NEWS FROM BERLIN

Blows, kicks, pepper

Just as last year, police brutally was again present at the annual demonstration in memory of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in Berlin on Sunday. The attack took place shortly after the start of the demonstration on Frankfurter Allee and was mainly directed against a block of communist youth organisations and the Palestine Solidarity block. Police officers kicked, punched and used pepper spray. Several people were injured and had to be treated by paramedics. Berlin Left Party MP Ferat Koçak, who was present as a parliamentary observer, affirmed that at least four people, including two minors, had to be hospitalised. Source: junge welt

BVG: ver.di demands a pay rise

The bottleneck effects on operations and the workforce are key issues for ver.di in the upcoming collective bargaining round with BVG. The union had already published its demands in October. With 16,000 employees, Europe’s largest public transport company is also Berlin’s 4th largest employer, but ranks last among all public transport companies in Germany when it comes to pay for drivers. BVG and ver.di will meet for the first round of negotiations as early as next Wednesday. BVG explained to “nd” that “on the first day of negotiations, as is usual in collective bargaining, positions will be exchanged.” However, it did not mention any offer it may have planned. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Habeck on Syrian refugees: “Those who don’t work will have to leave”

For the Greens’ candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election, Robert Habeck, work is the key criterion for giving Syrian refugees a prospect to remain in Germany. “We can make good use of those who work here,” he said on Deutschlandfunk radio. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) had previously said something similar, citing education and good integration as criteria. Opposition came from the Green Youth. “Regardless of whether people from Syria work, go to school or raise children: they should be allowed to stay,” said the head of the Green youth organisation, Jette Nietzard, to the news portal “Politico”. “We must stand up for human rights at all times.” Source: Stern

Riesa: resistance despite freezing cold and police violence

The AfD federal party conference in Riesa was disrupted by 15,000 protesters. The police have come under criticism for operations undertaken while policing the protests, which often degenerated into completely disproportionate violence. For instance, a video went viral on social media showing a police dog handler setting a German shepherd on a fleeing demonstrator. The animal looked though as if it is not in the mood for assaulting. There was too an incident in which Nam Duy Nguyen, a member of parliament for the Left Party in Saxony, who was travelling with a clearly marked group of parliamentary observers, was nevertheless overrun and knocked unconscious by police officers. Source: nd-aktuell

What the new property tax could mean for tenants

According to the German Civil Code, property owners are allowed to pass on the full amount of property tax to their tenants. And, because these taxes were based on data from as far back as 1964, some updates are required, as pointed out by Wibke Werner, Managing Director of the Berlin Tenants’ Association. Considered factors include the standard land value, the plot area, the average living space and an average rent level. However, housing companies, such as Degewo, have lodged appeals against some property tax assessments, since the amount reflects potential rental income, which may not be realised in some state-owned housing associations. Source: rbb

“Junge Alternative”, from the AfD, complains about a new party´s offspring

The AfD’s former youth organisation, “Junge Alternative” (JA), is furious with its parent party. In Riesa, the party decided to create a new offshot for young party members. “Traitor lists” are said to already be circulating in the JA. Previously, the AfD stated that the “JA” was an independent association from the party. However, the AfD´s current youth organisation is legally a part of the party. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is monitoring the “JA” as a proven right-wing extremist organisation, and the AfD itself has so far only been a “suspected case” at the federal level. Source: n-tv

Number of asylum applications falling across Europe – Germany remains first

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Nuremberg announced that in 2024 there were 229,751 new applications in Germany. The majority from applicants came from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey. Compared to 2023, almost 100,000 fewer people applied for asylum – a decrease of 30.2 per cent. However, within the European Union, Germany is by far the frontrunner when it comes to asylum applications. It is followed by Spain with 165,398 asylum applications, France with 158,512 and Italy with 154,824 applications. Hungary brings up the rear with only 29 new asylum applications in the whole of 2024. Source: faz

Pistorius hands over state-of-the-art wheeled howitzer to Ukraine

In its defence campaign, Ukraine has received a new weapon system from Germany: the first of 54 ultra-modern RCH 155 wheeled howitzers (an artillery weapon). The country can “count on us. Germany is ready to assume responsibility in Europe,” said Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). The system can be operated remotely, and it is to be manned by two soldiers. Meanwhile, the EU Commission is increasing its humanitarian aid for people affected by the war in Ukraine by a further 148 million euros. According to the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the money is intended to keep the Ukrainians warm in “this harsh winter.” Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Oyoun closes its doors

The Berlin art and cultural centre “Oyoun” closed its premises on the last day of 2024. “We’re out now,” says Louna Sbou, Oyoun’s director. The place had been the subject of a fierce debate about freedom of art and expression, unfounded accusations of antisemitism and the role of the state in cultural funding for more than a year. The conflict is still smouldering. There was actually a deal between Oyoun and the Senate Department for Culture, with the cultural centre supposed to withdraw an appeal. But the deal is in danger of collapsing. It’s not clear exactly what will happen next, adds Sbou. Source: nd

