NEWS FROM BERLIN

BVG & ver.di argue over pay: strike on the horizon

Public transportation in Berlin could see major disruption at the start of 2025, as pay negotiations between BVG, the city’s transport association, and union ver.di start to ramp up before they have even begun. According to the Berliner Zeitung, ver.di said it was impossible to rule out strikes in the new year. On January 15 BVG and ver.di will sit down to hammer out the details of collective bargaining agreements for the 16,000 employees represented by the union. According to ver.di negotiator, Jeremy Arndt, the wage disputes are as intense as they were leading up to the strike in 2008, when walkouts lasted 6 weeks. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Newspaper article by Musk on AfD goes on making waves

Following the publication of a guest article by billionaire Elon Musk in the newspaper “Welt am Sonntag” (WamS) with an election appeal for the right-wing populist and in some cases far-right party AfD, Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have sharply criticised the publishing. “The fact that the Springer publishing house is offering Elon Musk an official platform to advertise for the AfD is shameful and dangerous,” affirmed SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch. The CDU and CSU candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also sharply criticised Musk’s election appeal for the AfD. The German Journalists‘Association (DJV) protested too against the “free pass given to Musk by the editors of Die Welt’’. Source: dw

AfD strengths contacts with Swiss right-wing extremists

Several AfD members are said to have met with members of the far-right group “Junge Tat” from Switzerland, including Roger Beckamp, member of the Bundestag, and Lena Kotré, member of the state parliament. This is the result of research by the Correctiv network. The meeting is further “proof of the AfD’s antagonism to the constitution and its close and international links to the extra-parliamentary far-right underground”, affirmed Matthias Quent, Professor of Sociology at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences and founding director of the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society in Jena. Source: nd

2024 was too warm and too wet

The year 2024 was the warmest year since comprehensive measurements began in 1881, as the German Weather Service (DWD) realised. “What is particularly alarming is that 2024 exceeded the previous year by an extraordinary 0.3 degrees,” said Uwe Kirsche, press spokesperson for the DWD. “This is accelerated climate change.” At the same time, 2024 was too wet. According to initial evaluations by the DWD, 903 litres per square metre of precipitation fell in 2024. The average reference period from 1991 to 2020 is 791 litres. The duration of sunshine also exceeded its target from the period from 1961 to 1990, being just under 1,700 hours (target was 1,544 hours). Source: tagesschau

MPs demand consequences after Magdeburg attack

Following the deadly attack in Magdeburg, the Greens in the Bundestag called for someone to take responsibility for the alleged failure of the authorities. “I think that political responsibility must be taken at the end of such an event,” said Green Party interior expert Konstantin von Notz before a special session of the Bundestag’s Committee on Internal Affairs in Berlin. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) also answered the committee’s questions. At the meeting, which unusually took place between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the MPs wanted to uncover possible mishaps at the security authorities. Source: t-online

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Antifa, there’s still room for improvement

At 2.30 pm, 1.5 hours after the planned start of a demonstration by the extremist group “Aktionsbündnis Berlin,” some 60 young fascists (from the 500 who registered) were still at the starting point at Ostkreuz. Just in front of them, around 30 anti-fascists, including left-wing MP Ferat Koçak (Die Linke). The police then decided to clear the road for the Nazis. One by one, the antifascists were pulled away by the police, using pain grips, and released into the neighbouring rallies – without previous warnings. However, several thousand people managed to block the right-wing extremist demonstration. The police reported stones and pyrotechnics were thrown, and parked police cars were damaged. Source: taz

Anti-fascism on the seminar programme

“Please don’t come in anymore. We have to open the second lecture theatre,” announces a loudspeaker in the overcrowded lecture theatre of the Freie Universität. But even the second lecture theatre is barely big enough for all those interested in attending the general assembly of the “Students against the Right” initiative. The anti-fascist movement at universities was formed in the spring after the so-called AfD secret meeting became known. There are groups nationwide, as in Berlin. The new initiative wants to oppose the social shift to the right and fight for non-discriminatory spaces at universities. Source: taz

Convicted of arson

Almost seven years after two arson attacks, the verdict is finally reached in the Neukölln neo-Nazi trial. The defendants are guilty. After so many years, Ferat Koçak (Die Linke) appeared in court and said in tears that the attack defines his life today. “If I had woken up a few minutes later, my parents would not have made it out of the house, they would have died, like the guest workers in Mölln or Solingen,” said Koçak, who comes from a Kurdish-Alevi family. He is forever scared for his parents. More than 70 criminal offences, including 23 arsons, are attributed to the series of attacks. Source: taz

