Germany megathread

[President Johnson]

Appears we don't have a Germany megathread yet.

I'm going to start with this one:

Stuttgart: Police probe 'unprecedented' night of rioting

Police have said hundreds of people tore through the southwestern German city overnight, clashing with officers and looting shops. One regional politician described the violence as "civil war-like scenes."

Police in Stuttgart have arrested 24 suspects over rioting and looting that erupted in the German city early Sunday morning.

Of those in custody, 12 are German citizens and at least seven of them are under the age of 18, said Vice President Thomas Berger.

Speaking at a press conference, he told reporters the violence escalated at around midnight after officers began carrying out drug checks in Schlossplatz, the city's main square.

Police said hundreds of mainly young people who had gathered there started throwing stones and bottles at authorities, smashing patrol cars and breaking shop windows. They then tore through the main shopping district.

Officers estimated that up to 500 people were involved in the unrest, which took several hours to bring under control.

[...]

Deutsche Welle (English)

This is basically my hometown, inner city is about 20km away from here. Stuttgart has not seen this kind of violence in the past. As their article said, it didn't have politicial motives, apparantly a drug raid was the starting point. Usually Stuttgart is one of the safest cities in Germany, along with Munich.

However, I've noticed nightlife in Stuttgart has changed over the years, with more "strange people" out there. I actually do prefer nightlife in surrounding cities, especially in our county.

Footage:

https://twitter.com/SWRAktuellBW/status/1274606857865302018
https://twitter.com/SophiaMariaKa/status/1274611752601255937

[President Johnson]

The numbers are a bit of a foregone conclusion, but on the left you see "who would you vote for?" and on the right "who will win?" for Germany.

If Germany became the 51st state, it would have something like 90 or 100 electoral votes and lock out Republicans from power for ever

[President Johnson]

The next plague is here: It's been confirmed the African swine fever, already a problem in Poland, has arrived in Germany. A dead wild boar in Brandenburg near the Polish border has been tested positive yesterday. It's yet unknown whether there are additional cases in other areas. While harmless to humans, an infection always ends deadly for wild boars or pigs. Worse are potential economic consequences for farms: South Korea already halted imports of pork from Germany. China and others may follow soon. It's been reported that domestic pigs in the area will be "quarantined" in their barns in an effort to prevent a potential spread.

Isolated cases from this plague were reported from Belgium earlier, but it appears they could get it under control.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1304061565864296448

[President Johnson]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54174393

Twenty-nine German police officers have been suspended for sharing pictures of Adolf Hitler and depictions of refugees in gas chambers on their phones.

The officers also used far-right chatrooms where swastikas and other Nazi symbols were shared, officials in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) said.

NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul said it was a "disgrace for NRW police".

It follows several other incidences of far-right extremism among the German security services.

More than 200 police officers were involved in raids on 34 police stations and private homes linked to 11 main suspects. The officers are said to have shared more than 100 neo-Nazi images in WhatsApp groups.

Some of the suspects face charges of spreading Nazi propaganda and hate speech. Others are accused of not reporting their colleagues' actions.

This was major news today and is absolutely disgusting and appalling. I hope all of them get severe pubishments beyond the firing. Unfortunately, political leaders in all parties, especially the CDU though, for all too long lived in denial about these problems. At least today, NRW's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), admitted there are too many of "single incidents".

I think there needs to be a thorough investigation throughout all police ranks when it comes to rightwing extremism. The overwhelming majority of police are fine people, but a broader investigation is needed in their own interest to sort out the bad apples who have no right to wear the uniform of this country.

[President Johnson]

Nine years late, with billions for taxpayers in additional cost, Berlin Airport BER has finally opened. The opening was delayed numerous times since 2011, after more and more construction defects surfaced over time. They were even running ghost trains to prevent rails from falling into disrepair. The entire project made us a laughingstock around the world and gave comedians tons of jokes.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1322497041851928577

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1333763657390567431

[President Johnson]

Four dead. Driver has been arrested and police are suspecting he was drunk at the wheel, no political motive.

Rest in Peace.

