NEWS FROM BERLIN
Rents in Berlin have risen the most nationwide
In the fourth quarter of 2024, rents in Berlin rose by 8.5%, more sharply than in any other major German city. Nationwide, rents increased by an average of 4.7%, compared to the same period last year, according to a study by the German Economic Institute. This is the result of a response from the German government to an enquiry by the Left Party (“die Linke”). According to Caren Lay (Linke), the price per square metre for a newly rented flat in Berlin has doubled since 2014, going from an average of €8.10 to €16.35 in 2023. Source: rbb
Only two languages allowed at pro-Palestine demo in Berlin
The police in Berlin have imposed strict restrictions for an upcoming rally this Saturday: Slogans may only be shouted in English and German. The rally will be stopped in the event of any violations. This is in response to reports of propaganda offences being committed in Arabic at recent rallies. A police spokesperson also mentioned that bans on participation are being considered. This means that people who have already been targeted by the police for inciting hate at demonstrations will be approached in advance and not be allowed to take part. In the context of the Gaza war, the police say they are aware of around 100 to 200 people who are in control of events at demonstrations. Source: rbb
Berlin: German lanuage compulsory for demos?
Will it now be a requirement to be proficient in German to be allowed to protest in Berlin? According to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) on Monday there will be no “blanket language bans”. In April 2024, activists at a pro-Palestinian protest camp in front of the Bundestag were banned from speaking Irish. And again, last Saturday there was one of this kind, on a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Only English and German were allowed to be spoken, sung and shouted. The event was suspended by the police after a speech was given in Hebrew and a song was played in Arabic. Source: nd-aktuell
NEWS FROM GERMANY
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate for democracy in Germany
Several hundred thousand people took once again to the streets across Germany at the weekend to protest against the extreme-right and for democracy. Large demonstrations took place mainly on Saturday. In Munich, at its largest rally, the police counted around 250,000 people demonstrating peacefully. The organisers spoke of more than 320,000 participants. Numerous people also demonstrated against a shift to the right in Germany in other cities across Bavaria. Demonstrations also took place in Lower Saxony and Bremen on Saturday. According to the police, around 24,000 people took part in a rally organised by the “Omas gegen Rechts” initiative in Hanover city centre. Source: faz
Suspected AfD sympathisers attack counter-demonstrators in Brandenburg
Suspected AfD sympathisers threatened and attacked two counter-demonstrators on the fringes of an election campaign event in Templin, Brandenburg, on Saturday. The background to the incident was an AfD election rally on the market square in Templin, against which two counter-rallies were organised. Around 80 people took part in the AfD event, and about 100 people in the counter-protests. According to the police, speakers at the AfD event included Hannes Gnauck, a member of the Bundestag. He is also a chairman of the AfD youth organisation Junge Alternative (JA), which has been classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation. Source: Unternehmen heute
Legalisation of abortions fails for the time being
A bill to legalise abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy has failed for the time being. The Bundestag’s Legal Affairs Committee decided not to allow a vote on the corresponding bill in the Bundestag. In contrast, the SPD and the Greens, who had been instrumental in pushing for the bill, were disappointed. Prior to the hearing, an alliance of organisations demonstrated in front of the Bundestag in favour of the amendment and handed over a petition with more than 300,000 signatures to MPs. They referred to the high level of public support for a liberalisation of abortion law according to various surveys. Source: tagesschau
“Transparency International” criticises party funding
Germany has fallen in Transparency International’s annual corruption index in an international comparison. In its new country ranking on the perception of corruption, the non-governmental organisation put Germany in 15th place out of 180 countries surveyed. Last year, Germany had performed better in 12th place. “Germany is not making any progress in the fight against corruption,” said Alexandra Herzog, Chairwoman of Transparency Germany. This is a “worrying trend”. Herzog cited weaknesses in the regulation of party funding and in the legal regulations on freedom of information as the most important reasons. Source: tagesschau
Brandenburg to naturalise considerably more people in 2024
Significantly more people were granted German citizenship in Brandenburg last year. According to preliminary figures, 3,764 people were naturalised in 2024, as announced by the Ministry of the Interior in Potsdam. According to the statistics authority, this is the highest number in more than 20 years. The rise within two years is quite significant: there were 1,195 naturalisations in Brandenburg in 2022 and 2,490 in 2023. In the previous 20 years, fewer than 1,000 people were granted a German passport each year. By far the largest group of naturalised citizens comes from Syria. Ukrainians, Poles and Iranians have also been granted German passports. Source: rbb
