Why Are Finns So Happy?

 Back around 6 years ago....I spent a week in Helsinki (in the midst of winter, a mistake I will admit)....I got a dose of Finn 'happiness'.

On the world happiness index, for seven straight years....they have been number one.

So I've pondered upon why they rate so high, and I'd give it 5 reasons:

1. In their heart, they believe they have social support.  What I mean by that? Whether they count family connections or gov't support....they believe someone is there to help they if they 'fall'.  

An incentive pay-back?  Low-crime numbers.

In Helsinki....someone even did a 'test'....laying a wallet on the sidewalk, and 11 out of 12 times....the 'finder' returned the wallet to the owner.

2. Quality health aspects.

Yeah, lower obesity numbers (half of the US numbers)....plus they believe in the sauna business.

3.  Belief they control their life.

Whether true or not....they believe (roughly 9 out of 10) that they have some control over life decisions.

4.  Marginal corruption.

If you ask about corrupt politicians and to name some folks....most Finns can't name such a person.

Corrupt business dealing?  Go ask and most can't name a Finn company they consider dishonest.

5.  Finally, Finns have this attitude about being stoic....avoiding over-dramatic outrages or crazy behavior.

Crime Chatter

I spent about half-an-hour reading and re-reading a story from FOCUS today...over crime in Germany, and then spent an hour just pondering the numbers. 

So...there was a request for analysis of police crime statistics in Germany....which led to a number of victims in Germany of crimes committed by foreign suspects from key refugee-origin countries. 

I should note here...victim-wise...it increases year by year.

Between 2015 and 2024, approximately 426,000 Germans were victims of some type of crime.....committed by suspects from ten major countries of origin for refugees. 

Same era....around 512,000 non-Germans were victims of suspects from the same group. 

All of this comes from PKS (the fed police).

As you might imagine....AfD is the one who requested the data to be compiled.

Among the ten countries noted?  Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Iran. 

So among all these numbers....in the victim category....are roughly 126k Syrians.  Yeah, the Germans are roughed-up or assaulted, or robbed....but the Syrians  and various other non-Germans get the same treatment.

If you asked the Syrians in this group....do they think they are safer in Damascus, or Frankfurt....they might sit there for a while...thinking about it, and likely respond Damascus.  

Here's the thing...AfD will use the information and make a case to deport the 'bad-boys' quicker (if it were possible), or make the case for more police (remember, Merkel create 10k new billets in the her final three years...to ease the crime wave).  If you suggested 10k new extra billets?  I'd be curious where you'd find the recruits, if they were capable of the duty required, and if 10,000 would be enough.

The problem here....you have various non-AfD voters (CDU, SPD, Green, Linke)....who have been victims and their own patience is dwindling.

If you want to read the article....here it is.

Mulled/Gluhwein Wine Prices

 If you go back around a dozen years ago....a cup around Christmas time of Gluhwein (spiced-up hot wine) was around 2.50 Euro.

Last year, the price had escalated to 4.5 Euro.

The chatter right now is that a coffee-cup size will go this Christmas season for 5 Euro.

Yeah, it is a hefty price.

The general feeling about 2030 approaching?  The cup size will likely be near 7.50 Euro.

Three Observations

 1.  In the past month, I've been at two bakeries here in Germany....which had signs up...saying 'EC-Karten-Zahlung-ab 10 Euro'....meaning if you were going to buy something with the EC card, then it has to be a minimum of 10 Euro.

Over the past five years...a LOT of Germans got use to using the cash card (EC card), and it was for coffee and a pastry (usually not more than 4 Euro).  

So the small operations have reached a point on  cost of transactions....where they need you to spend more.

2. WELT piece this AM....both members of the coalition (CDU/CSU-SPD).....admit now that they equally are getting screwed on poll numbers....losing public support.

3. The federal statistics office of Germany came up and said....near 70,000 Germans do not have healthcare insurance...even though it's mandated. 

