NEWS FROM BERLIN
AfD ahead of the Greens in Berlin for the first time
A year before the Berlin House of Representatives election, support for the CDU is declining, according to a new Insa poll. If the House of Representatives election were held next Sunday, 23% of voters would choose the party of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. In second place is Die Linke, with 17% (up four). The co-governing SPD could reach 16%, the Greens 14% (both down one). The AfD is also benefiting from the weakness of the black-red government and could expect to receive 15% (up two). Source: welt
“From the River to the Sea…” before the Regional Court
On October 31, a significant trial regarding the criminalisation of solidarity with Palestine in Germany began before the Berlin Regional Court. The defendant, R., is accused not only of using the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” at a demonstration, but also of sharing images on social media in 2024 of the organization Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, classified as a banned association in Germany. The judge prohibited him from reading his “opening statement” and scheduled ten days for the proceedings (which will last until the end of November). R. told nd that the harshness of the situation weighs on him. “That’s why I haven’t been to any demonstrations for a year.” Source: nd
Ripped off on the rental market
Rents above €20 per square meter, chain leases, and no protection against termination: furnished apartments are taking over the Berlin housing market. Landlords often use furnishing as an excuse to avoid having to comply with rent controls. What sounds illegal is now commonplace on the Berlin housing market. This is the conclusion of a study presented by the Institute for Social Urban Development (IFSS) on behalf of the Berlin Tenants’ Association. As providers often circumvent tenant protection and rent control regulations, the tenants’ association is calling for stricter regulation. In response to taz, the Senate Administration stated it intends to tackle the problem with the planned Housing Security Act. Source: taz
NEWS FROM GERMANY
Minister says German school children should be taught how to prepare for crises
The Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said he would like schoolchildren in Germany to be taught lessons on how to prepare for a crisis. “My suggestion is that, during the school year older, school students take part in a double period lesson in which possible threatening scenarios, and how one can prepare for them, are discussed,” he said in an interview with Handelsblatt. At the upcoming Conference of Interior Ministers representing the 16 federal states, Dobrindt plans to present the idea. Reactions have been mixed across the political spectrum, with Die Linke and the AfD criticising the suggestion, and the Greens welcoming it. Source: iamexpat
Women demand more security in an open letter to Merz
“We want a public space where everyone feels comfortable,” reads an open letter from 60 prominent women to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). As if they had coordinated their efforts: just as Matthias Miersch (SPD) calls on his group to conduct the “cityscape” debate more objectively, this document with ten demands was launched. “We would like to talk about safety for daughters, that is, women,” it states. “However, we want to do so seriously and not use it as a cheap excuse to justify racist narratives.” Among such requests, there are for instance requirements for better surveillance of public spaces, the reform of the abortion laws, and protection against digital violence. Source: nd
Return instead of right of residence: “no further grounds for asylum”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has spoken out in favor of repatriating migrants to Syria. “The civil war in Syria is over,” Merz said on November 3 in Husum. There are “no longer any reasons for asylum in Germany,” he said, so repatriations can begin. Merz believes many Syrians would return to their homeland voluntarily to help with post-war reconstruction. “Those who refuse to return to the country can, of course, be deported,” he added. According to him, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is already working on plans to repatriate Syrian criminals first. He also invited Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Scharaa to Germany for talks to coordinate the repatriation. Source: bz
Deportations: a difficult project for Germany
Under the slogan “Return Offensive,” the federal government aims to significantly increase the number of people potentially required to leave the country. The difficulty of this undertaking can be demonstrated by the dispute over deportations to Syria, a country devastated by a long civil war. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) recently visited Syria and subsequently offered a cautious assessment: “Only possible to a very limited extent at this time.” The Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), in turn, emphasizes his fundamental commitment to deportations. Meanwhile, many more people without a prospect of remaining in Germany leave voluntarily. Source: dw
