Germany megathread

[Middle-aged Europe]

Did I mention Russia?

Two German-Russian nationals were arrested in Bavaria on (among other things) charges of espionage. They apparently planned attacks on U.S. military installations and the arms industry in order to disrupt assistance for Ukraine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68843541

https://www.dw.com/en/german-police-arrest-two-suspected-of-spying-for-russia/a-68854481

[Middle-aged Europe]

Story in Australian media today. Seems like a bit alarmist. I don't think German's are heading back to 1933 just yet.

Strictly speaking, the AfD's role model is - rather blatently so - Russia, ca. 2014.

They do believe however that too much fuss is made about the Nazi period, because it distracts, to quote ex-AfD leader Alexander Gauland, from "a thousand years of sucessful German history"... a thousand year period that includes the genocide against the Herero in the 1900s or the violent quelling of the revolution of 1848 which, had it succeeded, could arguably have prevented the two aforementioned atrocities.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The Höcke trial very much reminds me of Trump. Because just like Agent Orange, he sees himself as the victim of a political witch hunt to torpedo his chances in the upcoming fall election. Not sure whether it works to his benefit though. AfD lately has lost some support in public opinion polls.

Höcke is more like a Richard B. Spencer analogue rather than a Trump one though.

We don't really have a true Trump analogue, thank God, although Trump is maybe a bit of a cross between Söder and Aiwanger... turned up to eleven. Aiwanger certainly managed to win more votes after his anti-Semitic pamphlet scandal indicating that outrageous stuff actually helps in solidifying his popularity among his base just like it seems to happen with Trump.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Did I mention Russia?

Two German-Russian nationals were arrested in Bavaria on (among other things) charges of espionage. They apparently planned attacks on U.S. military installations and the arms industry in order to disrupt assistance for Ukraine.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68843541

https://www.dw.com/en/german-police-arrest-two-suspected-of-spying-for-russia/a-68854481

Did I mention spies?

Three German nationals have been arrested after they attempted to steal military secrets on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security:

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-arrests-3-suspected-china-spies/a-68885712

I guess next up are the Iranians, simply to complete the triumvirate.

[Middle-aged Europe]

In a joint venture of both story arcs a staffer of Maximilian Krah hast been arrested under the allegation of spying for China

English-language article: https://www.dw.com/en/german-far-right-afd-staffer-arrested-on-china-spy-charges/a-68894735

German broadcasters on Tuesday reported that police had arrested an employee of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party on suspicion of espionage.

In January 2024, the accused repeatedly passed on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to his intelligence client. He also spied on Chinese opposition figures in Germany for the intelligence service.

The worker, Jian G, is said to have been an assistant to the AfD's top candidate for the European Parliament elections, Maximilian Krah.

Investigators think the suspect may have passed information on parliamentary operations to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).

[Middle-aged Europe]

Politico article: https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-arrests-eu-parliament-afd-staffer-afd-spy-china-jian-g-mep-krah/

BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68880086


Krah himself being paid by Moscow and one of his assistants working for Beijing sounds like a possible case of jurisdiction friction to me. What happens if the Chinese and Russians can't agree on a common course of action?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Politicians from, among others, CDU and FDP have demanded Maximilian Krah's resignation as the European election's lead candidate for the AfD.

Given it is the AfD I'm not sure if he will follow suit though. A Trumpian "ILLEGA!L WITHCHUNT!!" and attacking the other parties for "betraying Germany" through their respective policies is just as likely.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Liar, liar, eco-friendly coal on fire.

https://twitter.com/weplanetint/status/1783722796834869569

The bombshell investigation from Cicero: Habeck's secret files: How the Greens cheated on the nuclear phase-out. The nuclear power files of the Ministry of Economic Affairs released by Cicero show how Green Party puppetmasters manipulated the decision to extend the operating life of German nuclear power plants in 2022.

Here is an English summary.

That tweet sounds a bit misleading and contradicts the actual facts.

The actual allegation is that undersecretaries of state in Habeck's ministry withheld information regarding the nuclear phase-out, so that it didn't reach the minister.

Here the tweet is about a supposed "collusion" between Habeck and his undersecretaries of state. How can there be a collusion between them when the allegation is that one side didn't forward information to the other?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Anyway, speaking of collusions, SPIEGEL now reports about strategy paper for the AfD from 2022 that had been jointly developed by the AfD and the Kremlin (in German, behind a paywall, but information will be freely available somewhere soon, I guess):

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-spionageaffaere-russland-und-china-im-fokus-neue-enthuellungen-belasten-die-partei-a-46042b96-2d61-4bb4-ac25-ead57d7d6285

[Middle-aged Europe]

AfD is strongly competing with BSW on who is the bigger Kremlin shill. What a disgrace these Russia First parties are.

