Germany megathread

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

One person is dead and six have life-threatening injuries after a man drove a car into a crowd of pedestrians in Berlin.

Scottish-American singer and actor John Barrowman, best known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood, was an eyewitness to that carnage, and he appeared visibly traumatized when reporting on his harrowing experience:

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Over the past two days, the German Bundesrat (upper house) approved a large batch of measures that were previously passed by the Bundestag (lower house), including:

- a 1-year extension of the suspension of penalties for jobseekers under Hartz IV
- the increase in pensions, 5.35% in the West and by 6.12% in the East
- the increase in the minimum wage to 12 Euros per hour from October 1st
- the COVID bonus to caregivers in hospitals and other care facilities during the pandemic
- the 30 billion Euro relief package to help cushion the effects of inflation & energy costs

The additional money is planned, for example, to purchase modern F-35 fighter jets, new corvettes for the Navy and successors to the Marder infantry fighting vehicle and the Fuchs troop transporter. But it is also about equipment such as night vision devices and radios.Some armament projects have already been initiated: These include the planned purchase of F-35 stealth aircraft and the procurement of 60 CH-47F heavy transport helicopters for the air transport of soldiers and material.

the 100 billion EUR package will be funded with debt, and thus needed a 2/3 majority to amend the Constitution to allow a special package to be passed and violate the debt brake law. The SPD, CDU, FDP, and Greens all voted in favor in the Bundesrat, while four state delegations that have the Left Party in government (Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bremen and Thuringen) abstained on the vote

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1535687620260507648?s=20&t=a6dX5wC9G...

This poll marks the two-month divider since the SPD last lead a poll, and three if you base it off a data point that wasn't an outlier. Now yes, the YouGov numbers do appear to be an outlier in the opposite direction, but it has become abundantly clear that people are tired of Scholtz waffling on the big issues of the day - never mind its the Greens rather than the Union who actually do have clear line in regards to the Ukraine.

[President Johnson]

Scholz needs to show more leadership to win back support. However, just like in state elections, the numbers don't mean all too much and incumbency matters quite a bit. Once campaign season arrives, I'd expect the SPD go gain ground again. Everything is much more volatile than 20-30 years ago, so everything between 13% and 30% is possible these days.

[Leading Political Consultant Ma Anand Sheela]

Much too early to say, but I do wonder if there's a possibility this government could end up being what the original 60s grand coalition was for the SPD - a chance to come in from the cold and prove themselves as a party that could lead a government.

[President Johnson]

Ridiculous ruling in my opinion. Merkel was right here and I consider it appropriate for her to express her opinion, even if you disagree. After FDP politican Kemmerich was briefly elected Minister-President of Thuringia in early 2020 with the votes of AfD, FDP and CDU, Merkel publicaly stated her wish for this to be "undone".

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1536995746683277313

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

The German Bundestag will vote tomorrow on repealing Paragraph Section 219a of the criminal code, which outlaws the advertisement of abortion services and restricts what kinds of information doctors can provide on the subject.

The repeal is expected to easily pass

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

The German Bundestag will vote tomorrow on repealing Paragraph Section 219a of the criminal code, which outlaws the advertisement of abortion services and restricts what kinds of information doctors can provide on the subject.

The repeal is expected to easily pass

As expected, the repeal sailed through this morning with SPD, Greens, FDP, and Die Linke voting in favor, AfD and CDU against

Also i missed this yesterday the Traffic Light coalition + Die Linke voted to expand BAföG (student loans + grants) eligibility and increase payments too, nice 👍

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Isn't it kind of ironic that the woke German Bundestag legalized the advertisement for a genocide, whereas the based U.S. Supreme Court saved millions of innocent embryos - id est: lives - on the very same day? 😡

The Green Antifa Youth and the SJW Jusos and the Julis (youth organization of the NSDAP successor FDP), by the way, continue to press for the legalization of the slaughter of fetuses up to the ninth month of pregnancy. 🤮

[President Johnson]

The German Bundestag will vote tomorrow on repealing Paragraph Section 219a of the criminal code, which outlaws the advertisement of abortion services and restricts what kinds of information doctors can provide on the subject.

