NEWS FROM BERLIN

AfD ahead of the Greens in Berlin for the first time

A year before the Berlin House of Representatives election, support for the CDU is declining, according to a new Insa poll. If the House of Representatives election were held next Sunday, 23% of voters would choose the party of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. In second place is Die Linke, with 17% (up four). The co-governing SPD could reach 16%, the Greens 14% (both down one). The AfD is also benefiting from the weakness of the black-red government and could expect to receive 15% (up two). Source: welt

“From the River to the Sea…” before the Regional Court

On October 31, a significant trial regarding the criminalisation of solidarity with Palestine in Germany began before the Berlin Regional Court. The defendant, R., is accused not only of using the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” at a demonstration, but also of sharing images on social media in 2024 of the organization Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, classified as a banned association in Germany. The judge prohibited him from reading his “opening statement” and scheduled ten days for the proceedings (which will last until the end of November). R. told nd that the harshness of the situation weighs on him. “That’s why I haven’t been to any demonstrations for a year.” Source: nd

Ripped off on the rental market

Rents above €20 per square meter, chain leases, and no protection against termination: furnished apartments are taking over the Berlin housing market. Landlords often use furnishing as an excuse to avoid having to comply with rent controls. What sounds illegal is now commonplace on the Berlin housing market. This is the conclusion of a study presented by the Institute for Social Urban Development (IFSS) on behalf of the Berlin Tenants’ Association. As providers often circumvent tenant protection and rent control regulations, the tenants’ association is calling for stricter regulation. In response to taz, the Senate Administration stated it intends to tackle the problem with the planned Housing Security Act. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Minister says German school children should be taught how to prepare for crises

The Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said he would like schoolchildren in Germany to be taught lessons on how to prepare for a crisis. “My suggestion is that, during the school year older, school students take part in a double period lesson in which possible threatening scenarios, and how one can prepare for them, are discussed,” he said in an interview with Handelsblatt. At the upcoming Conference of Interior Ministers representing the 16 federal states, Dobrindt plans to present the idea. Reactions have been mixed across the political spectrum, with Die Linke and the AfD criticising the suggestion, and the Greens welcoming it. Source: iamexpat

Women demand more security in an open letter to Merz

“We want a public space where everyone feels comfortable,” reads an open letter from 60 prominent women to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). As if they had coordinated their efforts: just as Matthias Miersch (SPD) calls on his group to conduct the “cityscape” debate more objectively, this document with ten demands was launched. “We would like to talk about safety for daughters, that is, women,” it states. “However, we want to do so seriously and not use it as a cheap excuse to justify racist narratives.” Among such requests, there are for instance requirements for better surveillance of public spaces, the reform of the abortion laws, and protection against digital violence. Source: nd

Return instead of right of residence: “no further grounds for asylum”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has spoken out in favor of repatriating migrants to Syria. “The civil war in Syria is over,” Merz said on November 3 in Husum. There are “no longer any reasons for asylum in Germany,” he said, so repatriations can begin. Merz believes many Syrians would return to their homeland voluntarily to help with post-war reconstruction. “Those who refuse to return to the country can, of course, be deported,” he added. According to him, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is already working on plans to repatriate Syrian criminals first. He also invited Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Scharaa to Germany for talks to coordinate the repatriation. Source: bz

Deportations: a difficult project for Germany

Under the slogan “Return Offensive,” the federal government aims to significantly increase the number of people potentially required to leave the country. The difficulty of this undertaking can be demonstrated by the dispute over deportations to Syria, a country devastated by a long civil war. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) recently visited Syria and subsequently offered a cautious assessment: “Only possible to a very limited extent at this time.” The Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), in turn, emphasizes his fundamental commitment to deportations. Meanwhile, many more people without a prospect of remaining in Germany leave voluntarily. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Thousands protest outside CDU in Berlin

Thousands of people have once again gathered outside the CDU party headquarters in Berlin to protest against the controversial “cityscape” comments made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). According to Berlin police, around 2,000 people took part in the rally, while organizers speak of 7,500. The rally was organized by the alliance “Together Against the Right.” The motto of the event was “Feminist Rally: We Are the Daughters.” At the demonstration on October 21, there were slogans such as “Daughters for a colorful cityscape,” and “We don’t have a cityscape problem, we have a racism problem.” Source: spiegel