Five deaths now. One is a nine month old baby. Rest in peace Hopefully the injured will fully recover.

The driver was an 51 year old German, and as you pointed out, there is no political motive. Not that it matters for those who lost their lives or got seriously injured.

[President Johnson]

Didn't the CDU get themselves into a real mess over "flat taxes" during that campaign?

Yes, Merkel's shadow finance minister Paul Kirchhof had started a debate on flat taxes, but it didn't make it into the official campaign platform. Generally, the CDU was very conservative in the early 2000s.

Which of course didn't stop Schroeder and his party using it to great effect.

I really loved how Schröder mocked Kirchhof by referring to him as "that professor from Nuremberg".

[President Johnson]

Didn't the CDU get themselves into a real mess over "flat taxes" during that campaign?

Yes, Merkel's shadow finance minister Paul Kirchhof had started a debate on flat taxes, but it didn't make it into the official campaign platform. Generally, the CDU was very conservative in the early 2000s.

Which of course didn't stop Schroeder and his party using it to great effect.

I really loved how Schröder mocked Kirchhof by referring to him as "that professor from Nuremberg".

Heidelberg it was. More beautiful place to live and teach anyway.

That's correct, Nuremberg was Ludwig Erhard.

I really miss Schröder. For all his faults post-chancellorship, he was a real persona and faught for what believed was right.

[President Johnson]

While I am certainly no fan of AfD, isn't that move a bit extreme/an overreaction? How common is to monitor parties for "extremism"? (as well as how does AfD compare to say, the old NPD)

No, it's not. They have a ton of people who are anti-democratic and not even try to hide it. It's long overdue proper authorities take a closer look at the entire party. Especially since the far right has ever gained in influence since the party was founded. The AfD's lawsuit before the Supreme Court will determine the rightfulness of the decision anyway, and I have great confidence the constitutional judges will make the right decision.

[President Johnson]

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1408493902060003335

[President Johnson]

An update on the Würzburg knife attack, which appears to have an Islamist background.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1408894084094119937

[President Johnson]

Massive floods in Northrine Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate kills at least 45 and causes massive damage.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1415668724007411712

[President Johnson]

Over 100 reported dead now. It's truly a tragedy, but there's also great solidarity, including from our friends in France.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1415980867864903683

[President Johnson]

Wanted to leave this one here... the entire country is in some state of shock and anger over a 20 year old gas station employee being shot after demanding a (mentally deranged) customer to wear a mask. I hope the guy gets locked up for the rest of his sad life.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1440668704887480320

[President Johnson]

Terrible incident, I hope everyone gets well soon and the maniac brought to justice.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1456930141850980355

[President Johnson]

An Anti-vaxxer plot to kill the Governor of Saxony has been foiled.

German police confiscated weapons during raids in the eastern cities of Dresden and Heidenau on Wednesday in connection with an alleged plot by radical anti-vaccination activists to kill Saxony's governor.

Members of a group calling itself "Dresden Offlinevernetzung," or Dresden offline network, had discussed killing state premier Michael Kretschmer on the online platform Telegram, according to police.

Both Dresden and the nearby small town of Heidenau are located in the country's state of Saxony, which was once part of communist East Germany. The region has among the lowest vaccine rates and highest number of COVID-19 infections in the country.

Police said they targeted five members of the Telegram group and that after searches of the sites "the initial suspicion was confirmed."

A spokesman for the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Saxony said five residences and one workplace were searched and that police confiscated weapons, parts of weapons and crossbows, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Thanks for adding this.

I just hope they get a very strong punishment and the federal government takes on Telegram messanger much more agressively.

Hope Kretschmer will be alright. I actually like him, despite being a CDU member.

[President Johnson]

Angela Merkel has rejected a job offer at the UN:

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1483863325234634752?cxt=HHwWgIC5vaP13pcpAAAA

[President Johnson]

Angela Merkel has rejected a job offer at the UN:

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1483863325234634752?cxt=HHwWgIC5vaP13pcpAAAA

Merkel also refuses to become honorary chairwoman of CDU: https://m.tagesspiegel.de/politik/eine-tradition-von-frueher-angela-merkel-verzichtet-auf-cdu-ehrenvorsitz/27996522.html

Before her, all former CDU chancellors had become honorary chairmen, and the CSU currently has three of them (former proper party chairs Stoiber, Waigel, and Seehofer).

