NEWS FROM BERLIN

The citizen’s income and how Berliners had their benefits cut in July

Last July, job centers in Germany cut benefits for a total of 33,752 Bürgergeld (citizen’s income) recipients. According to the newspaper B.Z., one in nine of those (3,847) came from the German capital. In Berlin, the average cut was 62 euros per month. This marks a trend of yearly cuts to peoples benefits: in 2023, there was an average of 51 euros being cut; in 2024, 58 euros. Most recently, the head of the job center in Spandau, Winfried Leitke, commented that citizen’s income recipients would face tougher sanctions in future if those beneficiaries failed to attend appointments. Source: Berliner Zeitung

Tegel: how Berlin’s largest refugee shelter is set to become what it never was

Tegel has become known as “Germany’s worst and most expensive refugee shelter”. However, since the beginning of 2025, the number of asylum seekers has also fallen by almost 40%. Besides, Berlin has managed to create sufficient accommodation in other areas of the city. What is expected for the former airport now is to become a place for registration and distribution of all people arriving in Berlin. Stays ars expected to last between 72 and 96 hours. This is exactly as it was initially planned in spring 2022 – until everything changed. Source: rbb

Bonde announces crisis talks on the S-Bahn

Due to the ongoing problems with Berlin’s S-Bahn, Transport Senator Ute Bonde (CDU) has announced crisis talks. She has invited representatives of the S-Bahn and Deutsche Bahn to talk about the issue . She wants to find solutions quickly “so that Berliners are no longer burdened by the cancellations.” In recent days, numerous trains have been canceled on Berlin’s S-Bahn due to technical problems. The passenger association Pro Bahn says that outdated technology is the reason for the recent cancellations. Over the past decades, the railway company has cut costs wherever possible, both in terms of personnel and technology, criticized state chairman Martin Pogatzki. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

War on anti-war

A protest camp, planned for the “Cologne Parade Against War” on August 30, has been banned by the police. One of the reasons given for the move is the slogan “War on War” – popularized, among other things, by Kurt Tucholsky’s pacifist poem of the same name. The police interpreted it as a declaration of intent to counter armament with “warlike means.” Despite the police order, “Disarm Rheinmetall” is determined to legally enforce the camp, which is to take place from August 26 to 31 in Cologne’s green belt. Furthermore, the Left Party is appealing to the city of Cologne and the police chief to allow the camp to go ahead. Source: jungewelt

Many hurdles for women with unwanted pregnancies

A new study, the first of its kind, examines comprehensively the circumstances and care of women with unwanted pregnancies. For the study, 4,589 women with at least one child under the age of six were surveyed. With partial results available since April 2024, only now has it been published on the Federal Ministry of Health´s website. The findings are clear: the stigmatization of abortion has a negative impact on both access to care and the mental well-being of women with unwanted pregnancies. The study states that women almost always make the right decision for themselves: around 92% of those who decide to have an abortion have “no doubt” about that decision. Source: taz

A specter haunting the Administrative Court

It sounded like a victory: on last April 8, the “Marxist Evening School Forum for Politics and Culture” (Masch) won its case against the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution before the Hamburg Administrative Court. The court ruled that the authority may no longer classify Masch as left-wing extremist. Now, it seems, this legal victory could backfire. This is because of what the court stated in its written judgment of July 10. It confirms the ruling in favor of Masch, but, on the other hand, the court discusses the question of whether engaging with Marxist theory is fundamentally compatible with the constitution of Germany. Source: taz

Germany’s government argues over military service

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) wants to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe, and this requires better equipment and more than the current 183,000 soldiers. Additionally, according to NATO ambitions, the Bundeswehr should be increased by 60,000 soldiers. For achieving this goal, Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius (SPD) believes the solution lies in reforming voluntary military service, but not everyone in the coalition partner CDU and CSU shares this view. Nevertheless, although military service itself remains voluntary, the law also provides for mandatory elements such as the questionnaire to be answered by all 18-year-old men from 2026 on, about willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Police will continue intervening against the “From the River to the Sea” slogan