Gender Story

 About a year ago....Germany changed the law...so you could apply and change your gender.  At the time...it was anyone's guess how many would  accomplish the paperwork and 'change'.

Well....today, the ARD news had a update.  22,049 Germans  had changed their  gender.

I looked at the numbers....roughly 60-percent of the folks were formerly female.  The general path for  the former ladies?  Out of every five....four converted to males, and one converted to diverse (meaning not male, or female).  The diverse category could also be defined as no gender.

Why more women than men?  No one from the government offered an  explanation.

If you'd asked me a year ago how many would do the paperwork.....I would have guessed 1-percent (out of 84-million)....meaning 840,000.  I would have missed the number by a good bit.

30 Oct 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  I sat and watched N-TV business news today.  The German economy didn't grow in the third quarter of 2025. Shocking?  No.

GDP?  It stagnated at the level of the previous quarter. This apparently met economists' forecasts. Countries like France and Spain are performing better.

Better news?  The German economy narrowly avoided a recession in the summer quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP) stagnated from July to September compared to the previous quarter, according to the Federal Statistical Office's preliminary estimate. 

In case you were wondering....two consecutive quarters of negative growth are considered an official recession.

2.  Two odd pieces of news....business-wise.  There are thousands of apprentice positions still open presently.  Second thing....120k more unemployed Germans than this time last year.

3. VW is  reporting a billion-Euro loss for the 3rd quarter.

4.  A new traffic law is going to occur in Slovakia. The government in Bratislava reportedly plans to introduce a speed limit for pedestrians.....6  kph.

I paused over this...thinking....generally at the gym, I'm on the treadmill, and walking at a rate of 5.6 kph.  I really didn't think it was an amazing speed.

So....if you were walking 6.5 kph?  In Slovakia, you'd get a warning probably....maybe even a ticket.

5.  Chancellor Merz is spending a couple of days in Turkey....working on trade talks. 

29 Oct 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  Finishing touches today in Germany.  The statutory minimum wage is to be increased in two stages. In January, it is set to rise to €13.90 per hour.  In 2027, it'll go to €14.60 is planned for the following year.

2.  Tegel Airport (Berlin) (now closed) was supposed to civilian property use....however, the push is on....converting it to a military use-site.

3.  Terms like "veggie schnitzel" could soon be banned in the EU. However, the German Ag Minister is opposing the word ban.

4.  Welfare for Ukrainians in Germany....very likely to end.  

How Many German Retirees Still Work?

 Well....in 2025, Germany has approximately 2.9 million retirees who continue to work while receiving pension benefits. 

Figures?  Reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) and aligned with projections for the year.

Why?  It is a combination of factors.

Some wake up around age 60 and realize that they will have a crappy pension upon reaching 67.....deciding two or three extra years have to be accomplished.

Some work at part-time jobs....to ease the retirement burden.

I should note here....this was before a new 2025 law that allows up to €2,000/month tax-free earnings post-retirement, addressing Germany's shrinking workforce (projected -6.3 million by 2030).

If  I were guessing with the new 2025 law....for 2026....the number of retirees still working past 67....will ease up to around 3.5-million.  

Is Germany Suffering from Deindustrialization?

 To say it started on one day,  or  one month, or one year...would be wrong....it started with stages.

Jobs lost in coal/steel....1980s?  Yep....roughly 300,000 in the Ruhr Valley area over a decade.

1990s?  There was reunification shock & Euro preparation.

2000s?  Hartz IV welfare got introduced, with wages stagnant for the whole decade.

2010s? Nuclear power halted.....Russian sanctions hurt (2014)....dieselgate occurred....production peaks occurred.

So....Germany is facing significant signs of deindustrialization, often described as "escalating" or "creeping" by economists and industry leaders. 

Germany's industrial sector has been shrinking due to a combination of energy crises, policy missteps, global competition, and demographic challenges. 

It's BS if you think it just started in  the past five years  (with Covid).

