NEWS FROM BERLIN

Queer shelter in Berlin fights against displacement

The oldest queer housing project in Berlin, Plutonia, has lived in the Tuntenhaus in Kastanienallee since 1997. But it was sold last February. The residents fear that the last piece of subculture on Kastanienallee will be displaced. They are fighting for the district of Pankow to exercise its right of first refusal and to turn it into a co-operative. The fight is against the clock, as the right needs to be exercised before May. Source: nd

Colour attack on Brandenburg Gate: trial against climate activists suspended

The trial against two climate activists because of the paint attack at the Brandenburg Gate has been suspended for the time being. The Tiergarten district court halted the proceedings against two members of the “Last Generation” climate group. The reason is a dispute over the cost of cleaning the Berlin landmark after the attack on 17 September 2023. The defence affirms the costs would not have amounted to more than 25,000 euros “with expert cleaning.” According to the prosecution, however, they rose to 55,000. The estimated total damage is 115,000 euros. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Climate money: it’s simple

It is hardly surprising that social injustices are also manifested in the energy transition and climate protection. For instance, the CO2 emissions of top earners are on average around 50 per cent higher than those of low-wage earners. The advantage of climate money is that everyone is relieved, but the lower income groups are relieved proportionally more. However, the climate money announced in the coalition agreement is likely not to materialise until 2026 or even 2027. That is why the Sanktionsfrei association and allies are now taking the payment of the climate money – at least to a symbolic number of people – into their own hands. Source: nd

Germany struggles with its pension system

The baby boomers are retiring. However, at the beginning of the 1960s, there were still six employees for every pensioner. Today this ratio is 2:1, continuing to fall. Who pays for the pensions of the elderly? To make it more complex, pensioners have become a significant group of voters. The pension system has therefore become the subject of fierce debate. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) presented a plan for managing the situation, making use of the financial market. Many politicians have also called for groups such as the self-employed and civil servants to be integrated into the statutory insurance system. Source: dw

Twice as much approval

According to the CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 14% of first-time voters in Germany believe the AfD is “most likely to solve the problems facing Europe.” This makes the extreme-right party the strongest force among first-time voters. The SPD comes in second, with roughly the same proportion, followed by the Greens (13%). The study also shows the proportion of potential AfD voters among 16 to 22-year-olds is more than twice as high as among all eligible voters. This high level of support for the extreme-right among first-time voters seems surprising because many of them, 81%, also support the EU. Source: taz

Naturalisation test in Germany: to include questions on the Holocaust and Israel

The Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), plans to have questions regarding the Holocaust, Israel’s right to exist and Jewish life in the state naturalisation test. Faeser declared to Der Spiegel that anyone who wants to become German must know “what that means and acknowledge Germany’s responsibility.” The Minister intends to amend a regulation for this “shortly.” The new questions for the naturalisation test, as reported by Der Spiegel, would include for instance the name of a Jewish house of prayer, when the state of Israel was founded, and the reasons for Germany’s special responsibility towards Israel. Source: presse augsburg

Die Linke’s four-day week: against neoliberal dogmas

Four-day week with full wage? In opposition to much of the neoliberal belief, Die Linke showed on Monday that nothing is more necessary today than a general reduction in working hours. This would free up time for social engagement as well as for recreation. It is also natural that publicly-owned areas of society make the start. After all, they encompass crucial areas such as nursing, education, public transport and waste disposal. The shortage of skilled labour is particularly serious in these areas, precisely because pay is still below average in many cases. Source: nd

NEWS IN BERLIN

Demonstrations for and against Tesla in Grünheide

Environmental activists demonstrated against the expansion of the Tesla factory in Grünheide on Sunday. The alliance “Tesla den Hahn abdrehen” (“Turning off the tap on Tesla”) spoke of 1,000 participants and called on politicians to accept and implement the citizens’ vote against the expansion of the plant. The police recorded five criminal charges during the demonstration. One person allegedly performed a Hitler salute to a group of protesters. The police are also conducting investigations on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm. A counter-demonstration by local residents who wanted to show their solidarity with the US e-car manufacturer took place at the same time. Source: rbb24