I think AfD has already won that contest, unless BSW is very good in covering up their money payments from and espionage for the Kremlin.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The post-Ukraine foreign policy realignment exemplified by European election campaign posters:

AfD - "Protect the peace."

Greens - "A strong Europe means a safe Germany."

[Middle-aged Europe]

Estrella and his crusade for electricity from nuclear power looks a bit strange from inside Germany as almost 60 per cent of German electricity in 2023 came out of renewables. Coal was at 26 per cent (and a third lower than 2022).

The total amount of electricity coming out of coal in 2023 was the lowest since the 50s/60s (depending on the type of coal)

https://www.focus.de/earth/analyse/deutschlands-verblueffende-strombilanz-fuer-2023_id_259541738.html

This doesn't really look like the "Germany is getting more dependent on coal" trope some are pushing here. It really is more of a phantom discussion...like the one about nuclear power.

It's a complex issue.

An increased dependency on coal did happen, at least temporarily, last year. The argument in favour is that coal is more "flexible" than nuclear power, because it can quickly be hooked up and removed from the electricity grids at will and is therefore better suited to serve as a temporary supplement for renewables. Nuclear power in the other hand is seen as blocking the expansion of renewables since it works the opposite way.

It boils down to the question what your long-term strategy is. Do you aim for 100% renewables or do you plan on NPPs as the basis for your energy sector with a supplement of renewables.

Since last year, Germany also became somewhat more dependent on energy imports from abroad. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of those energy imports come from renewables too.

For this calender week (starting April 29) the breakdown of energy production in Germany is as follows:

74% renewables
21.5% fossils (12% coal, 8% gas, 2% others)
5% foreign imports

[Middle-aged Europe]

European election candidate Matthias Ecke (SPD) was attacked and severely injured while campaigning in Dresden. He's now in surgery.

This is the latest, and probably most severe, in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks, apparently concentrated on the eastern states and on left-wing politicians from Greens, the Left, and SPD, with AfD supporters as suspected perps.

[Middle-aged Europe]

European election candidate Matthias Ecke (SPD) was attacked and severely injured while campaigning in Dresden. He's now in surgery.

This is the latest, and probably most severe, in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks, apparently concentrated on the eastern states and on left-wing politicians from Greens, the Left, and SPD, with AfD supporters as suspected perps.

Deeply concerning, though apparently a sign of time. It seems like we have entered an era in several Western countries in which political differences can't be discussed based on issues anymore and in a civil manner. Anyone not agreeing with me is an enemy of the state/people now. Unfortunately that's one of the negative sideeffects of social media.

You could add that China/Russia are using social media to undermine and destabilize Western democracies.

America is thinking about banning TikTok, Germany is attempting a different approach so far, with the Chancellor and other parties like the Greens recently launching their own accounts there after shunning the platform for years.. but some say it is already too late for that.



I also had a bit of a flashback to the recently seen movie Civil War today and it occurred to me that it is something that is also increasingly applicable to the political situation in Germany.

Others pointed out that the last time SPD politicians were beaten up by gangs of far-right thugs was around 1932... back then it used to be called the Sturmabteilung (SA).

[Middle-aged Europe]

Federal minister of the interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) has called a conference of the states' interior ministers next week, to tighten security in response to the recent series of right-wing violence.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Accompanied by his mother (!), a 17-year old German national has surrendered himself to the authorities for the attack on Ecke. He apparently also provided the names of four co-perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Saxonian AfD, Jörg Urban, has blamed responsibility for the attack on the SPD itself, arguing that verbal aggression against the AfD naturally leads to physical aggression against the SPD. Quite fittingly he did so in a tweet on "X".

[Middle-aged Europe]

In an apparent retaliatory move, an AfD campaign booth in Dresden was attacked today. Thankfully only property damage (campaign posters and such), the attending AfD member was left unscathed.

[Middle-aged Europe]

In an apparent retaliatory move, an AfD campaign booth in Dresden was attacked today. Thankfully only property damage (campaign posters and such), the attending AfD member was left unscathed.

If these idiots only understood that kind of stuff only helps AfD in the end.