Investment flight part of the story?  Yes.

Job losses are a monthly topic now....with companies like Volkswagen, BASF, Bosch's BSH unit, and Lanxess pursuing cuts.

Economic shrinkage?  GDP growth is the lowest in the EU post-pandemic, with recession risks persisting into 2025. 

If you look at the next six months.....job stability is likely to be the top problem discussed.

If Merz 'Goes' As Chancellor?

 There's probably three or four scenarios where numbers reach a point, and the coalition collapses in some way, with Merz exiting.

If you asked me the next most likely candidates?

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius  of SPD ranks near the top, but the SPD is barely at 16-percent.

Lars Klingbeil of the SPD....might be in this group....but again....the SPD has numbers problems.

As for the CDU-CSU? Markus Söder (Bavaria's PM) and Jens Spahn.  

If the SPD could move up into the 20-to-25 percent range....Pistorius would likely be the best replacement guy.

28 Oct 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  Weather guys hyped up...giving a 90-day forecast that involves a fair amount of snow and winter-storm weather.  If you go back 2 years ago....lot of snow (extreme) where for 2 weeks...massive snow fall. In my village, it was upward to 18 inches.

For where I live (central part of the country)....outside of Wiesbaden....there's maybe three snowfalls of 2 to 4 inches a year (normally).  There's been been entire winters where we had just flakes and no accumulation. 

2.  Past 2 weeks.....fair amount of drone activity at night....in the Brandenburg area.

3.  Egg prices edging upward....because of bird-flu.

4.  Police hit a car repair shop in Remscheid with a raid.  Turns out to be a international arms smuggler gang.  Found a secret room containing hundreds of military weapons.

5.  Chancellor Kohl's final resting spot 'done'.....work completed.  Yeah, he's been dead since summer of 2017.  His wife paid for the work....not the gov't.  Buried in the town of  Speyer (Pfalz).

27 Oct 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  Early this AM.....Federal Interior Minister Dobrindt (CSU) is demanding that crisis preparedness and the potential dangers of war be addressed in German schools.

Reactions from the opposition (Green, Linke, AfD) are mixed: Some folks are accusing him of scaremongering, others are supportive.

How you would work crisis preparedness into a class package for school life....unknown.

I might go and predict 5-percent of German kids will freak out, and require mental health assistance.

2.  German police union is saying MORE police have to be hired, and put into train stations.  

From my walks....Mainz, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt.....if you used views of the 1980s....there's already a lot more police (especially in the last decade).

3.  Folks in Munich and Bavaria are  hyped up to bid to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will take place either in 2036, 2040, or 2044.   

However....around 20-percent of the public are probably anti-bid.

4.  More than 200,000 chickens, geese, ducks, and turkeys have been culled at this point because of bird-flu in Germany.  More to occur.

5.  Watched a ARD piece.....new  study done....over widespread populism in Germany.  Distrust of the news media/politics and a belief in "secret powers" going on....around 17 percent support a populist worldview. 

Over The Weekend

About 10 days ago...this 'cityscape' BS started up in Germany.  The theme?  The Chancellor comment in some way that various highly urbanized German cities are basically losing their Germanic 'theme', and resembling non-German cities....hinting that migration is growing into a problem.

Various folks stood up and said 'hell no'.  But as journalists spanned out....they found that roughly 60-percent of the German population readily agree with the Chancellor.

Over the weekend....the SPD decided they need to engage in the topic....or they might lose SPD-voters.

So they want a security summit in the Chancellery.  What they basically said....they oppose reducing the city's problems to just migration by itself....saying there are more other issues that create 'cityscape'.

So they demand a joint strategy (with the CDU-CSU) for greater security. 

Reaction so far?  CDU/CSU says mostly 'nein, danke' (no, thanks).

So far....no one has done a poll by party-voters....on 'cityscape'....but I would imagine 50-percent of SPD-likely-voters say it's an obvious problem, and think something ought to  be done to resolve this.  

