Germany megathread

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This evening's Tagesspiegel editorial arguing that Schröder has become too much of a liability for the country and that, among other things, he needs to be finally expelled from the SPD

The whole embarrassing situation around him does make an excellent case for the parts of the law that relate to membership of a political party in Germany to be carefully changed.

[President Johnson]

- Gerhard Schröder (Of course!)
- Egon Krenz, final leader of East Germany's communist regime in 1989
- Incumbent AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla and his immediate predecessor Alexander Gauland
- Former Left Party chairman Klaus Ernst

What a lovely group of people.

It's Schröder and the horseshoe gang. When we send people to the Russian Embassy we always send our best.

This evening's Tagesspiegel editorial arguing that Schröder has become too much of a liability for the country and that, among other things, he needs to be finally expelled from the SPD:

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/altkanzler-feiert-mit-den-russen-9-mai--der-tag-an-dem-gerhard-schroder-alles-verlor-9798833.html

Well, that was just rejected yesterday. The rules for expelling party members are extremely strict in Germany. CDU and Greens also had issues with certain members.

Schröder should leave the SPD voluntarily though. He has totally gone off the rails in recent years. Apparently the cash Russian oil and gas corportations completely corrupted him.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-geht-ersten-Schritt-zu-laengerer-Legislatur-article24088523.html

Germany could adopt 5-year election terms for the Bundestag instead of 4-year terms

The SPD, CDU, FDP, and Greens all agree in theory that the parliamentary term should be extended.

However, should be noted that this is only a commission recommendation and not an actual legislative proposal.

[President Johnson]

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Bundestag-geht-ersten-Schritt-zu-laengerer-Legislatur-article24088523.html

Germany could adopt 5-year election terms for the Bundestag instead of 4-year terms

The SPD, CDU, FDP, and Greens all agree in theory that the parliamentary term should be extended.

However, should be noted that this is only a commission recommendation and not an actual legislative proposal.

You would prefer sticking with four years? I actually thought five would be better for a while, though four is enough in my opinion.

[NewYorkExpress]

Patrick Graichen has been sacked as a State Secretary in the economy ministry after a nepotism scandal was uncovered.

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

I've always thought three years would be a decent term length.

[President Johnson]

I've always thought three years would be a decent term length.

Like Australia and New Zealand? I think three years is too short. Imagine a US presidential election every three years, lmao. New York did have three-year gubermatorial terms for some time in the 19th century. They later switched back to two years before four year terms were adopted after the 1938 election.

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

I've always thought three years would be a decent term length.

Like Australia and New Zealand? I think three years is too short. Imagine a US presidential election every three years, lmao. New York did have three-year gubermatorial terms for some time in the 19th century. They later switched back to two years before four year terms were adopted after the 1938 election.

Germany is closer in size to Australia than America. It also doesn't have an election focused on a powerful executive, rather it has more focus on political parties.

[Storr]

Does anybody else have Nazi genes?

https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1658757733611454465?s=20

[CumbrianLefty]

Modern day Lysenkoism, no less.

[Storr]

https://twitter.com/KevinRothrock/status/1660304334553268226?s=20

[NewYorkExpress]

Scholz calls climate activists nutty.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday sharply criticized climate activists as “nutty” for drastic protests such as blocking streets or gluing themselves to famous paintings in museums.

“I think it’s completely nutty to somehow stick yourself to a painting or on the street,” Scholz said during a visit to an elementary school in the town of Kleinmachnow outside of Berlin, German news agency dpa reported.

The chancellor added that he did not think anybody's opinion on climate change could be changed by such actions but rather that these protests made people angry.

"That’s an action that I don’t think is going to help,” Scholz told the students.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Happy 160th birthday to the SPD!

[Storr]

Based:

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1661079799526244371?s=20

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/bundestag-pflegereform-gesetz-100.html

Can't spend too much time breaking this down due to a busy schedule, but the Bundestag passed a reform of the long-term care system on the 26th, and it will come into effect on July 1st.

