NEWS FROM BERLIN

“Deutsche Wohnen & Co. Enteignen” announces second referendum

Two years ago, a referendum on the expropriation of large real estate companies in Berlin was successful – but it has not yet been implemented. The initiative “Exporpriate Deutsche Wohnen Co.” has announced a second referendum to socialize large landlords. This time the people of Berlin will vote on a socialisation law, as representatives of the initiative announced on Tuesday at a “public press conference” in front of the Rotes Rathaus. This should prevent the senate from delaying the implementation of the request, as the initiative has repeatedly accused the state politicians of doing. Source: rbb24

Cycling infrastructure: Berlin’s war on bikes begins

The CDU government in Berlin, which had used drivers’ rights as a wedge to win big outside the Ring in the last election, wants to reward their motorist voters. Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) declared that he opposes bicycle lanes that slow down cars. The party’s bike-bashing has already prompted furious reactions. This summer, riders mounted huge protest rides during rush hour several times a week, many organised by the group Respect Cyclists. Following the outcry, the CDU relented a little. After reviewing 19 planned new bike paths, Transport Senator Manja Schreiner allowed 16 to go ahead. Source: exberliner

Fight against gentrification on Rigaer Straße

Whenever the media mentions Rigaer Straße, it is usually about the autonomous residents of the Rigaer Strasse 94 house project, the last officially “partially occupied” house in Friedrichshain. In the past there were many other occupations, house projects and left-wing bars there. But gentrification is spreading: last Friday, tenants from the house at Rigaer Straße 15, directly opposite Rigaer 94, protested against the sale and development of their two inner courtyards. According to the residents, these will soon be sold by their landlord and managing director of Mihu Immobilien GmbH, once they receive the building permit. A building application must be submitted by October 17th. For this reason, some of the residents are now mobilizing and seeking contact with neighborhood initiatives and other tenants. Source: nd-aktuell

Wegner wants a fence around Görlitzer Park by early 2024

Security in Görlitzer Park in Berlin has been discussed for years. Now the measures are to be implemented very quickly: a fence around Görli will be in place by the beginning of next year at the latest, according to Governing Mayor Wegner (CDU). The fence is supposed to be a temporary solution: “How long it is needed depends on how the situation in Görlitzer Park develops,” he declared. “If we close Görlitzer Park at night, we will deploy the police forces that are now in the park in the surrounding residential areas, for example in the Wrangelkiez.” Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

AfD loses mayoral race in Nordhausen

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has failed to unseat the incumbent mayor in a runoff election in the central industrial town of Nordhausen. AfD candidate Jörg Prophet won 45.1% of the vote in Sunday’s local polls, while independent candidate Kai Buchmann managed to get 54.9%. Buchmann, formerly associated with the Green party, said he was “very happy” with the result and that he would use the next six years in office to try to “get the best out of it for the city.” Recent polls put the AfD at around 21.5% support nationwide. In Thuringia, where Nordhausen is located, the party is polling at around 32%. Source: dw

Ifo index: “German economy is stalling”

The mood in the executive suites of German business hardly worsened in September. The Ifo Business Climate index only fell slightly by 0.1 points to 85.7 points compared to the previous month, for the fifth time in a row, as the Munich Ifo Institute announced last Monday. Although companies were still dissatisfied with current business, they were less skeptical about their prospects than before. “The German economy is treading water,” said Ifo President Clemens Fuest in an interview with DW. There is not one predominant problem, but a combination of many different causes for the poor economic development, such as less demand for German goods nationally and worldwide. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Fridays for Future” attracts several thousand people in Berlin

Thousands of climate activists marched through downtown Berlin last Friday during a protest march organized by “Fridays for Future”. The police said there were around 12,500 participants, the organisers counted 24,000 demonstrators. Nationwide, there were an estimated 250,000 demonstrators. From the Brandenburg Gate, people marched through Berlin’s government district. The climate protection group “Last Generation” also took part in it. With so-called climate strikes at schools and protests in 245 places in Germany, as well as other cities around the world, “Fridays for Future” wanted to campaign for more measures for global climate protection. It was the 13th global climate strike. Source: rbb