If you asked me for solutions?  I'd have to pull out two bottles of cherry-liquor, and waste it on a 3-hour thinking-session.  Other than limiting populations in  big cities....there's just not much you can do. 

Will The Coalition Gov't Of CDU-CSU-SPD Last?

  Normally, after the early 2025 federal election....you'd have four years of 'peace'.

This week...BILD am Sonntag newspaper had Insa do a survey.  

Forty-nine percent of respondents say the current federal government will likely NOT last the entire legislative period until 2029. However, 32 percent believe the coalition will last until 2029.

Yeah, it's a bad sign.

On the negative side....in terms  of being dissatisfied with the work of the federal government....66 percent view the government's work in a critical fashion.

In terms of how such an early election would occur?  Presently, AfD would likely 'win' with 26-percent of the vote, but be UNABLE to form a gov't.  This would lead to the CDU-CSU (around 24-to-25-percent) getting the chance, and forced in some way to partner with the SPD and Greens. 

Yeah, it would be a highly ineffective gov't and likely lead to a even lesser favored gov't in the next term.

As for the idea of a falling out presently between the CDU-CSU and SPD?  Merz isn't exactly making any major fixes, and the economy is still stalled.

Partnering between the CDU-CSU and AfD?  Zero-chance.

What's This German Flag Story Suddenly Going On?

 Well.....up in Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde, a small village in Germany's Sauerland region (Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia) with around 6,000 residents, is currently in the news for an overnight action where over 40 German national flags (black-red-gold) just suddenly appeared out of thin air....hoisted on public masts, paths, and even the local radio tower.

Yes....like aliens had come along...acquired flags from some Chinese firm, and put them up.

The incident, which happened in the night leading into 19 October 2025, is linked to a viral social media campaign called "#HissdieFlagge" (Hoist the Flag), often tied to right-wing or patriotic online groups promoting "national pride." 

As you would  imagine....local authorities view it as potential misuse of the flag symbol, which officially represents Germany's democratic order, and worry it could signal political agitation. 

The mayor (Birgit Tupat) called it a "misuse" and ordered the flags removed on Monday, using municipal workers since many were placed high up.

State police (Staatsschutz) are investigating for possible offenses like property damage or unauthorized use of public spaces, though flags on private property are fine and not an issue here. The village filed a formal complaint, and the case has sparked online debate about patriotism versus extremism in Germany, where displaying the national flag publicly can sometimes draw scrutiny due to historical sensitivities.

Up to this point (Sunday), no arrests have been made, and no group has claimed responsibility.  

It's not really page one news....if you ask around...maybe only 10-percent of folks have heard of the story so far. 

General public reaction?    I'd say three types of reaction.  The first...mostly up to 50-percent of folks....asking when is it a crime to show the German flag. Second, maybe a quarter of folks strongly condemning the action....saying it's a AfD tactic or maybe even a Putin strategy.  Finally, the last reaction....suggesting symbiology chaos is on display....that other symbols will start to freak people out (like crosses, soccer team symbols,  etc).

I'll just say from a personal prospective....on German personal property...it's not uncommon to have a flag pole in the backyard, and a flag displayed.  In my village....400 houses....there's probably six folks with flags  up (not necessarily always the German flag....sometimes a Brazilian flag or a Danish flag).  

Crazy times?  Yeah....you never know what will trigger folks to get 'crazy-crazy' just seeing something. 

Oh, and I'll add...in the German integration class....the flag is noted, and oddly enough....they even showed the old DDR (East German) flag to orientate non-German folks that it too...once existed.   If you tested those folks....they always confused the two flags.

On my BIG-DEAL index (1-10)....it's presently pretty low.....'3'.  

25 Oct 2025: Germany: 7 Things

1.  Back in mid-September, a 21-year-old shot at cars on the B16 near Dillingen (Bavaria)....no deaths. The Munich public prosecutor's office came out yesterday and now says they suspect he had IS sympathies.  Number of vehicles shot upon?  22.