The meat of the bill is that at-home caregivers are now entitled to allowances from the fund between 316 and 901 euros per month. This will cost some 6.6 billion EUR, hence the payroll tax for long-term care will go up starting in July, with the employer share increasing from 1.525% to 1.7%, and then the employee share is graded more sharply based on the number of dependent children: childless adults will see a hike from the current 1.7% to 2.3%, those with one child will pay 1.7%, two children pay 1.45%, three children 1.2%, four children pay 0.95%, and five and up will pay 0.7%. As those with two or more have those children turn 25, their rate moves up based on the above until it settles at 1.7% after the final child is no longer dependent and it applies forever.

From July 1, 2025, an annual budget of 3,539 EUR will be introduced for caregivers to use flexibly based upon needs.

Approximately 4 million people receive care at home in Germany.

The SPD and Greens wanted further support, while the FDP raise concerns about escalating taxes. However, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) emphasized that this was a first step, and further recommendations for long-term care reform will be published later this year.

On one hand, I'm happy to pay my share and think it's a rightful measure, but also dislike the ever-increasing payroll taxes that are borne by wage-earners like me. Unfortunately Germany views anyone born after 1985 as a cash cow to be milked dry, with no end in sight. My combined total share of taxes and insurances is already 36.9% of my income, but the capital gains tax remains a paltry flat rate of just 25%. Must be nice to be born into an asset-rich family.

[Middle-aged Europe]

In a scaling down of diplomatic relations, the German government orders Russia to close four of their five consulates in Germany until the end of the year.

At the same time, the German foreign ministry plans to shut its own consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk down, leaving only the embassy in Moscow and the consulate in Saint Petersburg.


https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1663874531583225858


https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/1663889686765371394

[Middle-aged Europe]

In a scaling down of diplomatic relations, the German government orders Russia to close four of their five consulates in Germany until the end of the year.

At the same time, the German foreign ministry plans to shut its own consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk down, leaving only the embassy in Moscow and the consulate in Saint Petersburg.


https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1663874531583225858


https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/1663889686765371394

Russia threatens an "appropriate response" (https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/russland-kuendigt-angemessene-reaktion-auf-konsulatsschliessungen-an-a-d41ba823-edd8-45cf-90fa-4539267a4456) whatever the hell that means, considering that Germany is already closing three of its consulates in Russia on its own initiative.

[President Johnson]

In a scaling down of diplomatic relations, the German government orders Russia to close four of their five consulates in Germany until the end of the year.

At the same time, the German foreign ministry plans to shut its own consulates in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk down, leaving only the embassy in Moscow and the consulate in Saint Petersburg.


https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1663874531583225858


https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/1663889686765371394

Russia threatens an "appropriate response" (https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/russland-kuendigt-angemessene-reaktion-auf-konsulatsschliessungen-an-a-d41ba823-edd8-45cf-90fa-4539267a4456) whatever the hell that means, considering that Germany is already closing three of its consulates in Russia on its own initiative.

Russia always threatens something against the West, but nothing real ever happens. They're just trying to get people on edge here by evoke German Angst. Nobody should be afraid of their empty, delusional talk.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Somewhat uncharacteristcally for him, Olaf Scholz gets pissed at peace protestors* at a SPD rally (English subtitles included):

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1665072609120206852

(* =  who, judging by one of the t-shirts visible in the crowd must have come from the anti-vaxxer movement which is totally not surprising given the political dynamics in the country... the AfD is also opposed to supporting Ukraine and COVID vaccinations and this SPD rally did happen in the East)

[Sir Mohamed]

I always thought he was some brong moderate dude? Finally Scholz seems to fight back against Russia apologists.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Scholz calls climate activists nutty.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday sharply criticized climate activists as “nutty” for drastic protests such as blocking streets or gluing themselves to famous paintings in museums.

“I think it’s completely nutty to somehow stick yourself to a painting or on the street,” Scholz said during a visit to an elementary school in the town of Kleinmachnow outside of Berlin, German news agency dpa reported.

The chancellor added that he did not think anybody's opinion on climate change could be changed by such actions but rather that these protests made people angry.