Climate activists spray paint on the Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin-Mitte was sprayed last Sunday. All six pillars of the Berlin landmark were painted, and 14 people were arrested. The “Last Generation” group said in a statement it was responsible for the action, using repurposed fire extinguishers. Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) criticised the action. “With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future.” Last Generation announced “new weeks of action” last Wednesday. The goal is for Germany to completely abandon fossil fuels from 2030, said spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs. Source: rbb

Mobile service will get better on Berlin public transport

Anyone who has tried to make a call on their mobile phone or send a WhatsApp message on some of Berlin’s U-Bahn lines knows the struggle. From March 2024, however, this should be a problem of the past. O2 has announced it will complete its expansion of mobile coverage throughout the U-Bahn network in Berlin. However, widespread 5G service will have to wait a bit longer, though once the 4G network has been expanded this step should be easier. So far there has been no discussion to expand the free WiFi services, which are available at all of Berlin’s U-Bahn stations, onto the trains themselves. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM GERMANY

AfD under observation

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Bavaria has been permitted to monitor the AfD as an entire party in the Free State and inform the public about it. That was the Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich decision in an urgent procedure, announced last Friday. As early as June 2022, the Bavarian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (LfV) decided to monitor the AfD as a whole party using both public and intelligence resources. The authority justified this by saying that it wanted to find out what influence extremist tendencies had within the entire party and in which direction the party was developing. Source: taz

Neo-Nazi group “Hammerskins” banned

The police began taking action against suspected right-wing extremists nationwide starting early Tuesday. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the action is directed against the neo-Nazi group “Hammerskins Deutschland”. The investigators are targeting 28 groups in a total of ten federal states. The reason for the raid is a ban imposed by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on the organisation as a whole and its regional branches as well as the sub-organisation “Crew 38”. The reason given is that the group is directed against the constitutional order and the principle of international understanding. Source: rbb

CDU makes AfD socially acceptable

The Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently said: “Nobody should depend on how the AfD votes,” meaning that a party should not depend on how the AfD votes to pas a law. This is exactly what the CDU in Erfurt have done, implementing a tax cut cruically with the votes of the AfD, with the justification that it was about “relieving the burden on families”. This is disinformation. It is not about parents and children who urgently need support, but only effects households who can afford to build their own home. Source: nd-akutell

Corona vaccination season starts

Doctors’ practices nationwide are again offering booster vaccinations against the coronavirus. A total of around 14 million doses of the BioNTech vaccine are to be distributed to doctors’ practices. Vaccines from the manufacturers Moderna and Novavax will also be offered – all adapted to new variants of the pathogen. However, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute has in general recommended a booster vaccination to people who are 60 years of age or older. Previous measures such as contact restrictions are not currently into consideration since large number of severe courses are not expected. Source: tagesschau

ZDF reveals the poor state of digitisation in Germany

A documentary by German broadcaster ZDF has exposed failures of the country’s digital literacy. “Digital Fail – Deutschland in Datenstau” looks at Germany’s slow fibre-optic expansion, e-government, among others things. From situations where a gamer is forced to pause his career because of low-quality internet connection, to accomplishing simple tasks such as uploading photo files to the internet, the country faces connectivity problems. For instance, BAföG (the government-funded student loan available for EU citizens), online applications must be printed out and physically filed. The country has to change it’s mindset. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin’s housing referendum: what’s next?