Apparently, he had some contact with Salafists.  

 2.  Apparently at the PM meeting this week (with EU PM's)....they had several PM's talk up the idea of lessening the rules of banning  combustible engines in 2035.  They aren't say to delete it.....just lay it out for a longer period.

My humble belief?  By early spring 2026.....this will be pushed back to 2042.  Car industry peeved?  I would imagine they are adding up the developmental cost and shaking their head over the push toward E-cars.

3.  Lufthansa strike approaching?  Looks that way.

4.  Can you work or be employed by the churches in Germany....yet not be a member of that said religion....legal argument going on about this question.

5.  Roughly 60-percent of Germany believes Merz is correct about his 'cityscape' comments.  Poll suggested this.

6.  Is VW missing 11-Billion Euro?  Yes, recent reports indicate that Volkswagen Group is facing a projected cash shortfall of approximately 11 billion Euro in free cash flow for 2026, which could jeopardize its ability to fund ongoing operations, new model development, and EV investments without additional measures like asset sales or capital raises.

How?  Well...this comes an internal review highlighted in German media (mostly from BILD), amid broader challenges including delayed EV rollouts (already costing more or less 6 Billion Euro), supply chain disruptions from China, slowing sales of high-margin vehicles, and escalating costs at brands like Porsche and Audi. 

Who will make up the 11-Billion?  Merz might find a couple of Billion (gov't loan with zero-percent).  Oddly, I might suggest that Elon Musk might walk in and lay 3-to-6 Billion down...asking for 5-percent ownership (I know....a crazy idea).   Elon might ask for a friendly change of view from ARD or ZDF....as part of the deal (yeah, really crazy).

6.  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he expects that the German-state-controlled subsidiaries of Rosneft (Russian oil company) will be exempted from the U.S. sanctions package targeting the Russian oil giant.  Apparently, he has some 'promise'.

7.  Germany is lodging a extreme protest over the chip shortage, with China. I don't expect a response until Monday.

The Odds of AfD Adding A 2nd, 3rd, And 4th Agenda By Spring 2029?

 I'd give it 90-percent odds, that they expand past their chief agenda....correcting migration/asylum issues.

This is a party that has survived for almost a decade...on one SINGLE agenda item, and gone from near 7-percent....up to around 27-percent in 2025.

My humble guess where the agendas will come from?

1.  Engaging the welfare class, to get non-Germans off (deported), and raising welfare payments to Germans stuck in the 'class'.  Where the funding comes from?  Unknown.

2. Significantly improving police numbers (probably adding 10,000 additional police minimum). Where the funding comes from?  Unknown.

3.  Getting Russian natural gas approved for purchase and delivery back into Germany....for a cheaper rate, and aiding recovery.  

4.  Convincing Germans that the time has come for US forces to leave the country.

I'm not saying any of these make sense or have a logical 'return-of-value', but they (if all added up)...could bring AfD closer to 40-to-45 percent of the vote.

23 Oct 2025: Germany: 3 Things

 1.  German gov't agreed....they will cover the salary of 11,000 Germans employed by the US gov't....who weren't going to be paid at the end of October.  Finance Ministry will cover the bill.   

2.  The German Bundeswehr, police, and fire department were scheduled to train together in Erding for a defense emergency yesterday. However, apparently not all authorities are informed about the large-scale exercise.  Some cops reacted....thinking the Army guys were shooting with real bullets....firing back with real bullets.....one soldier wounded.

3.  Shots are fired in the middle of Hanover.  One dead and several wounded.

Police arrest a suspect. They believe there are other perpetrators involved.

Some kind of argument between 2 groups of men....outside of betting shop...started the problem

All German Companies Affected By The Nexperia Mess

Auto parts companies: Bosch, Continental, and ZF Friedrichshafen.

Car companies: Opel, VW, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche.

Each had a stock of the chips.....VW is the one at the front of the line....in roughly two months.....the rest will follow. 