The Berlin police will continue intervening whenever the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” is shouted, despite contrary rulings. If the public prosecutor’s office believes the slogan is criminal, the police must record personal details so that a legal assessment of the situation is possible later. However, considering the rulings by Berlin courts rejected the criminality of the slogan, which questions Israel’s right to exist, there is uncertainty among the police. Given the large number of demonstrations in the capital in the context of the Middle East conflict, security is important for the emergency services, affirmed the spokesperson Anja Dierschke. Source: BZ

Berlin plans job rules for former senators

The Berlin Senate wants to introduce rules regarding conflicts of interest for former senators transitioning to new professional activities. Until now, former senators in Berlin have been allowed to take on almost any new position—even with former negotiating partners. A law changing this is to be passed before the next House of Representatives election, in September 2026. Under the new rules, senators who have left office will have to notify the Senate of any employment outside the public service within the following 24 months. “According to the draft bill, employment can generally be prohibited for twelve months, or a maximum of 24 months, during this period,” Senate Speaker Christine Richter said. Source: rbb

The Green Party accuses Berlin Senate of using Tempelhof housing debate as a distraction

According to the Senate, the battle over Tempelhofer Feld is back. Not for Werner Graf, head of the Greens in Berlin’s parliament. He calls the discussion “nothing but a distraction” from the CDU-SPD coalition’s failure to deliver on actual housing projects. “Berlin doesn’t have a land problem, it has an implementation problem,” Graf told the German Press Agency. He mentioned for instance delays at the Schumacherquartier (Tegel), Molkenmarkt (Mitte) and Güterbahnhof (Köpenick). “If CDU and SPD focused on getting those built, we’d achieve a lot more than wasting time and money debating Tempelhofer Feld.” Source: theberliner

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Die Linke leader believes raising the age is possible

Die Linke leader Ines Schwerdtner can imagine a slightly higher retirement age: “If it’s a moderate increase, we can talk about it.” However, she emphasized that “we don’t need a retirement age of 70.” An increase in the pension level could be financed “by everyone simply contributing to the pension, including freelancers, self-employed individuals, and members of parliament.” In addition, the contribution assessment ceiling must be raised. “A fairer pension system” is necessary, emphasized the Die Linke leader. Economics Minister Katherina Reiche recently called for a longer working life. The SPD, the Greens, and Die Linke criticized Reiche’s proposal. Source: n-tv

Merz plans Europe’s strongest army

Germany is implementing the most profound change in its security policy since the end of the Cold War. For instance, around 5,000 soldiers are to be permanently stationed in Lithuania by 2027. The measure is part of a realignment of the Bundeswehr, which, according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), is to be developed into “the strongest conventional army in Europe.” As The Economist reports, the brigade in Lithuania is the most visible symbol of the security policy shift initially initiated in 2022 by Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz (SPD). According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany already has the fourth-highest defense budget in the world. Source: BZ

Approval of the Federal Government falls

Approximately 100 days after Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) took office, the federal government is in a worse position than ever. According to the ARD’s “Deutschlandtrend” survey, the CDU and SPD coalition has reached a new low in public approval ratings. The assessment shows that 29% of respondents are currently satisfied with the government’s work. This is the worst result since the federal government took office in early May. Chancellor Merz is also losing significant trust: the Infratest dimap survey found that only 32% are currently satisfied with his work. Conflicts such as the dispute over the electricity tax and the failed judicial election might be behind such outcomes. Source: BZ

Open letter from the scientific community to end cooperation with Israel

An open letter, with the signatures of over 300 respected German scientists from universities and research institutions in the country and abroad, declares their refusal to cooperate “with the Israeli state and with Israeli institutions involved in illegal occupation, apartheid, genocide, and other violations of international law.” They note that they “are following the example of the Uppsala Declaration written by colleagues in Sweden.” Not a single German media outlet has reported on the document. Itidal, committed to checking facts, publishes the full content of the open letter. Source: itidal

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Yasemin A. acquitted for “From the river to the sea”

