NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin police face accusations of negligence due to racist right-wing attacks in Neukölln

According to the Berliner Morgenpost and the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) had information about a racist threat and a possible endangerment of the Berlin politician Ferat Kocak (“die Linke”). Nevertheless, the authority failed to warn him. The police themselves described it as a “wrong decision”. When the LKA received the threatening email from the “NSU 2.0” naming the home address of Kocak’s family in March 2019, officers should have been sensitised. Source: Morgenpost.

 Queer Berlin left to its own devices

The experiences Konstantin Sherstyuk has had in recent weeks could truly be better. For the association WostoQ-Regenbogen, which works for sexual minorities from the post-Soviet region, the 34-year-old advises queer people who must seek protection in Berlin because of the war in Ukraine. Not only Ukrainians but also Russians are involved. For more and more queer Russians, now seems to be the time to leave the country. Many of them are fleeing to Berlin. And, so far, there is only one contact point for sexual minorities, the information centre at the main train station. Source: nd.

Motion to dismantle the Thälmann bust

Pankow’s CDU, after Putin’s attack, wants the Ernst Thälmann monument to be melted down. Prenzlauer Berg councillor David Paul is proposing this historic site be removed from Berlin’s list of monuments so that the monument can then be demolished and the value of the material donated to aid projects in Ukraine. However, the demand of the Christian Democrats is regarded as highly questionable by the Senate Cultural Administration, led by the Left Senator Klaus Lederer (“die Linke”). This is not the first attempt to remove the Thälmann monument on Greifswalder Straße, designed by the Soviet artist Lew Kerbel. Source: Morgenpost.

The Expropriation Commission

The expert commission that is to examine the implementation of the successful referendum to expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co. in Berlin is taking shape. The Senate wants to decide on the formal establishment of the commission as early as next Tuesday. This would fulfill the promise to appoint such a body after the first 100 days in office. The commission is to work for one year on the issue of implementing the referendum. On 26 September 2021, 59.1 percent of Berlin’s voters voted in favour of socialising the portfolios of all private housing companies with more than 3,000 flats in the city. Source: taz.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Another warning strike at airports in Germany

In the collective bargaining conflict in the airport security industry, the trade union ver.di has called for an almost nationwide warning strike on Tuesday. At the airports in Frankfurt, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Hanover, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, and Cologne/Bonn, the screeners are to stop work for the whole day. At Frankfurt airport, only transit passengers are expected to be processed. Last week there was a warning strike at BER in Schönefeld. According to the operator, two-thirds of all departures were cancelled then. A new negotiation date has been set for this Thursday. Source: Tagesspiegel.

AfD plays the victim

The federal budget for 2022 does not include any funds for the “Alternative für Deutschland” AfD-affiliated Desiderius Erasmus Foundation. At first glance, this is understandable. The party and its foundation are full of employees who hold positions against human rights. So, a conclusion could be that they want to collect tax money to spread their ideology. The AfD sees behind many of such decisions conspiracies by the other parties to disadvantage and exclude them. Nevertheless, whether or not the federal government did so in the case of the Desiderius Erasmus Foundation will be decided by the courts. Source: nd.

No end to cuts

Last year, the governmental coalition announced their intention to replace Hartz IV with a citizen’s income. One of the fundamental reforms would be to suspend sanctions for a transitional period of one year until the end of 2022. But the draft from the Federal Ministry of Labour considers that those who do not show up at the Job Centre for agreed appointments without a valid reason will still have to expect a reduction of the subsistence minimum. “By maintaining the sanction regulations for failure to report, the federal government is committing itself to the continuation of the majority of sanctions,” criticises the Paritätische Gesamtverband. Source: nd.