Explaining The Nexperia 'Mess'

 Nexperia, a major Dutch-based semiconductor manufacturer (wholly owned by China's Wingtech Technology), has been at the center of an escalating geopolitical dispute involving the US, Netherlands, and China. 

This stems from US export controls on Wingtech (imposed in December 2024 and expanded in September 2025) that indirectly targeted Nexperia, prompting the Dutch government to invoke its rarely used "Goods Availability Act" (an emergency wartime-era law) around early October of this year. 

The move suspended Nexperia's Chinese CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, and placed the company under temporary external management to safeguard European supply chains and technology. 

So like one would expect....China retaliated shortly after that....by banning exports of key Nexperia components and sub-assemblies produced in China, crippling the firm's supply chain (most assembly occurs there).

Only affecting VW?  NO.....the others were the ones caught with some extra supply.....in about four weeks....various other German companies will have the same issue.

This VW Production Line Shutdown

 Germany's Volkswagen (VW) is facing production disruptions at its German factories due to a chip shortage caused by geopolitical tensions.

To make this simple....the issue comes from a dispute between China and the Netherlands over Nexperia, a Dutch chipmaker owned by Chinese firm Wingtech, leading to export restrictions. 

 This has disrupted supplies of semiconductors critical for vehicle electronics. 

 VW plans to halt Golf and a SUV line model production starting next Wednesday of next week at its Wolfsburg plant.

Other sites like Emden, Hanover, and Zwickau may also be affected as chip stocks dwindle. 

The German government and carmakers' association VDA have expressed HUGE concerns over the supply chain impact. 

VW has warned employees of potential temporary stoppages but denies immediate halts. Basically....short-time work would start up....until the chips are procured.

This echoes the 2021 chip crisis but is tied to current US-China trade frictions. 

VW shares fell 2-percent amid the news.

On news potential....a top 3 item today.

Is Germany Really 'Dangerous' (Like In Terms Of A No-Go Zone)?

 Vast regions of the US....like Baltimore, New Orleans, Birmingham or Memphis....are generally regarded as no-go zones.  It's been that way for several decades.

When I first arrived in Germany (Frankfurt) in 1978....there simply wasn't a no-go zone in existence.  I could walk any part of the city...even at midnight.

There's some point around 1990 to 1995....I used the term...'exercise caution'.  Meaning?  There were the beginnings of drug-zones in cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf.  It wasn't the whole city....it was simply a drug-use zone  where you were better off to avoid. 

Somewhere around 2010 to 2015....stabbings started to collect up and be openly discussed by the police. The reports mostly all came from highly urbanized cities (Hamburg, Koln, Frankfurt, Berlin, etc).  Around 2017....the knife-assaults  got up to 3,800 for the nation.  That's a 800-plus-percent jump from 2008.

Blame?  Well....what the police suggest is that as migrant numbers increased (after 2014)....drugs, booze, and violence became part of the landscape.

Around 2019-2021....the numbers started to trend up.  By 2023.....they had almost 9,000 serious body harm incidents across the nation.  Berlin itself....had around 3,550 cases in 2023 alone.

More police were added....but it barely made a dent in the public perception.

If you lived in a small village, or rural region? You probably rest pretty easy and feel almost none of the danger element.

If the talk comes up in a group?  Most Germans have an opinion (rather negative), and quietly admit that they 'know' the nearest threat area and where to avoid.   

All of this playing into politics now? Both the lefty and righty sides have political positions and quietly admit more more funding for the police is likely to  come.

Affecting Christmas markets?  Because of attacks and violence....every city Christmas market has a  'protective' zone.   There are barriers, private security for entry of vehicles, and extra cops (reservists) roaming.

Is security/safety now a top ten issue?  I would suggest since 2020....it's progressed up and firmly a top five issue now.

Comparable to Baltimore or Chicago?  NO.  For the most  part, it's still knife assaults or threats.....rarely if ever gun-violence.