Four arrests after attack on SPD members

Four young people were arrested following an attack by suspected right-wing extremists on SPD members in Berlin. The suspects had travelled to Berlin on Saturday to take part in demonstrations and engage in physical altercations with “leftists.” They are between 16 and 19 years old. According to the investigators, they attacked SPD members at an election campaign stand at a bus stop. The attacks could only be stopped when emergency services arrived. Meanwhile, the police have published details of the demonstration in the Friedrichshain district, which the suspects apparently wanted to attend. Police state security and the public prosecutor’s office are now investigating. Source: n-tv

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Housing makes you poor

“Anyone who only considers income, but not the fact that people have less and less money at their disposal because they have to pay high housing costs, overlooks the extent of poverty in Germany,” states a study published last week by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. The association took a critical look at data from the Federal Statistical Office. According to the research group, income alone no longer provides information about the standard of living. After deducting rent, service charges, interest on loans and other costs, almost 18 million people are left with a disposable income in the poverty bracket. Source: jW

Germany: major challenges ahead of snap election

On Tuesday, the governing Social Democrats (SPD) and the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) agreed to hold a new parliamentary election on coming February 23. The timing of Germany’s next election has become the subject of an embittered political debate that has dragged in the federal election administrator, the managing director of the country’s biggest ballot paper printing company and even the head of Germany’s paper industry association. Wilko Zicht, head of the nonprofit watchdog Wahlrecht, estimates that authorities will now have to do around four months’ worth of work in the span of only two months, in order to have a timely and legitimate election. Source: dw

Most young Germans see no point in politics

Most young people in Germany see no point in politics, according to a survey conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation. They see too many hurdles and believe politicians don’t take their worries seriously. The findings come as Germany is headed toward a new general election in February. In the poll of 2,500 representative 16- to 30-year-olds, half of the respondents said there were insufficient opportunities for young people to participate in politics beyond voting in elections. Regina von Görtz, the foundation’s expert on youth and democracy, observes that “young people would be more politically active if they knew that their efforts actually had an impact.” Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

All of Berlin is “#unkürzbar”

There is uproar in Berlin in the face of budget cuts and a policy that largely ignores social interests. Following initial demonstrations against the cuts last week, protests will now increase. On Thursday, December 5, social organisations, teachers and tenants will take to the streets. For the various interest groups and areas affected by cuts, one catchphrase is gaining ground: #uncutable (#unkürzbar). The renters’ movement is also mobilising against the federal government’s housing summit and calling for a nationwide rent cap. But the frustration is also directed at the Senate – here too under the motto #unkürzbar. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

AfD’s Bavarian chapter passes mass deportation resolution

At the AfD’s party conference in Greding, its Bavarian chapter adopted the “Bavarian Resolution for Remigration,” which would see German citizens with a migration background and non-Germans living in the federal republic deported from the country. “Groups of people with a weak ability and willingness to integrate should be returned to their home country by means of mandatory return programmes and supported in reintegrating into their society of origin and in (re)building their home country,” the resolution states. Source: iamexpat

Germany to launch bunker location app

The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) and the German Interior Ministry plan to reintroduce public bunkers and a shelter location app amid rising global tensions. BKK’s spokesperson said that key elements of the plan had already been agreed upon in June 2024, but the project would take “some time” before any app would be launched. 579 World War Two and Cold War-era bunkers remain in Germany, and they could provide shelter for 480,000 of Germany’s population. Residents would also be asked to convert their basements and garages into shelters. According to the BKK, Germany’s high building standards mean basements would be adequate to protect residents. Source: iamexpat

Germany’s labour market needs more immigration

The German labour market will be reliant long-term on “substantial” immigration each year. Until 2040, around 288,000 foreign workers will be needed each year to ensure a sufficient supply of available labour, as an analysis commissioned by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows. Currently, labour migration is significantly lower than it needs to be. Susanne Schultz, a migration expert at Bertelsmann, says that barriers need to be removed and the conditions for immigrants improved. She explained that, without the influx of additional immigrants, the workforce would shrink by around 10% due to demographic shifts. Source: deutschland.de

Major strikes at Volkswagen

IG Metall called on the almost 120,000 employees at Volkswagen plants to participate in warning strikes last Monday. “If necessary, this will be the toughest collective labour dispute that Volkswagen has ever seen,” says Thorsten Gröger, IG Metall negotiator. After the VW Board of Management rejected a compromise proposal from the union last week, the peace obligation ended at the weekend. Strikes are for instance taking place at the main plants in Lower Saxony – with the exception of Osnabrück, because the collective agreement for the metal and electrical industry continues to apply there. The next round of negotiations will take place on December 9. Source: nd

