Germany megathread

[Estrella]

Olaf Scholz Tanks His Credibility

A list of the world’s mysteries might include: what was Stonehenge’s purpose? What is the origin of dark matter in the universe? And why on earth is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stalling tank deliveries to Ukraine?

Germany Has the Tanks Ukraine Needs. It Must Send Them ASAP

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said it best in a tweet this week: “What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?”

Ukrainians have started taking back their own territories, turning what was a relatively static war of attrition into an explosively kinetic reconquest. To succeed in this new phase, they’ll require more than howitzers and HIMARs. They’ll need the newest, fastest and meanest battle tanks and armored vehicles on the market, to liberate Ukrainian cities and towns and deploy infantry faster than the Russians can react.

This is where Germany comes in. It has a line of first-class battle tanks called Leopards. First introduced in 1979 and improved ever since, about 2,000 of these agile and lethal predator cats are deployed in Germany’s army and those of 12 other countries in NATO and/or the European Union.

Kyiv has been asking for Leopards and Marders since March, and Kuleba renewed that plea in his tweet this week. But Berlin, ever diffident, has so far rebuffed these requests — even as it has supplied all sorts of other kit, including specialized anti-aircraft tanks called Gepards (cheetahs).

The official excuse given by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is that Germany can’t and won’t do anything that’s not coordinated with its allies in NATO and the EU. Another rationale for holding back is that Germany itself has limited tanks and parts in stock and can’t afford to compromise its own battle readiness. That’s another non sequitur, as the think tankers at the European Council on Foreign Relations point out. They’ve proposed an elegant “Leopard plan” — a consortium in which all European armies using Leopards jointly supply Ukraine and take care of training and maintenance. Besides easing the logistics, that approach would also send a powerful signal of Western unity.

So the Germans have, as Kuleba puts it, “not a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses.” What might those be?

Scholz is in fact doing more than just stalling. Berlin Kremlinology is not my strong suit, but it seems that the Chancellor won whatever power struggle was going on behind the scenes of the coalition: Ukraine will not get any Leopards, period. This is despite the fact that there is a consenus among all relevant political actors that the deliveries should go ahead including, most importantly, Baerbock and the chair of defense committee Strack-Zimmerman. Even parts of SPD are coming round to support the idea. The manufacturers are ready, the Bundeswehr raised no objections and there's no excuse to hide behind NATO's skirt as Germany did early in the war - Stoltenberg clearly stated that the use of these stocks will not hurt European security.

It could well be that the only roadblock is Scholz and Scholz himself. As happens so often in politics, the personal obsessions and mental pathologies of one person can change the course of world events. Or perhaps there's a different cause: the word kompromat comes to mind.

[Estrella]

It could well be that the only roadblock is Scholz and Scholz himself. As happens so often in politics, the personal obsessions and mental pathologies of one person can change the course of world events.

Ah yes, visiting the SED Politburo to whine about evil warmongering Americans and pat each other on the back about how peaceful you are when you're meeting with the puppets of a foreign dictatorship that had hundreds of thousands of troops ready to invade your own country at the drop of a hat. So that's why Genosse Olaf is like that!

[Middle-aged Europe]

^^ Actually, according to some German news articles I had read on the issue these past months, if there is one person within the government that has been instrumental in shaping Scholz' more reluctant Russia doctrine then it is his traditionally pro-Russian foreign policy advisor in the Chancellery, Jens Plötner.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

[crals]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

[Oryxslayer]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

More the legacy of like 20% of your population remembering a time when they quite literally were prisoners of Moscow.

[MaxQue]

^^ Actually, according to some German news articles I had read on the issue these past months, if there is one person within the government that has been instrumental in shaping Scholz' more reluctant Russia doctrine then it is his traditionally pro-Russian foreign policy advisor in the Chancellery, Jens Plötner.

FDP and Greens are being so weak. They should require his dismissal.

[CumbrianLefty]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

More the legacy of like 20% of your population remembering a time when they quite literally were prisoners of Moscow.

Though you might think that would make them more hostile to Russia, rather than less.

[Helsinkian]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

Then why does that guilt only lead them to feel an obligation toward Russia, but not toward Ukraine, even as millions of Ukrainians were also killed in WWII?