My worst prediction? In five to eight years....I could imagine the AfD folks making this a top priority, and finding another 10-percent of the voters who want ultra-serious action to occur.

22 Oct 2025: Germany: 15 Things

 1.  New rule coming...bus drivers used to require a age limit of 23....now going to 21.  Truck-drivers license....going from age 21...down  to age 18.

Also....within 5 years....driver's license will be digital....you can load it onto your cellphone.

2.  From Monday....a teenager was fatally stabbed in a argument/fight...at a  supermarket in the Lippe district (NW Germany). A 33-year-old suspect was arrested in Lemgo after the incident.  What cops say? Dead kid was 16.  

Suspect?  Had a criminal record....drug convictions.

Both were German (for nationality)

3.  I stood in a Germany grocery store (nameless) last week, and walking through the soap/drug department....here were the rubber/condom section, with sex-toys/dildos (five or six).  I stood there for a minute....kinda surprised.  Something new that you would not have seen a year ago.  Juvenile girl walking out with a new 'toy'?  Yeah, with no issues.

4.  Odd problem has developed.....12k Germans work for the US military on posts/bases in Germany.  Their wages are also frozen.  The union has requested that the German gov't step in and pay the wages to the end of October.  German gov't has not responded to this idea.

5.  Back in early September, the connecting cable between two carriages of the Gloria funicular in Lisbon (Portugal) broke. 

Police finished up a investigation into the accident, which claimed 16 lives, concluding that the cable was unsuitable for the weight/stress required. It had been installed in the Gloria funicular back in 2022 (rather new).

6.  Portugal's parliament (Assembly of the Republic) approved a bill on 17 October  2025, that would ban face veils (burqas and niqabs)....worn for "gender or religious" reasons in most public spaces.  

It has to be signed or veto'ed by the President.  No one says the odds yet...would occur around end of December.

7.  Massive storm approaching Germany in 12 hours....160 kph wind expected in north Germany.

8.  Rather odd Monday evening chat-forum show on ARD....Hard-But-Fair.

There was a debate over food prices, and whether grocery stores are handing  unfair prices to consumers.  One of the Linke Party 'bosses....suggested 'food-control' was necessary....which drew a retail boss to accuse the leftists of "socialism à la GDR".  Meaning?  Old DDR (East Germany) manipulation of food, costs.

I'll just say....you can shop 'cheaply'....if you use a strategy.  It means controlling your habits, and buying lesser cost items.

9.  In the state of Hessen...45 million Euro is to be spent on a pool, bath and sauna complex....which replaces a closed up operation....in Pfungstadt.  Construction has started.

So, two things....this occurs ten years after the closure of the dilapidated swimming pool in Pfungstadt, and locally....probably one out of four residents is against the use of the public money/debt being used.

10.  Out of Bavaria (the state)....the SPD Party wants to examine the constitutional loyalty of lay judges (state-wise....near 4,800 of them.  The SPD say the judges should in future be required to demonstrate their loyalty to the constitution.

How the test would run?  Unknown.  Would SPD judges be at risk?  Well....maybe, but first you need to run the test.

11. Germany's recession ending without cheap Russian natural gas coming back on?  Impossible.

I don't see the German steel industry, or car industry getting back into great condition without the cheap Russian  natural gas.

12.  New German youth word?   "Das ist verrückt" was the old expression used by youth...meaning....it doesn't make sense.  For 2025....it got replaced by "Das crazy."

Same meaning....just used English instead.

13.  I used Grok (the AI) today and asked....is the Russian stock market reliable?

Answer?  No....based on gov't manipulated data....the stock sold or bought....is not truthful or reliable.  Who would come in and invest in a country like this?  No one.

14.  What is the German "Cityscape scandal" all about?

Chancellor Friedrich Merz's remarks on migration during a public appearance in Potsdam, Brandenburg, on October 14, 2025 started this. While addressing questions about his government's immigration policies and the rising popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Merz stated that, despite reducing migrant arrivals by 60-percent year-on-year, "we still have this problem in the cityscape." 