Future with old methods

Tesla plant in Grünheide shows the future, but from the past. It represents a departure, away from the carbon economy, for instance. But it is still about cars, which must park somewhere and get stuck in traffic jams. The raw materials are taken from the earth with environmental consequences. The location of the factory is in the middle of a water protection area. And then there is the matter of the trade unions. If Tesla pays better than the car mechanics in the region and the suppliers, there is to watch out there is no collective agreement, either. Source: nd.

More and more refugees from Ukraine are arriving in Berlin. In one week, the new arrival centre in Tegel should be up and running at full capacity. Meanwhile, an easing of the situation is not in sight. “This is just the beginning,” says Social Senator Katja Kipping (“die Linke”). In the coming days, the arrival centre in Tegel is to gradually increase its capacity until up to 15,000 people can be accommodated there daily. There are still plans to put the disused terminal at Schönefeld airport into operation. Next door, there is also a camp bed storage facility. Source: rbb.

Corona incidence soars in Berlin

After a decline, the incidence of COVID-19 in Berlin has risen sharply on Wednesday. According to the Senate, at least 8,834 people have been infected with the virus in Berlin within one day. Experts also assume there are many cases of infection which are not yet recorded. One reason for this would be the limited capacity of public health offices to follow up on infections. The incidence has also increased significantly in Brandenburg. The situation in the hospitals is largely stable, but there is no relief in sight. The Bundestag will discuss a new Infection Protection Act. The law is to be passed on Friday. Source: rbb.

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin: compulsory green roofs to come

The regulation is to come into force from 2024. The concept behind this is called Schwammstadt Berlin. But although the sponge city concept is becoming increasingly important in view of climate change, it is not yet the subject of the planned amendment to Berlin’s building code. This emerges the Senate Department for Urban Development answer to a question by FDP parliamentary group leader Sebastian Czaja. It is planned some exceptions such as for small roofs with a size of up to 30 square metres, which will be to be exempt from the greening obligation. Source: Berliner Zeitung.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

“We are not Putin”

Since the war in Ukraine started, there have been increasing reports of hostility against Russian-Germans and people with a Soviet background. At the LMU University Hospital in Munich, for instance, a doctor refused to treat Russian patients as outpatients. The hospital distanced itself in a press release on Wednesday, explaining that it was “a single, personal opinion sent in a very emotional situation”. Due to the war, many also avoid speaking Russian in public – out of shame and anger about the attack, but also out of fear of exclusion. But one has to differentiate: “We are not Putin. Russia is not Putin either”. Source: taz.

Brandenburg environmental agency approves Tesla factory

The time has come: the Brandenburg State Environmental Agency on Friday has issued its approval for the Tesla factory in Grünheide, with numerous conditions. According to Environment Minister Axel Vogel (“die Grünen”), the operating permit can only be issued after the conditions have been met. The first Teslas made in Brandenburg are expected to roll off the assembly line at the end of March. The establishment of Tesla in Grünheide is the first large-scale project in Germany to combine climate neutrality with the creation of additional industrial jobs, but conservationists and residents fear environmental damage. They consider the water supply to be at risk. Source: rbb.

An army without a goal

The 24th of February 2022 marks the end of illusions. The drama in Ukraine has the potential to change the way Germans view the Bundeswehr. But it is by no means certain a turning point will occur. Skepticism towards the military is deeply rooted in the political self-image of the Federal Republic. By 1990/91, having reached the end of history, there seemed to be no need for soldiers anymore, with Germany since then taking part in foreign missions. Even now, with the country allocating more than 2 percent of the gross domestic product to defence, it remains questionable what will follow that. Source: taz.

Amazon workers stage 2-day strike in Germany

The trade union Ver.di calls on workers at six Amazon warehouses – in Rheinberg, Werne, Koblenz, Bad Hersfeld (two hubs) und Leipzig – to strike for better pay. The days, Monday and Tuesday, coincide with Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day, at six Amazon warehouses in Germany. The union’s most important demand is for Amazon to formally recognize collective labor agreements in the retail and mail order sectors. In response to Ver.di’s demands, the online retail giant insisted even without a fixed wage agreement it was still a good employer. Germany is Amazon’s second-biggest market, just after the USA. Source: dw.

