1. Rail folks set the 2025 monthly Deutschland ticket (travel on bus and rail per month).....58 Euro (or 2024, it was 49 Euro).
Still a decent bargain (you just can't ride ICE (inner-city rapid rail).
Staying at 58 Euro into 2026? NO, I would not go and expect that....it'll probably go up another 10 Euro.
What can you travel on with the monthly ticket? All public buses, subways, local trains, and regional trains. You can't use the ticket for inter-city fast rail options or high-speed train (ICE) situations.
2. From the weekend, a lot of 'horror' over Octoberfest food/beer prices. Roast pork platter, 27.80 Euro. 16.90 Euro for a half-chicken and pommes.
I'd sum it up.....for one guy to spend a single 12-hour period on the grounds (eating and drinking).....you better bring a minimum of 250 Euro.
3. The key thing to take out of the Brandenburg state election results from Sunday? Just a lot of people who believe some reform or change has to occur with migration and deportation. Even if you have 100 people who refuse to vote AfD....at least half of them will be focused on crime, lack of deportation efforts, and too many asylum folks arriving in Germany.
4. WELT piece from Monday....analysis shows while a big win in Brandenburg's election.....three-quarters of people who DID vote for SPD....say they aren't that thrilled with SPD's leadership or path ahead.
5. VW has thrown an idea up....to get people thrilled to buy an E-car....a scrapping bonus. This would mean you showing up at a dealer with a gas/diesel car....buying a E-car, and the old gas/diesel car being sent to the scrap yard (instead of being re-sold).
Most analysts hearing this idea...are NOT that thrilled. It means the gov't would have to be involved and inflate some fund out of thin air....into the billions of Euro.
6. Dorothea Siems of WELT wrote an interesting article for Monday....worth reading if you can find it. Her chief comment?
I'll phrase it this way....'Germany is like a great night-club....but it needs bouncers at the front-door' (meaning migration only occurs when you manage the entrance and exit.
I liked the way it was worded and would agree....it's an absolute night-club and could be a five-star experience. But you don't want to worry about your safety or bad-boy behavior.
The chief problem....there are no current bouncers, and I doubt if any of the political parties want to hand this job out....fearing the atmosphere would spiral in some way.
7. New poll done for national politics.....Greens at 9-percent...lowest point in seven years. Possible by fall 2025 election....that they may be close to 7-percent.
8. This suggested repeat of the 2008/2009 German cash-for-junkers (cars) program is being brought up by the Greens....to save the VW company.
Basic idea in 2008/2009.....you had a older car (say more than 12 years old)....you were given more than fair value, you agreed to trade the car in....getting a new German-made car, and the old car got smashed up for recycling.
Who hated the program? Mostly parts dealers.
How much was spent in 2008/2009? In the neighborhood of 6-billion Euro.
The question if this program was brought up? Mainly goes to two issues. First....you are forced to buy an E-car....is there really a willing nature to buy such a car? Second, unless you raised taxes in some fashion....the present coalition doesn't have 6-billion Euro laying around (mostly because of the war business).
I should state as well....you'd have to have the EU bless this idea and I'm not that confident they'd be happy that you limit this to only German-made cars.
What happens if this fails (the 'doom' scenario)? Well....you reach a point of discovering that the vast majority of the German society don't want E-cars, and that VW can't be saved....even if offered 6-billion Euro. Really an amazing story...considering this is a car-nation.
9. City of Heilbronn (NW) talking about a 'limit' on barber shops, kebab shops and nail saloons in the city center. There's a belief that too much competition is existing and causing 'failures'
Generally, I'd say the same thing for Wiesbaden and how crowded the three operations have become in the center of town.
Legal? I'd say it'll be challenged. Lot of people would say there are too many shoe shops or cellphone shops as well.
10. I sat and watched a report from Munich....over Oktoberfest prices last night. Guy was interviewed....having taken five friends into a tent for a couple hours of food/drink. Final bill? 549 Euro, for roughly 3 hours.
11. Growing belief within political circles that a fall 2025 election will result in the FDP Party getting LESS than 5-percent of the national vote, and ending their seats in the Bundestag.
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