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Non-profit status and constitution protection report

The denial of non-profit status for an organization on the presumption of being extremist can happen due to the promotion of anti-constitutional endeavours. The plaintiff in a case at the Feder Fiscal Court, an association, was an independent state organization, with a partially identical name to the name of another federal organisation. Reports on the protection of the constitution of one state contained statements on both organisations, and the appendix of some of these reports, containing extremist organisations, only listed the identical part of the name and the abbreviation. Nevertheless, the tax office (FA) denied the plaintiff the corporation tax exemption for non-profit organisations.  Source: haufe

The CSU’s migration paper

The CSU has presented a new migration paper ahead of its conference in Kloster Seeon. Under the name “Security Plan for a Law-and-Order Germany,” the sister party of the CDU demands that migrants should only be allowed to stay if they earn an “adequate” income. The plan thus goes much further than the joint CDU/CSU election programme. Subsidiary protection is also to be abolished. According to Bild, the party also plans to consistently deport people who have committed criminal offences or to detain them indefinitely. The CSU would also like to introduce the storage of IP addresses to prevent serious offences such as terrorist attacks. Source: focus

More attacks on migrants

Since the attack in Magdeburg, the violence against people with a migration background has not stopped. According to taz, Magdeburg police said that 9 cases of attacks on “people perceived as migrants” have been reported since 20 December. Five of these were assaults and four were incitement to hatred or insults. Suspects have been identified in 2 of the cases. According to those affected, there has been a threatening climate towards migrants in Magdeburg since the attack at its Christmas market. The police have increased their patrol presence. The State Secretary and Integration Commissioner of the Saxony-Anhalt state government, Susi Möbbeck (SPD), has since warned against racist violence. Source: taz

AfD national party conference in Riesa: police prepare large-scale operation

On the coming 11 and 12 January 2025, the AfD plans to hold its national party conference at the WT Energiesysteme Arena in Riesa. The party wants to set the course for the early federal election on February 23 at the meeting. Up to 10,000 demonstrators are also expected to arrive from all over Germany. The Dresden police department is preparing a large-scale operation. It will be supported by forces from several federal states. A nationwide action alliance wants to peacefully inhibit the AfD national party conference. Mass civil disobedience actions are planned, as explained by the action alliance widersetzen. Source: saechsische

555 neo-Nazis wanted on outstanding arrest warrants

The number of unexecuted arrest warrants against neo-Nazis remains high: 730 arrest warrants had not been executed as of 30 September 2024. This is according to the answers provided by the Federal Ministry of the Interior to an inquiry by Left Party MP Martina Renner. Also, 555 neo-Nazis remain at large despite outstanding arrest warrants. 136 of these right-wing extremists are wanted for violent offences, and there were even several arrest warrants for violent offences against 19 of them. The Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) claims that police searches were initiated in all cases. Source: taz

Inflation rate picks up again at the end of the year

The rise in prices in Germany slowed considerably last year. However, the statisticians report an unexpectedly strong increase for the end of the year. Consumer prices in Germany rose unexpectedly sharply in December: according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the inflation rate in the last month of last year was 2.6% compared to the same month of the previous year. Also, due to several one-off effects, there is still no sign of inflation easing in January: in the current month, the increased CO2 price and the more expensive Deutschlandticket are likely to push the rate up again. Source: n-tv

NEWS FROM BERLIN

BVG & ver.di argue over pay: strike on the horizon

Public transportation in Berlin could see major disruption at the start of 2025, as pay negotiations between BVG, the city’s transport association, and union ver.di start to ramp up before they have even begun. According to the Berliner Zeitung, ver.di said it was impossible to rule out strikes in the new year. On January 15 BVG and ver.di will sit down to hammer out the details of collective bargaining agreements for the 16,000 employees represented by the union. According to ver.di negotiator, Jeremy Arndt, the wage disputes are as intense as they were leading up to the strike in 2008, when walkouts lasted 6 weeks. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Newspaper article by Musk on AfD goes on making waves

Following the publication of a guest article by billionaire Elon Musk in the newspaper “Welt am Sonntag” (WamS) with an election appeal for the right-wing populist and in some cases far-right party AfD, Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have sharply criticised the publishing. “The fact that the Springer publishing house is offering Elon Musk an official platform to advertise for the AfD is shameful and dangerous,” affirmed SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch. The CDU and CSU candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also sharply criticised Musk’s election appeal for the AfD. The German Journalists‘Association (DJV) protested too against the “free pass given to Musk by the editors of Die Welt’’. Source: dw

AfD strengths contacts with Swiss right-wing extremists

Several AfD members are said to have met with members of the far-right group “Junge Tat” from Switzerland, including Roger Beckamp, member of the Bundestag, and Lena Kotré, member of the state parliament. This is the result of research by the Correctiv network. The meeting is further “proof of the AfD’s antagonism to the constitution and its close and international links to the extra-parliamentary far-right underground”, affirmed Matthias Quent, Professor of Sociology at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences and founding director of the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society in Jena. Source: nd