Against asphyxia

The Senate has actually set a record budget for 2026/27. There is a lot of money there, but not a great share for culture. For two years now, Berlin’s cultural scene has been unable to breathe well. On October 23, providers of cultural activities for children and young people demonstrated in front of the House of Representatives against cuts in their sector. Cornelia Schuster, head of the State Association for Children and Youth (LKJ), said in her speech at the protest in front of the parliament: “We have been fighting against the cuts since the end of 2023. It’s just incredibly exhausting.” Source: taz

Bird flu: State laboratory confirms first cases in Berlin

Two dead cranes have tested positive for bird flu (avian influenza) in the Berlin-Brandenburg state laboratory, as explained by a spokeswoman from the Senate Department for Justice and ConsumerProtection. There are yet two suspected cases. According to the report, wildbirds are primarily affected in Berlin. In Germany, bird flu is spreading rapidly. There is also an outbreak of the disease among cranes and poultry farms in Brandenburg. In the past, the virus was only present in the country during the cold season in connection with bird migration. There are now detections throughout the year, albeit with seasonal fluctuations. Source: berlin.de

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German media disproportionately cover crimes where suspect is “non-German”

According to a new report conducted for Mediendienst Integration, violent crimes in which the suspect is perceived as “foreign” are far overrepresented in German media coverage. For instance, in 2024, a quarter of German TV crime reports named the suspect’s nationality, residence status or family origins (Herkunft) and in 94,6% of these reports,the suspect was a non-German and or had a recent migration background. However, according to Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) statistics, in only 34,3% of violent crimes in 2024 was the suspect non-German and or had a recent migration background. Source: iamexpat

Federal government wants to pay salaries of US Army employees

The German government wants to takeover the payment of salaries for the approximately 12,000 civilian employees of the US armed forces in Germany who are facing a loss of pay due to the budget freeze in the US – the so-called “shutdown.” “If the US does not provide the funds in time, the federal government will initially cover the costs for the October salaries,” a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Finance told “tagesschau”. The ministry will “initiate the authorization for an unscheduled expenditure of approximately 43 million euros,” as added. The ver.di union had previously called on the federal government to take over the payments if necessary. Source: tagesschau

German Armed Forces purchase Israeli anti-tank missiles

According to information from theIsraeli daily newspaper “Haaretz”, Germany has decided to purchase Spike anti-tank missiles. The deal is worth around two billion euros and was handled by the NATO procurement agency. The contractual partner is the European joint venture EuroSpike, in which the Israeli arms manufacturer Rafael has a stake. According to Haaretz, this is one of the largest arms contracts concluded by NATO procurement in recent years. Germany has purchased Israeli military equipment worth around 315 million euros this year alone – more than in the previous four years combined. Source: juedische-allgemeine

CDU politician writes Nazi slogan on Facebook

CDU local politician Marco Walczakresponded to a Facebook post by Die Linke Niedersachsen (The Left Party ofLower Saxony) about citizen’s income with the Nazi slogan “Arbeit macht frei”(Work makes you free). Later, he spoke of a “terrible faux pas,” alleging to be“unaware of its historical significance.” The politician most recently held the chairmanship of the CDU local association in Meckelfeld, Klein-Moor in the municipality of Seevetal. According to the CDU in that city, he has since resigned from this position. A joint statement by the CDU Seevetal and the CDU district association Harburg-Land indicates that Walczak has received a reprimand. Source: ndr

Work yes, asylum no

Waiting and patience are two concepts in Germany that immigrants experience in the truest sense of the word. The news exemplifies such through the narrative of Patience, a Burundian. After three years of waiting, he finally had his interview at the BAMF – by which time he had already been working for quite a while. As an asylum seeker with “temporary residence permit,” he is not entitled to child benefit or child allowance. He has a family, a job, and must live in a container – and it will probably be a few years before a decision is made on his residence status. Source: jungewelt

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin fines landlord for rent exploitation

The Berlin district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg has, for the first time, fined a landlord for charging their tenant an exploitative rent. The tenant was charged 190% over the maximum amount regulated by the local rental index (Mietspiegel). The rental index applies in around 600 local areas across Germany which are considered to have a particularly strained housing market. In the current case, according to local public broadcaster rbb, the landlord submitted an appeal but then retracted her request a day before the hearing on October 9. The tenant now has the option to sue to claim a 22,264.08 euros refund for the rent she overpaid. Source: iamexpat