Germany experiences dramatic rise in measles cases

“Measles has returned to Germany,” the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recently warned. According to its report, the number of cases of the disease, which is particularly common in young children and can be fatal, has risen dramatically in 2024. More than 600 cases have been registered so far, compared to 8 just 3 years earlier. Other vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis B and whooping cough are also on the rise. According to experts, reasons for such increase range from imported viruses to increasing vaccination scepticism and activism by anti-vaccination campaigners on the internet. Source: dw

AfD considers separation from Young Alternative organisation

The Federal Executive Committee of the right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is in favour of splitting from its youth organisation. The Young Alternative (Junge Alternative, JA) has been relatively independent up to now – and is indisputably right-wing extremist. The AfD has long been considering establishing a new organisation based on the model of the Young Socialists (Jusos, from SPD), and it is no secret that the party is unhappy about JA. The Jusos model can indicate that every AfD member under the age of 36 would automatically be a member of the youth organisation. Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Nan Goldin opens exhibition with accusations against Israel and Germany

The artist Nan Goldin at the opening of her show at “Neue Nationalgalerie” began her speech with “This will not end well”, asking for a minute’s silence for the victims in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon. In front of dozens of pro-Palestinian activists, the Jewish photographer denounced Israel’s actions and Germany’s attitude in the Middle East conflict. An attempt at a ‘counter-speech’ by the director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, Klaus Biesenbach, was shouted down by chants. “I have decided to use this exhibition as a platform to express my moral outrage at the genocide in Gaza and Lebanon,” Goldin affirmed. Source: Spiegel

Rents in Berlin have risen the most in Germany

Prices for new lettings have risen more sharply in Berlin than in any other major German city. This is according to a response from the federal government to a request from MP Caren Lay (Die Linke”). The price per square metre for a newly rented flat in Berlin has doubled in ten years: from an average of €8.10 in 2014 to €16.35 in 2023. The federal government points out that the data is not representative: Low-priced flats, for example, tend to be brokered via notices or estate agents and therefore do not appear in the statistics. Lay nevertheless criticises the fact that the rent freeze introduced in 2015 has been ineffective. Source: rbb

Berlin Senate reaches agreement in dispute over payment card for refugees

After months of wrangling, Berlin’s governing parties (CDU and SPD) have agreed on a solution to the issues surrounding payment card for refugees. The cash limit is now 50 euros per month, for adults and children. After six months, the cash limit will be automatically removed. However, it is not yet clear when the payment card will be introduced in Berlin. The payment card is valid throughout Germany and should not include any restrictions such as online purchases. The Integration Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) told rbb that the payment card is not an instrument to control migration. Source: rbb

The Berlin Senate’s savings list

The Berlin Senate wants to save three billion euros – from the around 40 billion euro’s city budget. The ruling parties, CDU and SPD, announced where they want to cut spending: primarily in transport, but other areas such as culture and environment are also subject to cuts. With this cut, the 29-euro ticket for public transport, which has only been in circulation since July, will be completely cancelled again, but probably not until 2025. The ruling coalition parties agree in principle that an improvement in revenue is also necessary to close the gap in Berlin’s budget. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

VW: German union demands a deal before Christmas

IG Metall and the Volkswagen (VW) workers’ council are calling for VW to strike a deal with workers before Christmas. VW is Europe’s largest car manufacturer and has threatened plant closures and layoffs in a bid to reduce labor costs. IG Metall’s chief negotiator, Thorsten Gröger, accused VW management of wasting time in discussions so far. The chairwoman of the company’s workers’ council, Daniela Cavallo, described the threat of mass layoffs and plant closures as “maximum provocation”. A mandated moratorium on industrial action during initial talks is due to expire at the end of November, meaning that warning strikes are possible starting from December 1. Source: dw

Inveterate Holocaust denier Haverbeck dies at 96

Ursula Haverbeck, a notorious Holocaust denier, has died at the age of 96. She previously served two years in prison for Holocaust denial and was appealing another prison sentence of a year and four months handed down by the court in Hamburg when her she passed away. Among her repeated claims, made on television and in courts, was that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was not an extermination camp. German government records show that at least 1.1 million people were murdered there alone. Her comments made her a favorite with far-right extremists. Source: dw

What do Germany’s hospital reforms mean for patients?

Germany’s hospital reform will become law on January 1, 2025. Under these reforms, the government will reorganise how federal funding is distributed to hospitals to improve treatments and reduce financial pressure on clinics. The changes will be gradually implemented in Germany’s 1,700 hospitals until 2029. Clinics will not be financed based on the number of patients they treat but on the number of services offered, such as staff numbers, emergency services or specific medical equipment available on site. It is expected that the new law will also spell hospital closures, but Karl Lauterbach (SPD) affirms these closures will be in areas where hospitals are “overabundant”. Source: i am expat