The repeal is expected to easily pass

As expected, the repeal sailed through this morning with SPD, Greens, FDP, and Die Linke voting in favor, AfD and CDU against

Also i missed this yesterday the Traffic Light coalition + Die Linke voted to expand BAföG (student loans + grants) eligibility and increase payments too, nice 👍

It's beyond ironic that this passed the day Roe was overturned. Yawn.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

It's beyond ironic that this passed the day Roe was overturned. Yawn.

That's what I just wrote.

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://twitter.com/ARD_BaB/status/1540373695465660416

Emotional and beautiful speech by Half-Ukrainian Sofia Fellinger who at the Linke convention calls out her party regarding Ukraine and Russian aggression. Describes how painful it is for her to have to listen to the words of other speakers regarding western imperialism while her family have to defend themselves. Takes a lot of courage to do that before such a crowd and even moved them to (muted) applause.

The only debate really in the Linke on this matter is between equivocation or just outright dropping all pretenses like Wagenknecht and Dağdelen, saying openly that the reason why the war is going on is that Joe Biden and Boris Johnson have forced Zelensky to stop negotiating with Russia, repeating word for word the Russian conspiracy that "Anglo-saxons" are responsible for the war. And in general it seems that the party does not really have an interest in escaping it's spiral into civil war and irrelevance. Sad because actually this country needs a left-wing opposition to the traffic light rn (where Lindner is blocking all progressive proposals to address the cost of living crisis), and there would be electoral potential there, but no.

A dedicated young woman whose political aspirations are doomed to fail in s party which is likely (?) re-elect someone like Janine Wissler.

[CumbrianLefty]

Isn't it kind of ironic that the woke German Bundestag legalized the advertisement for a genocide, whereas the based U.S. Supreme Court saved millions of innocent embryos - id est: lives - on the very same day? 😡

The Green Antifa Youth and the SJW Jusos and the Julis (youth organization of the NSDAP successor FDP), by the way, continue to press for the legalization of the slaughter of fetuses up to the ninth month of pregnancy. 🤮

What you meant to say, surely, was that Germany made a huge step towards humanitarianism and civilsation just as the US lurched towards fascist theocracy

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

What you meant to say, surely, was that Germany made a huge step towards humanitarianism and civilsation just as the US lurched towards fascist theocracy

Sorry, but I don't consider abortion to be a human right. It's murder.
On German Twitter, which is as opposed to its American counterpart faaaaaaar-left, the hashtag #Zellhaufen is trending. I wish I could tell you what it means, but that word creation coined by the Antifa simply too disgusting to translate. 🤮

[Yeahsayyeah]

Well, for me - and also in the usual framework abortion is debated in Germany - it is neither and most Germans seem to agree to the general framework while at least parts of the left and liberals defend and want to expand the access to abortions, the CDU/CSU is generally ok with the status quo, but clearly doesn't mind making access to abortion as hard as possible in practice, too, the mainline churches are gruntling around and Christian right vocal activist "Lebensschützer" exist and are nuisance, but are marginalized as a political group.

It's improtant to know that "Werbung" in terms of German jurisprudence language means much more than "advertisement" and can basically include any form of information. And I don't think, anybody shouldn't be allowed to give out information about a medical procedure, they are allowed to do completely legally when and if certain circumstances are met.

If it wasn't for those types of suing the hell out of doctors who are open about doing abortions § 219a would probably still stand.

[Yeahsayyeah]

On a side-note, the legal framework around abortions is an instance of the German constitutional court legislating from the bench in 1994 or so against an abortion law that would have been quite similar to what the USA had until yesterday.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The Left has elected incumbent Janine Wissler and GUE/NGL co-leader Martin Schirdewan as new party chairs.