Habersaathstraße: several apartments in Berlin evacuated

Eleven apartments on Habersaathstraße in Berlin were evacuated on October 20. Up to 130 police officers were on scene. A demonstration by the Leerstand Hab-ich-saath initiative took place parallel to the eviction. The initiative wanted to act against the eviction and prevent former homeless people from losing their homes again. 14 police officers were injured by firecrackers and tear gas, but were able to remain on duty, according to a police spokesperson. In the building there are five tenants with permanent leases. As long as they do not move out, demolition is not permitted. Source: rbb

Thousands demonstrate in the cityscape

At a press conference in Potsdam last week, Merz spoke of a “problem” in the “cityscape” regarding migration. Merz’s “cityscape statement” has been particularly criticised because it allows for a wide range of interpretations—including the xenophobic ones. Around 2,000 people took to the streets in Berlin on October 19 to protest the Chancellor’s “cityscape statement”. Under the slogan “Raise the firewall! We are the cityscape!” the organizers put the demonstration together within 48 hours. The event was supported by Berlin music acts Cesco, Julie Pasquale, and Sechser, from hip-hop group Teuterekordz. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German government announces stricter sanctions for Bürgergeld

Bürgergeld (citizens’ allowance) is a subsistence benefit separate from Germany’s main unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld). It was introduced by the SPD-Greens-FDP coalition in 2022. It was then presented as an attempt to make the benefits system fairer, with fewer sanctions and more support for recipients. From January 2026, though, Bürgergeld recipients who miss two scheduled meetings at the job centre will have their long-term unemployment benefit cut by 30%, as announced by the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition. Recipients who miss three meetings will have their support cut altogether, including any housing benefit (Wohngeld) they receive. “The government’s plans are inhumane and highly legally questionable,” Die Linke Bundestag leader Heidi Reichinnek said. Source: iamexpat

Merz doubles down on “cityscape” statement

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) reiterated his controversial statement regarding migrants. At a press conference following the two-day CDU leadership retreat, with focus on 2026 state elections, the Chancellor clamied he had nothing to retract. On the contrary, he repeated his remark with vague formulations such as: “Ask your children, ask your daughters, ask around among your friends and acquaintances: everyone confirms that this is a problem, at least after dark.” The exact problem remained unclear. Merz also commented on the demonstration against his statement on October 19, accusing the demonstrators of being more interested in dividing society than solving problems. Source: nd

UN experts urge Germany to halt police violence against Palestinian solidarity activism

On October 16, UN experts released a statement urging Germany 16 to stop criminalising, punishing, and suppressing legitimate Palestinian solidarity activism. “We are alarmed by the persistent pattern of police violence and apparent suppression of Palestine solidarity activism by Germany,” the experts said. They noted that, since October 2023, Germany has escalated and expanded restrictions with regard to Palestinian solidarity activism and protests even though actions have been overall peaceful and used to express legitimate demands, such as calling for halting arms exports to Israel, ending the genocide and the Israeli illegal occupation, ensuring humanitarian aid access to Gaza, and the recognition of the State of Palestine, among others. Source: ohchr

Dispute over broadcasting license fee enters another round

Public broadcasting is repeatedly the subject of criticism in Germany, with the monthly broadcasting fee being a hurdle for many people. But if the program no longer meets the requirements for diversity and balance, would it still be mandatory to pay that fee? A Bavarian woman considered that the public broadcasting was neither balanced nor diverse, so she refused to continue paying the fee. But the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig issued a landmark ruling stating that the broadcasting fee only becomes unconstitutional if the entire program of public broadcasting grossly fails to ensure diversity of opinion and balance “over a prolonged period.” The lawyer representing the plaintiff said that the ruling was nevertheless a success. The fact that administrative courts are obliged to examine program diversity is good news for citizens’ legal protection. Source: zeit

Citizen’s Allowance: study reveals poverty gap and deprivation

In the current social security debate, Bürgergeld is a major theme. A new study by the Paritätischen Wohlfahrtsverband (Parity Welfare Association) clearly demonstrates how far-removed citizen’s allowance has become from reality and the right to a decent basic social security. For instance, it points out that the reforms of 2023 and 2024, with increases of over 10% each, although considered a relief, represented only compensation for the massive loss of purchasing power since 2021. The study’s authors and the Paritätische Gesamtverband are therefore calling for a structural, permanent, and significant increase in standard rates, as well as an adjustment of basic social security benefits to reflect social, economic, and legal realities. Source: buerger-geld

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Police beat Left Party politicians