Berlin is in a housing crisis, with skyrocketing rents and block-long queues for apartment viewings. In September 2021 a referendum that proposed deprivatising and returning buildings to public ownership passed with 59.1%. Since then, not so much has (apparently) happened, but on June 13 experts decided that the expropriation and socialisation of Berlin’s large housing companies were not only legal, but an appropriate action in the face of the scale of the crisis. Two members at the forefront of the campaign, Colleen Higgins and Wouter Bernhardt, talk about the likely next stages. Source: exberliner

How a highway is threatening Berlin techno clubs

When the Berlin Wall fell, underground artists and creative people settled in the abandoned factories and ruins that remained. That became the core of a cultural revolution, as a unique subculture developed. Today, however, these anarchic, self-governing cultural venues are threatened by the so-called club extinction. In addition to gentrification and COVID-19 restrictions, another threat has recently emerged: the planned and largely agreed expansion of the A100 federal highway. The affected area extends north of the Spree, in former East Berlin. Now activists are drawing public attention to the issue: from September 9 to 24, the “Spectacle on the Motorway” campaign will happen in the affected area. Source: dw

Right-wing attacks: from Neukölln to Lichtenberg

“The district is no longer the Nazi stronghold it once was,” says Michael Mallé from the Lichtenberg Association of those Persecuted by the Nazi Regime – Association of Antifascists (VVN-BdA). And yet the problem has not been solved: “Since February 2022, there have been 20 arson attacks on the basements of residential buildings and youth clubs in Neu-Hohenschönhausen,” according to Mallé. Last Sunday, on the Day of Remembrance and Warning organized by the Berlin VVN-BdA, he and other antifascists declared that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the judiciary and the police do too little to investigate and condemn right-wing crimes. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Wagenknecht is reportedly about to found own party

According to a media report, the former parliamentary group leader of the Left Party, Sahra Wagenknecht, has decided to launch a new party. The “Bild am Sonntag” reports that the date for the announcement should be between October 8th, the day of the state elections in Hesse and Bavaria, and the end of the year. The party’s core points will include a return to “economic reason” instead of a “crazy traffic light policy” that destroys workers and drives companies out of the country. Others include “social justice”, and a “foreign policy that once again relies on diplomacy instead of arms deliveries.” Source: handelsblatt

AfD candidate leads mayoral race in Nordhausen, but runoff needed

The candidate for the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Jörg Prophet, fared far better than his rivals in the first-round mayoral vote in Nordhausen, a city of around 42,000 in Thuringia. However, his 42.1% support was not enough for a victory in the first round. Prophet will therefore have to contest a runoff against the incumbent, an independent with no party affiliation named Kai Buchmann, who was second with 23.7% of the vote. Turnout for Sunday’s vote was 56.4%. Source: dw

Oranienburg Clinic offers anonymous help for rape victims

Anonymous forensics for rape victims in Brandenburg is now also possible at the Oranienburg clinic in the Oberhavel district. Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) said: “Every victim of sexualized violence needs medical help. Even if no evidence is desired, a doctor should always be consulted.” With emergency aid, those affected can receive medical care and – regardless of a report – have traces of the crime secured confidentially and in a court of law by trained doctors. The offer for victims of a sexual offense already exists in Brandenburg in the following cities: Cottbus, Potsdam, Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg an der Havel, and Neuruppin. Source: rbb24

Germany’s new heating law: what does it mean for renters?

Germany’s controversial heating law (Heizungsgesetz) sparked months of infighting within the government. Now that the law has been approved, what does it mean for renters? The Heizungsgesetz is expected to come into force on January 1, 2024. Under this new law, basically, anyone who wants to install a heating system that runs on renewables will receive a subsidy payment from the government which covers 30 percent of the installation costs. For renters, Robert Habeck (Greens) says landlords will be responsible for installation and will be able to pass on to tenants a maximum of 10 percent of the portion of the installation costs not covered by the subsidy. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Antimilitarism and antifascism belong together

“Class struggle instead of war and rearmament” reads the large banner in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Those holding the banner are part of the demonstration against war and rearmament, where around 700 people gathered in Berlin last Saturday. Many young people are among the demonstrators, including a group from the communist organisation Rote Wende Leipzig. “We take part in anti-militarist actions because the fight against war and militarism is of central importance to our work,” explains one of the Leipzig activists. Anti-militarists have also come from Oberhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia. The party Die Linke and the Solid Left Youth are also clearly represented at the demonstration with flags and banners. Source: nd-aktuell