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” echoes across Turmstraße in front of the Tiergarten court in Berlin on 30 July. A handful of people are forcibly removed from the rally as they chant it. The group is there because the activist Yasemin A. has just been acquitted in several cases of committing a criminal offense by uttering the phrase. The judge finds her guilty on three counts: for resisting law enforcement officers, defamation of two police officers, and physical assault on a police officer – she had thrown an umbrella at the uniformed, helmeted officer as he intervened in a demonstration. Source: nd-aktuell

Schwuz files for bankruptcy

Germany’s oldest queer club, Schwuz in Neukölln, has filed for bankruptcy. “The financial situation is even more serious than expected,” announced its management. It continued: “We tried to counteract this: by changing structures and programs, and by painfully laying off employees.” Like many Berlin clubs, Schwuz has been in a deep crisis for a long time. The opposition in the Berlin Senate demands from the city government to stop leaving cultural venues in the lurch. Klaus Lederer (Left Party), former Senator for Culture, asked to the current city´s coalition: “What else actually has to happen before the Senate and the coalition finally understand that Berlin’s queer subculture is in serious danger?”. Source: taz

Hamburg accuses Berlin of sabotaging deportations

A heated dispute has erupted between Berlin and Hamburg over the issue of church asylum. Hamburg’s Mayor, Peter Tschentscher (SPD), accused Berliner authorities of sabotaging the deportation of several Afghans in an unusually harsh letter to his counterpart, Kai Wegner (CDU). Specifically, the case concerns four Afghan refugees from Hamburg whom the city’s authorities wanted to deport to Sweden. The men, converted from Islam to Christianity, subsequently sought refuge in a free church in Steglitz and received church asylum there. In Sweden, they face deportation to Afghanistan. Source: taz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Murder of Algerian woman in Germany prompts protests

The murder of Rahma Ayad, a 26-year-old Algerian nursing trainee, has triggered a wave of anger and protest among Algerians in Germany and beyond. Community members and her family are calling for her killing to be recognised as a racially motivated hate crime, following reports that she had been repeatedly harassed for wearing the hijab and for her Arab background. According to a report by Al-Araby TV channel, Rahma’s mother confirmed that she felt unsafe due to his behaviour, which included verbal abuse linked to her wearing the hijab and being of Arab origin. Source: New Arab

SPD is apparently preparing to recognize Palestine

Several European states have announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state, and the SPD is apparently working internally on a paper proposing to do the same. The Social Democrats’ foreign policy spokesperson, Adis Ahmetovic, told the magazine Focus: “As the SPD, we decided at the recent federal party conference that recognition does not have to be the end of a process toward a two-state solution.” Foreign policy expert Ralf Stegner (SPD) also told “Die Zeit” that everyone “must act together in Europe on this issue, otherwise Israel will never change its policy.” Source: Berliner Zeitung

Gaza: German celebrities send an open letter to Merz

More than 200 actors, musicians, and media professionals are urging Chancellor Friedrich Merz to halt arms deliveries to Israel. Specifically, they are asking him for three things regarding Israel’s war in Gaza: a halt to all German arms exports to Israel; support for the suspension of the EU Association Agreement with Israel; and a demand for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid. Sofar, there has been no response from the Chancellery. The action was organized by the campaign group Avaaz in collaboration with filmmaker Laura Fischer. Source: dw

A Nazi Party

Around 80 German neo-Nazis celebrated the last solstice in the Czech Republic, singing Hitler Youth songs and invoking the “Germanic people,” as investigated by “Taz”. Among the participants are also German local politicians with ties to the AfD such as Markus W., a former member of the now-defunct youth organization “Junge Alternative”; Robert Thieme, who ran for the Zittau city council as an independent candidate for the AfD in 2024; and Thomas Christgen, elected to the Niesky city council via the AfD list, but remained non-partisan and non-affiliated there. When asked, all three denied the allegations. Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

TikTok content moderators strike in Berlin: “We trained your AI—now pay us!”