Two Left Party members of the Bundestag experienced police violence. They were following demonstrations in Berlin as parliamentary observers. On October 7, North Rhine-Westphalian MP Lea Reisner watched a Gaza demonstration near Alexanderplatz. A video that circulated on social media shows Reisner being punched in the face by a police officer, before he disappears into the crowd of his colleagues. On October 12, another confrontation in Wedding broke out between police and Lower Saxony MP Cem Ince. A video footage is also circulating, showing a police officer from behind the politician making several striking movements toward him. Source: taz

“They want to increase their presence on the streets”

Young, militant, and action-oriented—this is how the members of the right-wing extremist Berlin youth group “Deutsche Jugend Voran” (DJV) present themselves on their social media channels. Recently, they have increasingly appeared alongside members of “Die Heimat,” the successor party to the far-right NPD, as Stephan Kuhlmann from Mobile Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin (MBR), observed. It is not yet clear though whether the party “Die Heimat” and the DJV will merge. However, according to Kuhlmann, members of “Die Heimat” are pushing for the rapprochement once “they want to become more visible again and increase their presence on the streets.” Source: t-online

NEWS FROM GERMANY

“Germany has let us down”

Six years ago, on October 9, 2019, a right-wing extremist attempted to storm the synagogue in Halle. The attacker failed to get through the entrance door and then shot and killed passer by JanaL. and guest Kevin S. at the nearby “Kiezdöner” restaurant. As he fled, he injured several other people, some seriously. Christina Feist, one of the survivors, complains the German authorities are not taking her and other victims seriously. She speaks of her mental health struggle, and of how complicated it was to have her related costs (partially) reimbursed by the German state. Source: taz

Peine district council decides on mandatorywork for asylum seekers

Asylum seekers in Peine, in the Lower Saxony, will be required to work in future. The district council’s decision is based on a motion by the CDU and FDP parties. According to the HAZ newspaper, the motion was passed by a majority vote. The district administration has criticised the decision once hundreds of the 850 asylum seekers currently in Peine cannot be required to work because they are minors, employed, single parents, pregnant, or enrolled in integration courses. In addition, the administration estimates that the program would cost up to €250,000 per year. The Refugee councils and the Pro Asyl association had previously rejected compulsory work for refugees, too. Source: ndr

Just a suspicion

Seydi and Aysel Özer were murdered in Dietzenbach 25 years ago. Investigators suspected the family, but without any evidence. Also, as Kahraman Özer, son and brother of the victims, remembers, the police “didn’t even search the crime scene properly. Even the weapon was later found by someone else.” The family´s lawyer has recently asked investigators to broadcast the murder case on the television program “Aktenzeichen XY… Ungelöst.” However, the public prosecutor’s office refused, arguing no new investigative leads could be expected. And Özer has been trying to get the victims´ personal belongings back from the police. The family was told that those items could “no longer be traced.” Source: taz

Hamburg wants to lock children away again

Twelve years have passed since Hamburg’s Social Affairs Senator, Detlef Scheele (SPD), announced the construction of a secure home. However, things can get more worrying. On a meadow on Klotzenmoorstieg, the construction of a new home, “Casa Luna”, has begun discreetly. There, children ages nine and up will be housed, even under detention for the initial phase. Critics point out that, despite a need for action must be taken seriously once children are being shuffled between youth welfare services and youth psychiatry, they argue that “Casa Luna” merely creates a “special unit” for the children, removed from their usual environment. Source: taz

Bundeswehr: compulsory service by lottery

The Bundeswehr demands more recruitment. People who previously only had to accept an invitation to medical examination mightbe able to be drafted into service if the military’s personnel growth targets are not met. This will be done by lottery. Matthias Miersch (SPD) asserts that this will only be used “third in line” once it is expected that service has been made attractive enough with pay increases. But ultimately, if that doesn’t produce the desired result, the rest will come into play. Whether that would be compatible with the constitutional principle of equal treatment is not a concern to this government. But there are still courts which can over turn such decisions. Source: nd-aktuell

Germany strips Palestinian of citizenship after he commemorated Hamas

One day after his German passport arrived, ‘Abdallah’ posted a picture of Hamas fighters with the caption ‘heroes of Palestine’. Soon afterwards, he received a letter from Germany’s interior ministry saying his citizenship had been revoked, according to ‘Bild’ newspaper. The country has gone further than most European countries to punish support for Hamas and curb pro-Palestinian support out of what it sees as a historic obligation to Israel and to right the wrongs of its Nazi past. It’s not clear if he will be deported, given that Germany does not recognise Palestine as a state. Source: telegraph

