News from Berlin
Berlin’s lead candidate for the Left Party distances itself from the Zionism Resolution
Elif Eralp, the Left Party’s lead candidate in Berlin, has sharply rejected the controversial Zionism resolution passed by her party’s Lower Saxony state branch. She specifically criticized the resolution for failing to mention the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. Furthermore, she argued that the document ignores what the term “Zionism” means to many Jewish people worldwide: the right to live in safety as Jews. Andreas Büttner, Brandenburg’s Commissioner for Antisemitism, resigned from the Left Party a few days ago, citing the Lower Saxony resolution as one of the reasons. The document is also facing strong opposition outside the party. Source: berliner Zeitung
Two Berlin bookstores receive German Bookstore Prize
Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture (independent), announced the winners of the German Booksellers’ Prize. The title “Best Bookstore” was awarded, among others, to the Berlin bookstore “Prinz Eisenherz,” founded in 1978 as Germany’s first gay bookstore. The InterKontinental bookstore was the second Berlin bookstore to be honored. It won the prize for “Particularly Outstanding Bookstore.” It is affiliated with a publishing house specializing in African and Afro-diasporic literature. The awarding of the bookstore prizes has been criticized nationwide for several days because Minister Weimer removed three German (one of them Berliner) bookstores from the list of winners. He justified this with “findings relevant to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.” Source: rbb
Thousands demonstrate in Berlin against sexualized digital violence
Several thousand people protested in Berlin on March 22 against sexualized digital violence. According to police, around 6,700 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate for the demonstration “Against sexualized digital violence – Solidarity with all victims.” Organizers claimed 13,000 people attended. The protest was initiated by the newly founded alliance “Feminist Fight Club!”, which criticizes “structural deficiencies and legal loopholes in the context of digital and analog sexualized violence in Germany.” The rally was held in solidarity with the presenter and actress Collien Fernandes. On March 21, Berlin’s Senator for the Interior, Iris Spranger (SPD), called for an effective digital violence protection law. Source: rbb
Berlin’s Interior Senator calls for digital violence protection law
Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) is calling for an effective digital violence protection law. “Anyone who stalks, threatens, or humiliates people online attacks their dignity just as they would on the street,” she told the German Press Agency. And Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced plans to quickly introduce legislation for better protection against digital violence. This comes in response to a report in “Der Spiegel” in which actress Collien Fernandes makes serious allegations against her ex-husband, actor Christian Ulmen. The draft law will criminalize the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes. Source: rbb
Criticism of the police unwelcome
The Senate Department for the Interior spent €200,000 on an assessment of Berlin’s right to demonstrate. But the study’s findings are far from what the department wants. The authors, a research team from the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR), are critical of the police and are calling for relaxation of the assembly freedom law. Therefore, the administration of Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) apparently decided to discredit the evaluation even before its publication, next week. “The study has serious methodological flaws,” criticizes State Secretary for the Interior Christian Hochgrebe (SPD). Meanwhile, project leader Hartmut Aden affirms “The study has a very comprehensive methodology section.” Source: taz
News from Germany
German weapons: more exports to Gulf States and Ukraine
German arms exports require approval, which can sometimes take time. Considering the wars in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf, the German government is simplifying the export of certain arms to the two regions with immediate effect – at least for a couple of months. Specifically, this concerns weapons and military equipment used for air and sea defense – that is, for example, those capable of repelling attacks with missiles and drones. A general export license (AGG) will apply to these products for the next six months, as announced by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Berlin. Source: dw
“Into the Countryside”
“Into the countryside” is the AfD’s new motto, which is aimed at establishing a presence in places with few village pubs or community centers. This has apparently paid off in Rhineland-Palatinate´s election last week. Instead of voting in protest, many choose the AfD out of conviction. Even with the “not the most convincing candidate,” the party garnered 19.5% of the vote with Jan Bölliger, a very good result for the AfD in a western German state. The AfD managed to gain around 35,000 votes from the SPD and around 40,000 from the CDU. Many younger people voted for the AfD. Source: tagesschau
Germany’s water resources shrink dramatically
Global freshwater resources are shrinking faster than previously assumed. New analyses show that more and more regions are falling into deficit, according to the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences. The data paints a frightening picture: the proportion of regions with unusually low water resources has more than tripled since 2009. Germany is also affected, too. Despite a comparatively wet year in 2024, with around 15% more precipitation than usual, this effect didn’t last long: in 2025, it was significantly too dry again. By the end of last year, Germany was short around 25 billion tons of water compared to normal levels. Source: n-tv