Delivered on a bike

The investment hype of delivery services such as Getir, Wolt, and Lieferando may be over in Berlin, but working conditions in the industry are still poor. “I’ve seen a lot of riders who simply continued biking after an injury,” reports Wolt employee Muhammad Bhatti. Many are afraid of losing their job, which they depend on, during the probationary period. Bhatti discussed the question of how working conditions in the industry can be improved with other participants on the panel “Delivery first, health second?” during the “Poverty and Health” congress at the Freie Universität Berlin. Source: taz

Berlin presents plan for former Tegel Airport

Berlin’s State Secretary for Climate Protection and Environment Britta Behrendt (CDU) has revealed plans to transform the former airfield of Berlin’s Tegel Airport into a park and nature conservation area. Like the Tempelhofer Feld, the 190-hectare airfield will become a spot for locals to jog, cycle, or skate on the airport’s former runway. Tegel’s Stadtheide, as it will be called, is planned to be inaugurated in 2029. After 72 years in operation, the last flight out of Tegel Airport took off in November 2020. Since then, it has been used for housing development, offices, a refugee centre, and a nightclub. Source: iamexpat

NEWS IN GERMANY

“We no longer need the stickers”

Instead of stickers, the climate activists “Letzte Generation” will resort in the future to demonstrations, meetings, and other forms of protest, although the group has not yet revealed their exact plans. “This spring should really be a spring of resistance,” announced spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs, adding: “We simply won’t need the stickers anymore because there are so many of us.” The climate activists’ website has announced “disobedient assemblies” throughout Germany on March 16 at noon. Actions will take place in Berlin, Bremen, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Regensburg, Stuttgart, and on the island of Rügen. Source: tagesspiegel

BSW goes to the small towns

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) intends to run in the Saxony local elections, in addition to the state parliamentary elections. These will take place on June 9, at the same time as the European Parliament elections. The BSW founded its first state association in Saxony at the end of February, when a founding meeting took place behind closed doors in Chemnitz. Sabine Zimmermann, a former Bundestag representative, and entrepreneur Jörg Scheibe were elected state chairpersons. The BSW also wants to take part in the local and state elections in Thuringia. The regional association there is planned to be founded on March 15. Source: taz

GDL calls for new strike

In the wage dispute with the Deutsche Bahn (DB), the train drivers’ union GDL has called for a new strike. As the union explained in a press release, the strike in passenger transport began at 2 a.m. on Tuesday and ended at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. In freight transport, the work stoppages began on Monday at 6 p.m., also for 24 hours. There was only one day between the announcement of the industrial action and its start. GDL boss Claus Weselsky had already announced before that the railway and passengers would be given significantly less time to prepare themselves. Source: tagesschau

Feldman accuses German government of betraying Jews

Writer Deborah Feldman accused the German government of betraying Jews with its unconditional support for the right-wing nationalist Israeli government. “As a Jew, as a descendant of Holocaust survivors (…), I live in a country where on the one hand I am surrounded by people who have learned all the right lessons from the culture of remembrance, and yet a government can stand there and align itself mainly with the right-wing nationalist Israeli government and all its lobbyists.” This is no longer acceptable, said the author of the global bestseller Unorthodox at the Lit.Cologne literature festival on Sunday. Source: zeit

NEWS IN BERLIN

Yuval Abraham receives death threats after Berlinale

The Israeli Yuval Abraham, who was awarded together with the Palestinian Basel Adra the Berlinale’s best documentary award for No Other Land, has received death threats. Abraham also said several individuals turned up at his family members’ home in Israel. Abraham’s acceptance speech, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, was one of several moments during the closing ceremony in which solidarity with Palestine was expressed. It sparked an outcry in German media, with several politicians considering the speeches as “antisemitic”. “If this is Germany’s way of dealing with its guilt over the Holocaust, they are emptying it of all meaning”, he affirmed. Source: guardian