NEWS FROM BERLIN

All musicians cancel appearances on Böhmermann’s HKW show

All concerts planned as part of the Jan Böhmermann exhibition “Die Möglichkeit der Unvernunft” (The Possibility of Irrationality) at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) have been canceled by the artists. This comes after independent Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer accused rapper Chefket of having antisemitic views based on a shirt the rapper wears in videos on Instagram. The shirt shows the outline of a stylized map of the Middle East, depicting Palestine but not Israel. Böhmermann canceled Chefket’s concert due to public pressure. Weimer is highly controversial in the cultural scene. In 2025 a petition was launched against his appointment as Minister of State for Culture, which gathered over 70,000 signatures—partly out of concern that he would not stand for an open and critical cultural landscape. Source: rbb

Thousands demonstrate in Berlin against armament and war

On October 3, several thousand people demonstrated at Bebelplatz in Berlin against armament and war. They responded to a call from various peace initiatives and organizations, which also called for a similar demonstration in Stuttgart at the same time. The police reported around 7,500 demonstrators, while the organizers spoke of 20,000. In a statement, the organizers said that “arms buildup” in Germany was leading to massive debt, drastic social cuts, and the militarization of society. “This is particularly at the expense of children and young people, the elderly and the sick, as well as working people.” Source: bz

Protest at CDU headquarters

A protest by the “New Generation” group at the CDU headquarters in Berlin on October 6 was stopped by the police. Several demonstrators stuck at least one poster to the building near the Tiergarten, and some also managed to get inside. They also wanted to distribute symbolic banknotes. The police quickly arrived on the scene with a large contingent and temporarily detained some of the demonstrators. The group “Neue Generation” (New Generation) announced that, under the slogan “the climate glue is back,” they wanted to block doors and entrances with superglue and expose “mafia-like power networks.” Source: rbb                 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Middle East experts call on German government to change its policy on Israel

Given the war in the Gaza Strip and the catastrophic humanitarian situation of the Palestinian population there, a group of Middle East experts has called for a fundamental reorientation of German policy on Israel. They point out that Germany’s historical responsibility should not result in unrestricted support for the Israeli government: the guideline of “reason of state” has “placed support for the Israeli government above Germany’s legal and moral obligations.” The more than 100 signatories to the position paper include former EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell and former Israeli Parliament President Avraham Burg. Source: msn

“Or we start to fight back”

In the “Report from Berlin”, Bavarian Minister-President Söder (CSU) advocates quickly creating the conditions for shooting drones down. In recent weeks, numerous drone sightings in Europe have caused unrest. Most recently, operations at Munich Airport were temporarily suspended as a result. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has now announced the creation of a joint drone defense center. A legal basis for the German Armed Forces’ involvement will also be created, a particularly controversial issue. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) warns: “Drone defense is a core security policy task.” Source: tagesschau

Palantir software for the police: is there any alternative?

In Baden-Württemberg, the police are to be given a software that allows them to quickly search for information from various databases. Last March, the CDU-led Ministry of the Interior chose Palantir’s “Gotham” – initially without the approval of its Green coalition partner. The state is paying around 25 million euros for a five-year contract with Palantir, based on the framework agreement that the state of Bavaria concluded with the company after a Europe-wide tender. The two major police unions in the state agree: the police need a program like this. However, Robert Simmeth, the managing director at the software company SAS, believes that “there are definitely alternatives to this decision.” Source: swr

“Voluntary service alone is not sufficient”

In the talk show Caren Miosga, on October 5, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) formulated a clear expectation regarding the current debate on military service. He believes that, in the long run, the Federal Republic will not be able to avoid a return to universal conscription. Merz fundamentally supported the voluntary model planned by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). “We want to try to achieve this with the SPD on a voluntary basis for now. I am skeptical. If we succeed, so much the better.” He also commented on the issue of drone sightings, speaking out in favor of the rapid development of a drone defense system. Source: bz

Israel allegedly attacked activists with German submarine

According to CBS News, the drone attacks on ships in the international Gaza flotilla in early September originated from an Israeli submarine, which could be one of the six Israeli Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany. At that time, the activists were anchored in the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said. Organized by the Global Sumud Initiative, around 400 people wanted to break through Israel’s blockade and deliver aid supplies. The drones, which allegedly launched from a submarine, dropped incendiary devices on two ships of the flotilla. No one was injured. However, if such acts were indeed carried out by an external actor, this constitutes a clear violation of Tunisian sovereignty. Source: nd