Operation Observation Cologne has not been a pleasant place for the AfD

When the party held a conference there in 2017, more than 10,000 people opposed the meeting of delegates. The city also meant the beginning of the end for the then-party leader Frauke Petry. And, now, although the AfD does not have to expect any major protests, their reception will be frosty. Since Tuesday, nothing less than the future of the party is at stake. The Cologne Administrative Court will decide on several lawsuits filed by the AfD against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). Source: nd. 

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“My son was ripped off by an S-Bahn inspector”

Maxim P. (15) was travelling with a friend in the city centre of Berlin when he was pulled over by a ticket inspector in the S-Bahn. His school ticket, he says, was stuck in the winter jacket he was wearing at home the day before. The boy was hopelessly overwhelmed by the situation, according to his mother Nadine P. He allegedly told the ticket inspector that he did not have 60 euros with him. The ticket inspector replied: “If you give me the 40 euros from your wallet now, you don’t have to pay the 60 euro fine. And, still, he received the fine. Source: bz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Campaign for a rent cap in Potsdam

The initiative Mietendeckel Potsdam on last Friday discussed how Potsdam residents can be convinced of a rent cap for the city’s housing stock in the coming months. The initiative, which was launched in June last year, wants to use a citizens’ petition to limit rent increases at the municipal landlord Pro Potsdam to a maximum of one per cent in five years. The initiative includes the alliance “City for All”, the Left Party and the voter group “Die Andere”. For a successful citizens’ petition, the alliance must collect the signatures of at least ten per cent of those eligible to vote. Source: nd

Hundreds of thousands for peace

Düsseldorf, Kiel, Munich, Dresden, Rostock, Berlin: in dozens of German cities there were numerous protests against the war in Ukraine over the weekend. By far, the largest protest action in terms of numbers took place in Berlin on Sunday. An alliance of trade unions, churches, initiatives, environmental organisations and peace groups had called for the demonstration. The organisers spoke of hundreds of thousands of people who had gathered under the slogan “Stop the war. Peace for Ukraine and all of Europe” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Several manifestants also opposed attempts to use the escalation in Ukraine to increase the arms budget in Germany. Source: nd

Liquified Natural Gas terminals to be built in Germany

So far there is not a single terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Germany. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced the construction of two LNG terminals in Germany in the Bundestag on Sunday. He named Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven as locations. The announcement came as a surprise on Lower Saxony’s North Sea coast. This could significantly reduce emissions at sea and on the coast. However, LNG has lacked demand from the business community in Germany, so far. Among other issues, because of the fierce global competition and thus its high price. Source: nd

100 billion for the Bundeswehr

After the announcement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to provide a special fund of 100 billion euros for the German armed forces, the shares of several defence companies have shot up sharply. In addition to the German companies Rheinmetall, Hensoldt and Thyssenkrupp, the British defence company BAE Systems, the French company Thales and Europe’s largest aerospace company Airbus, whose defence division makes it the second-largest defence company in Europe, are also currently posting rising share prices. Overall, the tightened sanctions against Russia over the weekend have further weakened the financial markets. However, market reactions to the war in Ukraine sparked by Russia have been manageable so far. Source: fr

Fridays for Future for Ukraine

“We ask all brothers and sisters of Fridays For Future to take to the streets with us for the end of this war and to fight for peace in our name,” Ukrainian activists wrote on Twitter. With that request, several students and workers from many countries are following them and calling for a protest this Thursday. Here in Germany, Fridays local groups from Braunschweig, Lübeck, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne have registered protests so far, and more are to follow. “Time is running out, the situation is changing by the hour,” Luisa Neubauer said, explaining the reason for holding the event on a Thursday instead of the usual Friday. Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Hundreds of people show solidarity with Dilan in Berlin

When Dilan was beaten up in Berlin, no one intervened. Now hundreds of people declared their solidarity with her and other victims of racist violence at a demonstration. The teenager herself was also there last Sunday. According to the police, the demonstration started at the Greifswalder Straße S-Bahn station with about 800 participants. This was significantly more than the number registered. There were banners where was written “Racism is not an opinion, but a crime,” or “Racism has many faces, but all of them are ugly”. Meanwhile, Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger said “Such cases are first and foremost shocking, and they must not happen.” Source: rbb.