Critics viewed "problem in the cityscape" as implying that migrants and refugees visibly detract from the aesthetic or cultural appearance of German urban areas, evoking far-right rhetoric about "foreignization" or cultural dilution. 

Yeah, it was seen as discriminatory, xenophobic, and echoing AfD talking points, undermining Merz's efforts to position his center-right CDU-led coalition as a bulwark against extremism.

It's like you go up to some tourist and ask for a description of Hamburg or Stuttgart, and they give you a flowery Germanic answer.  But if they were viewing a run-down neighborhood....lot of migrates walking around, and it doesn't appear to be Germany....they might give you a negative description of the German city.

A big deal on his comment?  Well....if you asked a rural German or small-town German....they likely agree with Merz. 

15.  Last night via ARD....they did a 3-min report on 'safety' (really....lack of safety).

Five years ago....the Federal Criminal Police Office wrote up a report over the feelings of the public and warning the politicians of safety issues in urbanized areas.

So....same group...working on a 2025 study...scheduled to be presented in fall 2025. The current figures are already five years old and are based on approximately 45,000 interviews with the public.

The survey shows that people in Germany generally feel a high level of security. However, there are differences: At night, only just under three-quarters of people feel safe in their own neighborhood when traveling alone. On buses and trains, the figure is less than half.

I agree with the summary....you can see problems in my local region (Mainz, Wiesbaden). 

Explaining France's Economic Woes In Simple Fashion

I'll try to keep this simple and basic.  What you need to focus on...GDP growth of .6-perent presently....won't help.

Problem one: France's government debt has surged to 114-percent of present GDP (around €3.3 trillion), with the 2024 deficit hitting 5.8-percent of GDP.

In case you were wondering....it hasn't been this bad since 1945. The France 10-year bond now yields around the same as Italy or Greece.

Problem two: There is serious instability and legislative failures going on.

Multiple government collapses since mid-2024, including the recent resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu in October 2025, have stalled reforms and budget approvals. Without a stable majority, France risks extending the 2024 budget into 2025, delaying deficit reductions and eroding investor confidence, potentially slowing growth by .2-percentage points.

Problem three:  There is strong indicators of weak productivity and stagnant growth

Productivity growth lags behind peers like the US (widening the per capita income gap to over 20%), contributing to structural stagnation. 

Problem four: fiscal austerity and constrained public spending....marginally work.

Efforts to curb the deficit to 5.4% of GDP in 2025 involve €40 billion in cuts to public consumption and social transfers, alongside revenue hikes, but these measures are dragging on activity.

Problem five: there is definitely a deteriorating trade balance. 

Exports fell 1.8% in early 2025, pushing the trade deficit to subtract .7- percentage points from GDP growth, amid US tariffs and global trade barriers. Combined with policy uncertainty, this has weakened consumer spending, kept savings rates at record highs, and hindered investment recovery.

Progressing out?  Not with Macron.  

Last detail....as bad off as France is.....it's handcuffed to Germany.  

20 Oct 2025: Germany: Four Things

 1.  From the weekend, it's become apparent....that the tens of billions that Chancellor Merz talked about saving....by pushing welfare folks in working....is NOT about to occur.

Best estimate....talked about a good bit  over the weekend....savings might  add up to 850-million Euro 'saved', and this only occurs if they get 100,000 working.

Lot of BS chatter....but related to over-expectations.

2.  WELT piece this AM.....'Germans should prepare for a 72-hour period of outage'.

Odd commentary by a security guy....suggesting massive grid outage, or supply chain problems.

He's suggesting  electricity out and grocery operations out.

3. AfD Party says they want to make Trump a honorary citizen of  Bad Durkheim (where his family came from).

4.  German Defense Minister visiting Iceland this week.  Port agreement being worked up with Germany and Iceland.