2024 was too warm and too wet

The year 2024 was the warmest year since comprehensive measurements began in 1881, as the German Weather Service (DWD) realised. “What is particularly alarming is that 2024 exceeded the previous year by an extraordinary 0.3 degrees,” said Uwe Kirsche, press spokesperson for the DWD. “This is accelerated climate change.” At the same time, 2024 was too wet. According to initial evaluations by the DWD, 903 litres per square metre of precipitation fell in 2024. The average reference period from 1991 to 2020 is 791 litres. The duration of sunshine also exceeded its target from the period from 1961 to 1990, being just under 1,700 hours (target was 1,544 hours). Source: tagesschau

MPs demand consequences after Magdeburg attack

Following the deadly attack in Magdeburg, the Greens in the Bundestag called for someone to take responsibility for the alleged failure of the authorities. “I think that political responsibility must be taken at the end of such an event,” said Green Party interior expert Konstantin von Notz before a special session of the Bundestag’s Committee on Internal Affairs in Berlin. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) also answered the committee’s questions. At the meeting, which unusually took place between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the MPs wanted to uncover possible mishaps at the security authorities. Source: t-online

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Antifa, there’s still room for improvement

At 2.30 pm, 1.5 hours after the planned start of a demonstration by the extremist group “Aktionsbündnis Berlin,” some 60 young fascists (from the 500 who registered) were still at the starting point at Ostkreuz. Just in front of them, around 30 anti-fascists, including left-wing MP Ferat Koçak (Die Linke). The police then decided to clear the road for the Nazis. One by one, the antifascists were pulled away by the police, using pain grips, and released into the neighbouring rallies – without previous warnings. However, several thousand people managed to block the right-wing extremist demonstration. The police reported stones and pyrotechnics were thrown, and parked police cars were damaged. Source: taz

Anti-fascism on the seminar programme

“Please don’t come in anymore. We have to open the second lecture theatre,” announces a loudspeaker in the overcrowded lecture theatre of the Freie Universität. But even the second lecture theatre is barely big enough for all those interested in attending the general assembly of the “Students against the Right” initiative. The anti-fascist movement at universities was formed in the spring after the so-called AfD secret meeting became known. There are groups nationwide, as in Berlin. The new initiative wants to oppose the social shift to the right and fight for non-discriminatory spaces at universities. Source: taz

Convicted of arson

Almost seven years after two arson attacks, the verdict is finally reached in the Neukölln neo-Nazi trial. The defendants are guilty. After so many years, Ferat Koçak (Die Linke) appeared in court and said in tears that the attack defines his life today. “If I had woken up a few minutes later, my parents would not have made it out of the house, they would have died, like the guest workers in Mölln or Solingen,” said Koçak, who comes from a Kurdish-Alevi family. He is forever scared for his parents. More than 70 criminal offences, including 23 arsons, are attributed to the series of attacks. Source: taz

Four arrests after attack on SPD members

Four young people were arrested following an attack by suspected right-wing extremists on SPD members in Berlin. The suspects had travelled to Berlin on Saturday to take part in demonstrations and engage in physical altercations with “leftists.” They are between 16 and 19 years old. According to the investigators, they attacked SPD members at an election campaign stand at a bus stop. The attacks could only be stopped when emergency services arrived. Meanwhile, the police have published details of the demonstration in the Friedrichshain district, which the suspects apparently wanted to attend. Police state security and the public prosecutor’s office are now investigating. Source: n-tv

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Housing makes you poor

“Anyone who only considers income, but not the fact that people have less and less money at their disposal because they have to pay high housing costs, overlooks the extent of poverty in Germany,” states a study published last week by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. The association took a critical look at data from the Federal Statistical Office. According to the research group, income alone no longer provides information about the standard of living. After deducting rent, service charges, interest on loans and other costs, almost 18 million people are left with a disposable income in the poverty bracket. Source: jW

Germany: major challenges ahead of snap election

On Tuesday, the governing Social Democrats (SPD) and the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) agreed to hold a new parliamentary election on coming February 23. The timing of Germany’s next election has become the subject of an embittered political debate that has dragged in the federal election administrator, the managing director of the country’s biggest ballot paper printing company and even the head of Germany’s paper industry association. Wilko Zicht, head of the nonprofit watchdog Wahlrecht, estimates that authorities will now have to do around four months’ worth of work in the span of only two months, in order to have a timely and legitimate election. Source: dw

Most young Germans see no point in politics

Most young people in Germany see no point in politics, according to a survey conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation. They see too many hurdles and believe politicians don’t take their worries seriously. The findings come as Germany is headed toward a new general election in February. In the poll of 2,500 representative 16- to 30-year-olds, half of the respondents said there were insufficient opportunities for young people to participate in politics beyond voting in elections. Regina von Görtz, the foundation’s expert on youth and democracy, observes that “young people would be more politically active if they knew that their efforts actually had an impact.” Source: dw