I wonder when Merkel will leave the CDU altogether.

Yeah, I also remember that during a press conference (during the transition period, if I'm not mistaken) Mutti referred to the CDU as "the party close to me". And just after a longer break she added "the party I'm a member of", almost as if she forgot about that.

I think she's pretty much done with partisan politics and doesn't care about the CDU any longer, which is also why she did practically nothing to get Laschet elected.

[President Johnson]

Deadly incident in Heidelberg. RIP to the victim.

https://twitter.com/TheLocalGermany/status/1485663701856243712

[President Johnson]

AfD in disarray! Co-leader Jörg Meuthen quits his position and leaves the party outright because all of a sudden he realized that the party is indeed far right and the influence of literal Nazis is steadily increasing. Ironically that's the third AfD leader in a row, after Bernd Lucke and Frauke Petry, who steps down and immediately leaves the party. And that after they pushed their predecessor aside with the help of the nationalist wing.

Meuthen was one of the last AfD politicians at least appearing like a normal conservative, but who turned a blind eye to the far-right for far too long. Just a year ago, he even denied there are any extremists in the AfD. In an interview now, he dennonuced his former party's Covid stances and said that he was mocked in internal meetings for admitting that he was fully vaccinated and got a booster shot.

https://twitter.com/TheLocalGermany/status/1487100174144966656

[President Johnson]

Isn't he pretty much the last of the "old school" AfD, though?

Which means his successor is likely to be one of the nutters.

Well, at least not comparable to the party founders like Bernd Lucke. Meuthen was just sounded a little more moderate in tone on occasion, though he's on record for various obnoxious statements as well (Germany is "left-green filthy", climate activists are "political terrorists" etc.). He just wasn't right-wing enough anymore. He's definitely a hypocrite and grifter.

[President Johnson]

A brutal cop murder in Rhineland-Palatinate has shocked the nation today. Two officers, a 29-year old man and his 24-year female colleague, were shot during a routine inspection early in the morning. Two suspects were just arrested. I hope these sick and deranged individuals get the toughest punishment possible.

https://twitter.com/TheLocalGermany/status/1488219920215117826

[President Johnson]

So what's the cause of this?

My theory is that Scholz as of recently as been perceived as weak in his leadership. And as much as I like him, he has indeed not been out in front on key issues and shown more eagerness to lead as people would expect him. Two issues stand out in my opinion: Scholz and the cabinet not taking a firmer stance on the vaccine mandate ("just let the Bundestag decide") and his lukewarm stance on Russia/Ukraine, with the SPD divided over how to deal with Putin. Schröder's ridiculous remarks about accusing Ukrainians of warmongering wasn't helpful either. At least Scholz will head to Moscow shortly and meet with Putin after an upcoming visit at the White House to talk with Joe Biden.

Furthermore, the Union has largely been out of the news in recent weeks after Merz won the leadership election. Ralph Brinkhaus has surrendered the parliamentary leadership job to him without a fight, avoiding any public drama. Another factor may be conservative-leaning FDP voters returning to the CDU because the Free Democrats have been forced to compromise with two center-left parties. ARD Deutschlandtrend even showed at just 43% of FDP voters are satisfied with the government, while 53% aren't. Even among SPD and Green supporters, that number is only in the high 60s.

I think (and hope) this will change once the results are coming in. It's still early and the government didn't have much time to start the major reform projects.

[President Johnson]

snip

^^ You're right about most things, although I somewhat doubt that the Corona restrictions thing has anything to do with it. The same poll you cite shows that 44% consider current restrictions "appropriate" and for 22% they are even "not going far enough", meaning 66% of the population essentially opposes loosening them at this point. That's less support than a month ago, but still a pretty definitive majority.

Also, the Union pretty much supports Covid restrictions. The implementation is pretty much a state issue and the Union governs in a decent number of them. Aside from AfD, the differences go through the parties themselves.