Workers at TikTok’s Berlin headquarters went on strike on 23 July, in order to protest the company’s refusal to negotiate conditions of an announced mass firing of 150 content moderators. The layoffs come as part of the social media platform’s plan to shutter its Trust and Safety Department and shift critical moderation work to AI and external providers. Workers rallied under the banner: “We trained your machines—pay us what we deserve!” The union demands severance payments equal to three years’ salary per employee and a 12-month extension of the notice period. Source: uniglobalunion

Two-thirds of trans people in Berlin report experiences of violence

Trans people are disproportionately affected by discrimination, exclusion, and violence. This is the result of a study conducted by Camino on behalf of the Berlin Senate. According to the study, two-thirds of the trans people surveyed reported having been affected by transphobic violence within the past five years. Almost half said they had experienced assaults in the year prior to the survey. The study also shows that transphobic violence most often occurs in public spaces—on streets, squares, or on public transportation. The study also sees the need for action in the healthcare sector, comprising training and continuing education. Source: rbb

CSD: “Never silent again”

“It’s the most important Pride in decades.” That was the message at the opening of the 47th Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Berlin on Saturday, 26 July. The motto of this year’s CSD was “Never silent again,” referring to the rising number of anti-queer attacks, and it is a “strong reminder that queer rights are not a given,” as said by the Senator for Diversity and Social Affairs, Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD). CSD lacked support this year, especially from the Bundestag administration. 40 young neo-Nazis attempted to disturb the CSD event, but failed. Source: taz

Berlin Senate expects increase in number of homeless people in the coming years

The Berlin Senate expects the number of homeless people to increase by almost 60% by the end of the decade—to more than 85,600, according to a response published by the Senate Social Administration to an inquiry from the Green Party faction in the House of Representatives. The report shows that more than 53,600 people were accommodated by the districts in January of 2025. Three years ago, the figure was just under 26,000 people. A so-called demand forecast from early March anticipates a further increase. According to this, more than 55,400 people are expected to need accommodation in Berlin’s districts by the end of the current year. Source: rbb

Berlin accused of handing out German passports too easily

For years, prospective German citizens in Berlin found themselves at a loss. Naturalisation appointments were nearly impossible to secure, with a huge backlog of cases. However, the Berlin’s State Office for Naturalisation (LEA) began processing applications at scale in 2023. Now, the federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CDU) accuses Berlin of handing out passports on the cheap and inflating naturalisation targets because of the digitalized process. In 2024, LEA processed 21,802 cases, and, in the first half of 2025, another 20,000 were already completed. Source: theberliner

NEWS FROM GERMANY

SPD wants to fine German landlords for overcharging rent

Germany’s Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) stated that her party will establish an expert commission to evaluate how the rent brake can be strengthened to better protect tenants. The idea of fining landlords who overcharge rent has already been written into the CDU/CSU-SPD’s coalition agreement. The government also plans to regulate rents for furnished apartments for the first time and establish advice centres for people living in shared housing (WGs). The expert commission will be composed of justice experts, academics, representatives from tenant and landlord associations, as well as the German Association of Cities. The group will present its findings by December 31, 2026. Source: iamexpat

Refugee Council condemns deportation of Yazidi family to Iraq

A Yazidi family from Lychen was deported to Iraq despite a court ruling against their obligation to leave the country. Now authorities are arguing about the information they had at the time of the deportation and defending their actions. In view of the genocide of Iraqi Yazidis in 2014, the rejection of the asylum application is considered inexplicable, as pointed out by Kirstin Neumann from the Council of Refugees. “The mere fact that the family are Kurdish Yazidis from northern Iraq should not have led to this rejection. After all, Germany has recognized the genocide of the Yazidis as such and also said that we have a special responsibility there.” Source: rbb

Reiche calls for Germans to work “more and longer”

Federal Minister of the Economy Katherina Reiche (CDU) is calling on citizens to work more and longer. “It cannot work in the long run that we only work two-thirds of our adult lives and spend one-third in retirement,” the CDU politician told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “Demographic change and rising life expectancy make it inevitable: working life must be extended.” Reiche also called for an end to “incentives for early retirement” and for more “incentives to work longer.” Criticism of these statements came from the CDU’s social wing as well as the Social Association of Germany (SoVD), among others. Source: n-tv