Last Generation: Berlin police want to intervene faster

“Arrogant hubris”. Burkard Dregger (CDU), chose severe words against the members of the Last Generation, calling for a harsh treatment of climate activists last Monday. His wish could come true. After the group announced they would “paralyze” Berlin in September, October and November, the interior administration presented their proposed counter-measures to the Berlin Senate. Vasili Franco (Greens), feared disproportionate action against the blockers. He also spoke out against the so-called ‘pain grips’, saying these violent tactics cannot be justified and should neither be used nor taught. He referred to a 2005 publication of teaching materials by the Berlin police themselves. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

27 climate activists in Bavaria arrested preventively

According to the group “Last Generation”, Bavarian authorities have jailed a total of 27 supporters of the group without trial or judgement. This means that the number of activists in “preventive detention” has almost doubled. They are in the prisons of Stadelheim and Memmingen and many of them were apparently taken into custody in connection with the International Motor Show IAA, which is scheduled to take place in Munich from 5 to 10 September. The Munich police confirmed that ten of them were taken into custody during a raid on Friday. Source: Zeit

CDU leader Merz wants to facilitate deportations from Germany

The number of asylum applications in Germany has risen sharply this year. CDU leader Friedrich Merz wants to counteract this with faster deportations. To do so, Merz has said that more countries should be declared “safe countries of origin”, thus allowing for more deportations. “The fundamental right to asylum has limits when it comes to considering valid reasons for asylum,” he said. “Moldova, Georgia, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and India are countries of origin with recognition rates in the thousands. These countries must be recognized as safe countries of origin so that we can immediately return them [asylum seekers].” he added. Source: dw

Germany calls for 3-year, nationwide rent freeze

The German government is proposing to bring in a three-year, nationwide rent freeze, in the hope it will help to control the country’s housing crisis. Landlords would still be allowed to raise rents, but there would be stricter rules about the hikes. “We need a rent cap for the next three years,” deputy parliamentary group leader for the SPD Verena Hubertz said in an interview published by the magazine “das Bild”. Under such new rules, landlords could raise rents by a maximum of around 6 percent over a three-year period and indexed rental contracts, where rental costs can fluctuate depending on inflation rates, would be made illegal. Source: iamexpat

Three million unemployed: The “hidden reserve”

In these times of a shortage of skilled workers, unemployed and well qualified people, who would like to work, have come into focus. Indeed, three million unemployed people in Germany want paid work. However, these people between the ages of 15 and 74 are not available for the labour market for a variety of reasons, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. This group of people is referred to as the “hidden reserve.” For example, some are not available for work at short notice due to having to do care work for relatives. A great part of such reserve is represented by women, with a share estimated at about 57 percent. Source: tagesschau

Söder stands by Deputy Aiwanger

At a press conference scheduled at short notice in Munich last Sunday, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said he had thoroughly examined and weighed up the allegations made against Hubert Aiwanger (“Free Voters”), and concluded that a dismissal from office would not be proportionate. Some days ago, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” first reported that Aiwanger had written an anti-Semitic leaflet during his time at school, citing anonymous witnesses. Nevertheless, the Bavarian Prime Minister criticised the crisis management of his deputy. Aiwanger should have clarified the allegations earlier, more decisively and more comprehensively, Söder said. A new state parliament will be elected in Bavaria on October 8th. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Doctors in Berlin fear again about drug shortages in winter

