NEWS FROM BERLIN
Rents in Berlin are rising sharply, with a disastrous effect
Rents in Berlin have only been going in one direction for years: upwards. More and more people are moving to the capital – the four million mark is within reach. But there is not enough living space for this influx. The result is an explosion in prices. In such scenario, it pays to have a rental contract that is several years old. According to the Berliner Zeitung, prices for new tenants per square meter in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg are now almost twice as high as the average for existing tenants. This leads to a disastrous consequence, with hardly any mobility on the market. Researchers call this the lock-in effect. Source: Berlin Live
The fence that almost nobody wants
The “Day Z”, the day when a fence will be built in Görlitzer Park, is now imminent and that is why Clara Vuillemin, cofounder of the magazine “Republik”, sat in the middle of the park in Berlin-Kreuzberg last Thursday. The 33-year-old lives around the corner. The park, “that’s my garden, my balcony,” she says. “If they close it now, they’ll just take it away from us.” Almost two years ago, Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) announced that he would have a fence built around the park, primarily to combat drug dealing. Source: SZ
“New Generation” blockade stopped at the Bundestag
A blockade by the New Generation Initiative was stopped by the police at the Bundestag in Berlin last Friday. A group of around 20 people tried to stick themselves in front of the entrance to the parliament’s underground parking garage at around 8.30 am, a policespokes woman said. However, the officers intervened, and 20 people were provisionally arrested. The New Generation initiative is the successor to the Last Generation climate protection group. It calls for a “non-violent, democratic revolution” and had announced a week of action for more democracy. Most recently, it tried to block access roads to a printing plant in Berlin-Spandau. Source: rnd
NEWS FROM GERMANY
Left-wing MP thrown out of Bundestag over Palestine shirt
During questions to the Federal Government in the Bundestag, Parliament President Julia Klöckner (CDU) expelled Left Party MP Cansın Köktürk from the chamber. The reason for this was a shirt with the word “Palestine” on it. Around half an hour into the questioning of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) and Development Aid Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), among others, Klöckner said: “We have agreed – and these are the clear rules of the House – that neither stickers nor any other form of denomination on T-shirts are allowed”. “Then I would ask you to leave the meeting,” Klöckner continued. Köktürk then left the room. Source: islamiq
Hanau survivor initiates an open letter against the Gaza war
Germany’s Middle East policy has been criticised: around 50 personalities from academia, culture, politics and society have sent an open letter to the German government. The initiator of the letter comes from Hanau. Etris Hashemi knows what pain and suffering mean, especially when innocent people are affected. The 28-year-old survived the racist attack in Hanau on February 19, 2020, seriously injured and losing his brother Said Nesar and several of his friends. The letter states that Germany has a special responsibility due to its historical guilt: “both for the observance of international law and universal human rights as well as for the fight against anti-Semitism and racism.” Source: Hessenschau
US troops to remain in Germany
During Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s (CDU) inaugural visit to Washington, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the US troops stationed in Germany should remain there. In response to a question from journalists in the Oval Office, Trump answered with a clear “yes”. According to the US European Command, around 78,000 US troops are currently stationed in Europe, of which around 37,000 are in Germany. The number varies regularly as part of rotations and exercises – especially since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Trump praised Germany’s increased defense spending as a “positive thing” in principle, but did not want to comment onspecific figures. Source: berliner Zeitung
Bavarian AfD wants ban rainbow flags
The AfD in Bavaria plans to ban the use of the rainbow and EU flags on public buildings and state institutions. As reported by Deutsche Presse-Agentur, a corresponding draft bill from the parliamentary group in the state parliament stipulates that “only the federal flag, the Bavarian state flag and the flag of the respective municipality may be hoisted or displayed”. The motion met with massive criticism from all other parliamentary groups during the first debate in parliament. “It’s amazing how a small colorful flag can inflame the minds of a few,” said Doris Rauscher (SPD). Source: Merkur
Bundeswehr: new NATO goals, old infrastructure?
Boris Pistorius (SPD) has brought up the idea of increasing the Bundeswehr’s personnel by up to 60,000 soldiers. But how should they be distributed – and where should they be housed? The institution faces enormous structural changes to meet the changing requirements. The only thing that is certain is that the money is there. Meanwhile, NATO is tightening slowly the reins. Experts speculate about what exactly NATO’s new requirements will be. According to dpa, an increase of around 30% in the size of NATO was discussed in Brussels. However, a decision will only be made at the NATO summit on June 24 and 25 in The Hague. Source: Defence Network