After pro-Palestine demonstration: suspected incitement to hatred

Following a pro-Palestinian demonstration last Saturday with more than 7,000 participants in Berlin, the German Press Agency reported that six investigations into protest attendees were underway. According to the information provided, this was triggered by verbal statements made during the demonstration. An unauthorised drone flight is also being investigated for violating the Aviation Act. According to a police spokesperson, a person injured a police officerduring an identity check. Around 7,300 people took part in the “Global South Resists” demonstration, which started at Alexanderplatz at 2.00 pm and ended at Potsdamer Platz at around 7.00 pm. Source: Zeit

Environmental activists block Elsenbrücke bridge at Treptower Park

Environmental activists and activists from the “Stop Fossil Subsidies” alliance blocked the slip road to the Elsen bridge at Treptower Park on Saturday. Among other things, the action was directed against the expansion of the A100 motorway in Berlin. The Berlin police spoke of 150 participants, the organisers of 500. The blockade was preceded by a bicycle demonstration, and it includes several environmental groups, including the Last Generation and Extinction Rebellion. According to the plans of the Federal Ministry of Transport, the A100 motorway is to be extended from the Treptower Park exit across the Spree and through Friedrichshain towards Lichtenberg in the coming years. Source: berliner-zeitung

Forest peacefully occupied near Tesla plant in Grünheide

The protest action in the wooded area occupied by activists near the Tesla plant in Grünheide continues to be peaceful: the situation remained calm on the second day of the protest. The police present kept a low profile. The activists have built around a dozen tree houses at a height of around eight to ten metres. Many of the visibly young people are keeping their faces covered in order not to be recognised by the police. The protesters say they want to prevent the planned clearing of the pine forest. Tesla’s high water consumption has also come under criticism. The activists say they are preparing for a week-long protest. Source: rbb

NEWS IN GERMANY

Migrant working conditions in Germany

Most migrants in Germany work for too little money and under particularly poor conditions. Just as the “Skilled Labour Immigration Act” came into full force on Friday, the Federal Statistical Office announced this – possibly involuntarily – with reference to figures from the 2022 microcensus. According to these figures, employees with a “history of immigration” are found more frequently than average in cleaning professions (around 60 per cent) or in the catering industry (45.6 per cent). With a share of 25 per cent of all employees, people with a “history of immigration” therefore make up more than half of all those working in “low-skilled occupations”. Source: junge Welt

Back to red

The next round of strikes at Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) has been scheduled: for freight transport action begins next Wednesday at 6 pm, and for passenger transport on Thursday at 2 am. Both actions are to last 35 hours each. Claus Weselsky, Chairman of the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL), announced the upcoming industrial action at a press conference in Berlin. According to Weselsky, the decisive reason for the new round of strikes is the refusal of the railway board to fulfil the union’s demand to reduce working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours without material losses. Source: junge Welt

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Another public transport strike announced

The trade union ver.di has called for warning strikes in local public transport throughout Germany this week. The first warning strikes take place in Brandenburg on Wednesday, February 28th. In Berlin, the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is on strike all day on Thursday, February 29th, and until 2 pm on Friday, March 1st. This will affect underground trains, buses, trams, and ferries. Most S-Bahns in Berlin and Germany are not affected. In parallel to the warning strikes, “Fridays For Future” (FFF) is organising numerous demonstrations against the climate crisis on March 1st. Source: rbb24

Deutsche Wohnen: data protection dispute continues

A legal dispute against the real estate group Deutsche Wohnen SE regarding a million-euro fine over a data protection breach has been brought back to court, as reported by the Berliner Zeitung. At the centre of the case are questions about what kind of data real estate companies are allowed to store on their tenants. Lawyers from Deutsche Wohnen, which has been part of the Vonovia real estate group since 2021, are getting ready for a lengthy legal process. Back in 2019, a similar case was issued against Deutsche Wohnen, eventually making its way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Source: exberliner