Many doctors in Berlin fear that medicine could become scarce again in the coming autumn and winter. In a survey conducted by the Berlin Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV) among 430 practices, 61 percent of the doctors surveyed stated that, in their opinion, the care during the next cold wave would not be sufficient. According to the head of the Berlin KV, Burkhard Ruppert, antibiotics, blood pressure medication, fever medication and painkillers as well as asthma medication and eye drops are to be particularly scarce. The Berlin health secretary Ellen Haussdörfer (SPD) said the Senate takes the current survey “very seriously.” Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Students start the new school year, but teacher shortage continues

The new school year begins for over 300,000 Brandenburg schoolchildren. There is an increase of 8,000 children and young people among them. The Ministry of Education announced last Thursday that a total of 1,380 trained educators and lateral entrants had been hired on a permanent basis. This means that around 460 full-time positions have not yet been filled. The Education Minister Steffen Freiberg (SPD) said the shortage of teachers remains an ongoing issue. A good half of the new teachers are 36 years or younger. 958 of the new teachers are women and 422 are men. Source: rbb24

Dual citizenship law passes through German cabinet

The German government voted on August 23 to pass the country’s new citizenship reforms, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) announced. It is expected that such reforms will ease the path to citizenship for non-Germans living and working in the federal republic. Faeser called the reform an “acknowledgement of a modern Germany” which is one of the “most important reform projects of the traffic-light coalition”. She also mentioned that the German government hopes the reforms would encourage long-term residents in Germany to stay and encourage new workers to come and feel welcomed. The bill is likely to be voted in the German Bundestag at the beginning of September. Source: iamexpat

German economy heading for recession

The German economy appears to be headed for a recession. The purchasing managers’ index for the entire private sector – i.e. industry and service providers – fell to 44.7 points from 48.5 points in July, the financial services provider S&P Global announced last Wednesday in its monthly survey of around 800 companies. It was the fourth decline in a row and the lowest value since May 2020, when the corona pandemic kept the economy stagnant. The service sector was decisive for the rapid decline. The service industry barometer fell below the growth threshold – to 47.3 points after 52.3 points in July. Source: faz

“Last generation”: Munich issues a partial ban

A general decree by the city of Munich on “preventive defense against danger” will prohibit future climate protests that take place on the routes used by emergency and rescue vehicles. This was announced by the city administration. Accordingly, protests that are not reported to the district administration department and in which participants stick to the road are prohibited. Violations can result in a fine of up to 3,000 euros. The reason for the decision: during climate protests last Friday in Munich, two emergency vehicles got stuck in the traffic jam caused by blockade actions. Source: br

Legalising weed in Germany

It’s finally happening. After years of discussion, Germany is moving forward with some sort of legalisation of cannabis. The government plans to have the new legislation by early 2024. Nevertheless, smoking in the presence of minors, or close to schools or playgrounds will not be allowed, among other prohibitions. Exberliner points out that the black market might go on being a reality. For instance, the USA has legalised weed to an even greater extent than Germany, but the black market there still represents 75% of sales. On the other hand, in Canada, where restrictions are especially light, only 4% of pot smokers acquire their weed from illegal sources. Source: exberliner

Bürgergeld raise

The standard rates of the citizens’ income (Bürgergeld) will increase on 1 January 2024, as announced by Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD). The monthly amount for a single adult will increase from 502 to 563 euros. According to Heil, the increase in the standard rates is due to the fact that, with the introduction of the citizens’ income, the calculation method was changed in such a way inflation is taken into account as well as to ensure participation in social life. The citizens’ income replaced Hartz IV benefits at the beginning of the year. Source: taz

Rammstein singer’s sexual assault probe dropped

Germany has dropped investigations against Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, the Berlin state prosecutor’s office said in a statement last Tuesday. Prosecutors considered initial investigations “did not provide any evidence” of the claims and said as well that law enforcement agencies have yet to receive testimony from any alleged victims of Lindemann’s conduct, meaning that investigators were not able to substantiate the allegations. Regarding Shelby Lynn, a fan who said she suspected that her drink was spiked with a drug at a band’s party in Vilnius, Berlin prosecutors affirmed her testimony remained too “vague.” Source: dw