[Middle-aged Europe]

^^

According to latest polling data, Robert Habeck continues to be Germany's most popular politician, and in cases where he isn't he is usually relegated to 2nd place by his Green party colleague Annalena Baerbock. However, it also evident that Habeck's popularity has been in decline ever since Putinflation kicked in. The main reason why he often comes out on top after all is that the popularity of less popular politicians has usually been in decline at the same time. Undoubtedly even Habeck's job has become a lot tougher and his often praised communication skills have started to sometimes falter under the apparent strains of his job. That means gaffes have become more frequent with him.

It also true however that the FDP's insistence to place the costs for the Russia sanctions on the average citizen instead of the German state, large corporations, or more well-off citizens continues to lead us into the dead ends like the much maligned and ultimately unsuccessful Gasumlage.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

Then why does that guilt only lead them to feel an obligation toward Russia, but not toward Ukraine, even as millions of Ukrainians were also killed in WWII?

The issue at hand is whether we should send weapons to Ukraine so that Russian soldiers can be killed with them.

Nobody has proposed to send weapons to Russia so that Ukrainian soldiers can be killed with them.

Not that I agree with the opposition to giving Ukraine military aid/weapons. But I understand where the opposition stems from.

[President Johnson]

In light of the energy crisis, Germany to extend lifespan of remaining nuclear powerplants. At least for a few months. Decision was just announced by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economy Robert Habeck. It was a tough call for the Green Party in particular.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1574799224818073600

[Middle-aged Europe]

In light of the energy crisis, Germany to extend lifespan of remaining nuclear powerplants. At least for a few months. Decision was just announced by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economy Robert Habeck. It was a tough call for the Green Party in particular.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1574799224818073600

The Greens' federal convention will be in two weeks. This is gonna be fun. Thank God I'm still on sick leave so that I'll sit this clusterf**k out.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

The Traffic Light coalition has passed the biggest housing allowance reform in 57 years.

Details:

- the number of households receiving the housing allowance will increase from 600,000 households to 2 million
- the allowances for heating and air conditioning will permanently increase from 180 EUR per month to 370 EUR per month
- a climate component is added to the housing allowance to cover the costs for new insulation and eco-friendly systems
- the application process will be streamlined and will be made easier and simpler; they will also introduce a simple-to-use calculator on the Ministry for Construction's website and ensure that processing times will go faster so people will get their money more quickly

The bill was passed today and will come into effect on January 1st, 2023. Another policy W for the SPD and Greens.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Also AfD's offices got raided by the Public Prosecutor today

The investigations are directed against the former party leader Jörg Meuthen and the ex-Federal Treasurer Klaus-Günther Fohrmann, as the public prosecutor announced.

From the searches, the investigators apparently hope above all to find evidence of secret agreements between the AfD and anonymously financed election campaign supporters such as the dubious "Association for the Preservation of the Rule of Law and Civil Freedom" or the Swiss PR company Goal AG. So far, the party has always claimed to have known nothing about the millions in support that its patrons organized in numerous election campaigns

According to the public prosecutor's office, searches were carried out at a total of seven locations in Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia in the course of the investigation. Documents and data carriers were secured, which are now to be evaluated. As SPIEGEL learned from judicial circles, the search locations also included the addresses of the Ströer company in Cologne and those responsible for the association, which has since been dissolved.

Thousands of free copies of the newspapers mentioned were used by the AfD as campaign material in the Bavarian state election campaign, among other things . So far, it has been a mystery who financed the newspapers and the association. Traces lead to Switzerland and to the controversial real estate billionaire Henning Conle .

Busy day in Germany!!!

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

I thought we'd have the usual suspects like Turkey and Hungary pulling this stuff (which to be fair, we do), not Germany.

[President Johnson]

Lmao, Erdogan filling for legal proceedings against Deputy Leader of the FDP, Wolfgang Kubicki, who's also Vice President of the Bundestag. Erdogan is such a triggered snowflake.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1575904850629775362

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

I was reading an article from the Guardian about splits in Die Linke, and wanted to ask -
(https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/19/germanys-die-linke-on-verge-of-split-over-sanctions-on-russia)

Does this pose the kind of existential threat to the party that it looks like on the surface (to this outsider at least) and inferred by the article? Or will they limp on?

The big problem is that they barely got into the Bundestag last time, so any problem can become quite threathing.

This factional split is occurring among almost the same lines as that which earlier this year resulted in Die Linke being shut out of the legislature of Lafontaine's own Saarland (although of course they fell much further and had much further to fall), so we've already seen what could happen.

Still, the less Die Linke the better.