“Everything that happened before has been exceeded”

“Antonia” has not yet subsided. Nevertheless, the Berlin fire brigade draws a first conclusion of the storm’s nights. Fire chief Karsten Homrighausen spoke of a “mammoth task” for the firefighters. The Berlin fire brigade has been called out on 4,000 occasions since Thursday because of the storm. A record of 15,000 emergency calls were received in 88 hours. Otherwise, there were 2,500 emergency calls in 24 hours. At the same time, a peak of 1,000 firefighters were on duty, including many volunteers. Almost 150 fire engines were manned. The scale of the disaster was “beyond anything we have ever seen before”, Homrighausen said. Source: rbb.

Protests in front of Russian embassy in Berlin

Following the invasion of Russian troops into eastern Ukraine, several groups in Berlin have announced protests in front of the Russian embassy. The Berlin police registered three registered events so far. President Putin has declared his intention to recognise the independence of the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. In response to the invasion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said on Tuesday the certification of the gas pipeline “Nord Stream 2” would be temporarily suspended. Also, politicians in Berlin and Brandenburg have strongly condemned the latest Russian actions in the Ukraine conflict. Most of them accused Russia of breaking international law. Source: rbb.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Almost all COVID measures to be scrapped by March 20 in Germany

From March 20 on, most COVID restrictions are to be relaxed. Some federal states have already pressed forward with lifting 2G restrictions in non-essential shops, where patrons will just need to wear a medical mask, unless exempt. Some contact restrictions will also be scrapped. From March 4 onwards, 2G rules would be replaced by 3G rules in restaurants. Nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen, under 2G plus rules. From March 20 (the “Freedom Day”), there is a chance the only restriction that will stay in place is the obligation to wear a mask indoors as well as on public transport. Source: I am Expat.

South Africa finally wants vaccine patent release

South Africa’s President has called for a patent release for Corona vaccines during a joint European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) summit. It is unacceptable that Africa always has to take a back seat when it comes to medicines, said Cyril Ramaphosa, the AU representative for the Corona pandemic. Donations alone are not a sustainable way to build resilience, said Ramaphosa again. During the two-day summit, it was announced patent-free mRNA vaccine will be produced in six countries in Africa. But this is not enough for South Africa as the country wants the patent release. Source: rnd.

Hardliner’s Pact: Seal the Borders and Deport

That’s the agenda of a two-day “repatriation conference” that began on Monday at the Hofburg in Vienna. Ministers from 23 Schengen and Western Balkan states, representatives of the EU border protection force Frontex and other EU authorities as well as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) met at the invitation of the Austrian government, which is known for its restrictive migration policy. The right-wing conservative Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and his German counterpart, the Social Democrat Nancy Faeser, demonstratively presented themselves as quite aligned. Source: jW.

AfD politician causes criticism with statements about trans MPs

AfD deputy party and parliamentary group leader Beatrix von Storch has sparked much criticism across party lines with remarks about trans Bundestag member Tessa Ganserer (“die Grünen”). In a debate on International Women’s Day in the Bundestag, von Storch first accused the majority of MPs in the Bundestag of adhering to a “gender ideology”. Then, using the deadname of MP Ganserer, von Storch said the politician remains a man and if she enters the Bundestag as such “via the Green women’s quota and is listed here as a woman, that is simply illegal”. Source: Zeit.