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
