – similar to the coming energy allowance of 300 Euros – are still relatively vague. The paper also envisages a successor to the 9-euro ticket, also a nationwide transport ticket with the monthly price of 49 euros, financed 50 per cent each by the States and the Federal Government. Source: tagesschau

Thousands of cyclists bring over 70,000 signatures to Wiesbaden

Several thousand people cycled on the motorway from Frankfurt to Wiesbaden last Sunday. The organisers of the initiative “Verkehrswende Hessen” handed ocer 70,232 signatures, many more than necessary, for a planned referendum to Transport Minister Tarek Al Wazir (Greens). The organizers of the bike action speak of at least 10,000 participants on the day. The petition demands a referendum to pass a law that would make mobility in Hessen climate-neutral and socially just by 2030. This requires significant expansion to cycle paths, footpaths and, above all, buses and trains. Source: hessenschau