Fast mobile phone network soon to be available on Berlin U-Bahns

After years of waiting, a fast mobile phone network is to be available on all Berlin underground lines this spring. The expansion of the mobile phone technology should be completed by the end of March. By January, already 90 per cent of underground routes had been equipped with 4G/LTE. Further work “to increase density and capacity” will then be carried out on the most recently upgraded sections by September. The mobile phone company Telefónica is responsible for the expansion of the technical infrastructure with an LTE network. The new and even faster 5G network should then be available nationwide by the end of 2025. Source: rbb24

Accusations of antisemitism after Berlinale awards ceremony

Following political statements on the Middle East conflict at the Berlinale awards ceremony, Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has called for measures to be taken by the new Berlinale festival management to prevent relativization about Israel. Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) also wrote that “Culture should offer space for diverse political expressions of opinion, but this year’s Berlinale awards ceremony was characterised by self-righteous anti-Israeli propaganda that does not belong on Berlin’s stages.” Among the festival’s winners was “No Other Land,” a film about the expulsion of Palestinians in the West Bank. The documentary’s Palestinian director, Basel Adra, referred to the current armed conflict in the Gaza Strip in his acceptance speech, while his co-director, the Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, spoke of “apartheid” in the West Bank. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Tesla: victory for democracy and nature conservation

The majority of citizens in Grünheide voted against Tesla’s expansion plans for its car factory. The turnout of over 70% shows that the issue is politically explosive, and the community has been deeply divided since the emergence of Elon Musk, explained Thomas Löb, state leader of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) in Brandenburg. The outcome is not legally binding but is considered an important basis. The water board demanded that the municipal representatives vote on the development plan at the next meeting on 14 March as planned. Source: n-tv

Hesse Finanzamt and judicial trainees under investigation for racist party song

Students interning as judicial officers at the Finanzamt in Hesse were accused of singing a racist song at a party in the Rothenburger Study Centre for Financial Administration and Justice. According to other students, who were present at the party and later filed complaints, the song included the lyrics “Ausländer raus, Deutschland den Deutschen” (“Foreigners out, Germany for the Germans”). The public prosecutor’s office in Hesse has announced it opened an investigation on suspicion of “incitement of hatred.” The parliamentary secretary Miriam Dahlke (Greens) said that people training to become civil servants must “guarantee that they firmly stand for our free democratic basic order at all times.” Source: iamexpat

Cannabis in Germany: what is now allowed, what is not?

With the votes of the governing coalition, the Bundestag has decided to partially liberalise the use of cannabis in Germany. This means that from 1 April 2024 people of legal age in Germany will be allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis. Hashish enthusiasts will also be able to grow three cannabis plants and store up to 50 grams of dried cannabis in their own home. However, commercial shops, such as those in some states in the USA, will not be allowed for the time being – even though this was envisaged at the beginning of the government’s deliberations. Source: dw

Digitalisation for the climate

Faster digitalisation could reduce Germany’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 73 million tonnes in 2030. This is the result of a study by the Bitkom association, which primarily represents companies from the technology sector. The authors looked at the areas of energy, building, industry, transport, and agriculture. The greatest potential lies in the energy sector with the building sector following in second place. However, other studies are less optimistic about the role of digitalization. The large-scale study “Digital Reset,” for example, takes into consideration the rebound effect: when efficiency improves, the use of the technology also increases, and energy usage rises. Source: taz

AfD soon to be “confirmed right-wing extremist”?

The entire AfD might soon be classified as “confirmed extremist.” So far, the AfD has only been listed as a so-called suspected case of right-wing extremism. But according to research by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, a team from the Federal Office has been working on a new report for months. The newspaper relies on internal emails and notes from the domestic secret service. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution did not want to comment on the report. Source: tagesschau