I tend to disagree. While one should obviously obey the law when opposing the AfD (because it is already bad enough that the AfD is undermining our system and the rule of law, they really shouldn't get any further help from others) the effects such events have in actually helping them are miniscule at best IMO.

AfD will always find a reason to paint itself as the victim - because this is basically part of their core identity - and if there are no factual events to back it up they're gonna manufacture some. The AfD's base is gonna swallow up one way or the other.

Case in point: As far as we can we ascertain nobody in the AfD seems to shed any tears over a Member of the European Parliament from the SPD being put into the hospital, while they almost certainly cry foul play about their campaign posters being torn up. When the AfD considers everything that is done to them ten times worse when what they are doing to others, despite the fact that it is arguably the other way around, the issue becomes so blurred that whether you want to see them as a victim is a matter of choice and personal preference  in the end. If you want to root for them you will do so.

[Middle-aged Europe]

So, CDU had a party convention and Friedrich Merz was re-elected as chairman. Media quickly dubbed him "Friedrich Merkel" and stuff because in his convention speech he moved hard to the center, apparently in preparation for a run for Chancellor next year (and I guess all that "soft AfD" sh**t started to become toxic because of reasons).

[Middle-aged Europe]

Open season on center-left politicians, part 8 (and 9):

Berlin economy minister (and former mayor) Franziska Giffey was physically assaulted and had to be treated in a hospital.

Ah, so was a as-of-now unnamed 47-year old Green politician down in Dresden, although the altercation was so "minor" that a hospitalization wasn't necessary in this case.

[Middle-aged Europe]

He claimed that he didn't know about that.

HE'S A FRIGGIN HISTORY TEACHER.

[Middle-aged Europe]

More bad news for AfD: The Bundestag has revoked immunity of two AfD members:

- Hannes Gnauck's immunity was rescinded due to a disciplinary investigation during his time in the Bundeswehr, where he is accused of inciting against asylum seekers and foreigners. The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) classified him as a "suspected case of right-wing extremism" in 2020. Gnauck, who is also the national chairman of the "Young Alternative", had a uniform and service ban imposed on him by the Bundeswehr. The disciplinary proceedings had been suspended since he entered the Bundestag in 2021. Gnauck suspects a connection to the upcoming EU election and believes the timing of the immunity lifting is questionable.

- The General Prosecutor's Office in Munich has initiated investigations into AfD Bundestag member Petr Bystron for suspected bribery and money laundering, conducting searches at multiple locations including Bystron's office in Berlin, properties in Mallorca, and in various districts in Bavaria. Bystron's immunity was lifted by the Bundestag prior to the searches. There are allegations that Bystron received money as part of a Russian influence operation, with hints of a cash exchange in a car. Bystron denies the accusations, while the AfD leadership is hoping for swift resolution to the situation. Additionally, there are allegations against another AfD candidate, Maximilian Krah, and his longtime employee Jian G., who was arrested for alleged espionage for China. The investigations are ongoing, with no concrete evidence presented yet for the claims against Bystron.

ILLIGAL WITCHUNT!!!!

[Middle-aged Europe]

There's apparently now - a bit out of the blue - a Chancellor candidate debate for 2025 within the SPD.

Greens and CDU have that debate too, but they're not in the position that they already have a Chancellor right now.

The debate is about "Scholz or (defence minister) Pistorius?", the reasoning being that Boris Pistorius is the most popular (only popular?) cabinet member at the moment. Former SPD leader Franz Müntefering has now said that this question isn't settled yet, actually.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Today in German Nazism news: A video from an upper-class party on upper-class vacation island Sylt showing a crowd of affluent people singing "Germany for Germans, foreigners out" and some of them apparently doing the Hitler salute, went viral.

The blond-haired main girl featured prominently in the foreground of the video has not been identified by name, although her employer, Hamburg-based Instagram influencer Melina Karl, has announced her dismissal.

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://freespeechunion.org/young-afd-politician-convicted-for-publishing-gang-rape-statistics-in-connection-with-afghan-migration/

Does the Afd suck? Yes, but I don’t think you should be punished for using official government statistics.

Also this horrible quote from an SPD minister, One such measure is to freeze the bank accounts of those found to have donated money to any group the government declares to be “far-right.”

“No one who donates to a right-wing extremist party should remain undetected,” she explained, adding: “Those who mock the state must deal with a strong state.”

She wasn't convicted for "using official government statistics", but for insinuating that a plan to get 200 Afghan staffers who had worked for the German Armed Forces to Hamburg after the Taliban takeover would cause "gang rapes" in the city.