"That’s an action that I don’t think is going to help,” Scholz told the students.

Good on Schulz for these remarks. Scholz is a great Chancellor.

[CumbrianLefty]

Though his previous seeming indecision over Ukraine is one likely cause of his poor poll ratings.

[President Johnson]

Finally Genosse Olaf gets on fire. He previously did so during another rally last year and forcefully attacked Friedrich Merz in a Bundestag debate a few months back. As much as you can criticize Schröder now or Kohl for his issues, both of them were better in that regard. Scholz more behaves like Merkel most of the time.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

On Friday, the Bundestag passed three landmark laws: a new Skilled Workers' Act, a new Training & Continuing Education Act with an apprenticeship guarantee, and new amendments to the Criminal Code ("Strafgesetzbuch") regarding sexual orientation- and gender-specific crimes

The Skilled Workers' Act establishes a points-based immigration system, faster processing of applications, faster and easier recognition of foreign degrees and work experience, new job seeker visa, slightly lower salary for EU Blue Card, easier to change industries, easier to bring dependents with you, refugees/asylum seekers who entered before March 2023 can enter vocational training if qualified

• Jobs must either meet a minimum salary threshold or be subject to a collective agreement
• Points system takes into account qualifications, language skills, professional experience, previous stays, age and dependents coming with the applicant
• Graduates from German universities/apprenticeships automatically receive a 1-year opportunity card that allows them to stay in the country past their graduation and enables part-time and trial work while looking for full-time work
• Sectors deemed to have acute labor shortages will receive special attention for applications and processing, so long as the job offers are subject to fair pay, collective bargaining contracts, and compulsory social insurance coverage
• The existing Western Balkans Regulations quota will be doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 per year

The Continuing Education Act includes an apprenticeship guarantee, government funding for continuing education/training is both expanded and simplified, new funding (called “qualification money”) introduced for workers who are threatened with redundancy due to structural change in their industry, trainees receive higher pay (equal to 60% of the equivalent full-time salary, or 67% if they have a child), a new vocational orientation is introduced for young people can have a test-period to try out the apprenticeship before actually deciding and starting, support is given for those who start training in another region of Germany and will receive a subsidy for two monthly trips back home, and anyone who cannot find an apprenticeship in their region is entitled to external training in a cooperation company and will receive monetary support.

• Qualification Money requires a company-specific or sector-wide collective agreement, where an employer’s top-up can be determined
• Training support in small and medium-sized businesses will be greatly expanded
• The apprenticeship guarantee is part of the Continuing Education Act and aims to deal with the fact that many people are not able to find apprenticeship slots despite a shortage of technically-skilled workers. Oftentimes, people are located in the wrong location, far away from apprenticeships of their choice and must either relocate using their own money, pursue an apprenticeship in something they don't want, or forgo an apprenticeship altogether

The Criminal Code amendments I am having a harder time finding detailed information on, but basically it is about clarifying and strengthening the definitions and penalties for hate crimes regarding gender and sexual orientation.

• There is also an additional reform of substitute prison sentences when fines are not paid to take pressure off the prison system. Determination of fines will also take into account the person's socioeconomic status (e.g. poverty, unemployment, homelessness or mental illness) to maintain proportionality. Fines can also be paid in installments and a substitute for unpaid community work will also be introduced
• Expansion of rehabilitation-focused treatment for those in need of treatment and willing to be treated. Focus on keeping violent offenders from using rehab centers as a way of getting out of stricter punishment, will take pressure off of the rehab centers. Prevents dangerous addicted offenders from being released due to lack of treatment places.
• Killing a woman because she is a woman must be recognized as femicide and regularly punished as murder with base motives. Patriarchal claims of ownership and misogynist notions of gender inequality must be recognized and named when identifying base motives. The assessment as murder must not be undermined by victim-blaming argumentation patterns.

The citizenship reform is also planned for final passage soon.

[Storr]

A map I saw on twitter:

https://twitter.com/simongerman600/status/1672955310066073601?s=20