[President Johnson]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

What domestic group do you think it could be? Germany never struck me as a place with lots of domestic terrorism (even if there was some during the Cold War)

[Middle-aged Europe]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

Army general Carsten Breuer has warned of attacks against the critical infrastructure and has urged the population to stock themselves with flashlights and batteries today. Kind of obvious hint, maybe. First pipelines, then the  railroads? Health minister Karl Lauterbach recently came under fire after tweeting that Germany is "at war with Putin", but perhaps this just hit a bit too close to home.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Army general Carsten Breuer has warned of attacks against the critical infrastructure and has urged the population to stock themselves with flashlights and batteries today. Kind of obvious hint, maybe. First pipelines, then the  railroads? Health minister Karl Lauterbach recently came under fire after tweeting that Germany is "at war with Putin", but perhaps this just hit a bit too close to home.

According to IT security experts, the damage to important Deutsche Bahn cables was possibly merely a test.

"It could only have been a test run to see the effects of such sabotage," said Michael Wiesner, spokesman for the expert panel Task Force Critical Infrastructures (AG Kritis) to the newspapers of the Funke media group. AG Kritis is an independent tasl force made up of experts who are professionally involved in the IT security of critical infrastructures.

The creepiest thing abut that terrorist attack is the fact that Jan Böhmermann (kind of) predicted it just the day before; albeit not with regard to the "means", which was rather "manual" than technological:

The President of the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security), Arne Schönbohm, has been criticized for his affiliation with an association that is said to have contacts with the Russian secret service. Now he is about to lose his job. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser is soon going to dismiss him. Schönbohm has been criticized for possible contacts with Russian secret service circles via the controversial "Cyber ​​Security Council Germany" association. The connection of Schönbohm had previously been discussed by PUTP's archfoe Jan Böhmermann in MAE's favorite investigative satire show "ZDF Magazin Royale". The BSI boss was the founding president of the association. This has been criticized, among other things, because of the membership of the Berlin cybersecurity company "Protelion". The company operated under the name "Infotecs GmbH" until the end of March. This was a subsidiary of the Russian cybersecurity company "O.A.O.Infotecs", which, according to information from the research network "Policy Network Analytics", was founded by a former employee of the Russian intelligence service KGB.

PS: Sorry for my non-understandable prose™. Plus, I hope I have summarized the content of the NMR coverage correctly and understandable enough, since the whole topic is quite complex.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

The Traffic Light coalition has passed the biggest housing allowance reform in 57 years.

Details:

- the number of households receiving the housing allowance will increase from 600,000 households to 2 million
- the allowances for heating and air conditioning will permanently increase from 180 EUR per month to 370 EUR per month
- a climate component is added to the housing allowance to cover the costs for new insulation and eco-friendly systems
- the application process will be streamlined and will be made easier and simpler; they will also introduce a simple-to-use calculator on the Ministry for Construction's website and ensure that processing times will go faster so people will get their money more quickly

The bill was passed today and will come into effect on January 1st, 2023. Another policy W for the SPD and Greens.

The so-called "gas commission" proposes a two-stage relief: The commission set up by the federal government proposes relieving gas and district heating customers in two steps. According to this, the state should entirely bear the progress payments in December. The price brake should then follow from March 2023 to April 2024.

PS: Is my translation correct? I had trouble finding the correct translations for several technical terms of this short passage.

[President Johnson]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

What domestic group do you think it could be? Germany never struck me as a place with lots of domestic terrorism (even if there was some during the Cold War)

Federal law enforcement agencies consider a "political motive" very likely. While left-wing extremists have attacked the rail system before, authorities consider this one of the lesser likely scenarios here. Especially since no confession note surfaced so far. Some sources say an external actor could be responsible.

My theory - and it's just a theory - is that the Russians could be responsible. At least it wouldn't be a surprise. And if so, there's a high probability this was just the beginning.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

What domestic group do you think it could be? Germany never struck me as a place with lots of domestic terrorism (even if there was some during the Cold War)

Federal law enforcement agencies consider a "political motive" very likely. While left-wing extremists have attacked the rail system before, authorities consider this one of the lesser likely scenarios here. Especially since no confession note surfaced so far. Some sources say an external actor could be responsible.

My theory - and it's just a theory - is that the Russians could be responsible. At least it wouldn't be a surprise. And if so, there's a high probability this was just the beginning.

A number of security experts have by now alluded to a possible Russian culpability. Which means Putin could have launched a new campaign of which the Nord Stream pipelines were merely the opening salvo, and the railroad sabotage is now the second strike.

I just hope our securtiy apparatus is just not too compromised. Better to step up counter-intelligence.