Schirdewan was one of 13 MEPs (and one of two German MEPs) voting against condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the European Parliament. He also happens to be the grandson of SED politician Karl Schirdewan who at one point during the mid-1950 was considered the second most powerful man in the East German regime.

So it goes.

[Yeahsayyeah]

Schirdewan senior was obviously one of the better ones of the bunch.

[President Johnson]

The Left has elected incumbent Janine Wissler and GUE/NGL co-leader Martin Schirdewan as new party chairs.

Schirdewan was one of 13 MEPs (and one of two German MEPs) voting against condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the European Parliament. He also happens to be the grandson of SED politician Karl Schirdewan who at one point during the mid-1950 was considered the second most powerful man in the East German regime.

So it goes.

It won't stop their party from becoming irrelevant.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

In the future, every person in Germany should be able to determine their gender and Christian name themselves for reasons of self-perceived gender identity and have it changed in a simple procedure at the registry office. This is what the new self-determination law provides for, which the Federal Ministries of Justice and Family have presented. As agreed in the traffic light coalition agreement, it is to replace the previous transsexual law.

"The transsexuality law dates back to 1980 and is degrading for those affected," said Federal Family Minister Anne Spiegel Lisa Paus. Being able to live self-determinedly is "fundamental for everyone," said the Green politician. "The law in force treats the people concerned like sick people. There is no justification for this," emphasized Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP).

So far, people who want to change their gender in the passport have to obtain two psychiatric reports and answer very intimate questions, for example one concerning their masturbation behavior. These reports cost more than 1000 euros and the process takes months. A court must then decide. According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, the courts decide in 99 percent of the cases in the interests of the applicants.

The new Self-Determination Act stipulates that, in the future, when it comes to gender entry and first names, it should be irrelevant whether it is a transgender, "non-binary" or intersex person. Reports on sexual identity or a medical certificate should not be required as a prerequisite for a change anymore.

For minors up to the age of 14, the legal guardians should submit the declaration of change to the registry office. Young people from the age of 14 should be able to submit the declaration themselves, albeit with the consent of their parents.

Sky News

New York Post

[NewYorkExpress]

For the first time since 1991, Germany is running a trade deficit.

Germany is no longer exporting more than what it buys from other countries, highlighting the strains that the nation and other European economies are facing from surging energy and food prices.

Data released Monday showed that in May, Germany posted a foreign trade deficit of 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion). This marks a significant moment for the German economy, which had reported trade surpluses for several decades. Bloomberg reported that 1991 was the last time the country reported a monthly trade deficit.

Its high level of exports had been an important economic driver and the trade surplus was even attacked by former President Donald Trump, who wanted Americans to buy more U.S.-made products.

“Germany’s vaunted trade surplus is gone,” Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a note Tuesday, adding that “higher prices for imports of energy, food and materials are goosing up the import bill.”

Germany’s exports in the month of May were still 11.7% higher than a year ago, according to the country’s statistics office, though 0.5% lower from the previous month.

However, the imports bill went up by 27.8% from a year ago and it was no longer offset by its sales abroad.

[President Johnson]

Throw him out!

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1547599424842477572

[NewYorkExpress]

Olaf Scholz calls for European Unity, says the EU can no longer afford national vetoes on foreign and security policy.

The European Union can no longer afford to keep national vetoes when deciding on European Union foreign and security policy if it wants to maintain a leading role in global politics, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

Moscow's war in Ukraine makes unity in Europe ever more urgent and increases pressure for an end to "selfish blockades" of European decisions by individual member states, Scholz said in an article published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Sunday.

"We simply can no longer afford national vetoes, for example in foreign policy, if we want to continue to be heard in a world of competing great powers," he added.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Throw him out!

PJ, do you want to brief us on the latest news about Schröder's associate, former Interior Minister Otto Schily?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Right now it is very hot in Germany and tomorrow it will be even hotter. This is why I just are three scoops of ice for 1.50 a piece... which is still an okayish price under the Putinflation, I guess, considering I recently had a scoop for 2.00 too.