Sunday, November 30, 2025

30 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  AfD youth meeting in Giessen Saturday?  

Well....some would suggest the 50,000 protest folks were simply anti-fascists, or that they were primarily Antifa, or that they were freedom-loving protesters (depends on how you get your news).  I need to state here....the 50,000 number  comes from the AP....while the police stated their  belief....it was in the 25k to 30k.

Police presence?  Six-thousand....with at least two water cannons.

Jean-Pascal Hohm was voted as the leader if the new wing of the AfD youth group.

What'll likely develop?   Within 30 to 60 days....some state will identify this group as a threat, and take them down.....then nationally (probably by May)...the group will be dismantled (the youth AfD 'wing').

As for the violence yesterday?  I watched about 45 minutes of video. As much as AfD is identified as some threat.....I think the behavior of the anti-AfD folks probably will probably start to worry both the police and the coalition. 

2.  For a number of years....the primary gun for the German Army was the G36.

Ten years ago, then-Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen decided to phase out the G36 assault rifle. New replacement now starting to arrive....the G95. First unit to receive the new weapon is a mechanized infantry unit in Bavaria.

3. Opel CEO came out and said....for E-cars to get bumped-up and more popular....there needs to be cheaper rates for electrical power.

A lousy 8-to-10 percent rate-cut won't hack it....my belief.  It'd have to be 20-to-30 percent.

4. WELT piece this AM.....by Maximilian Heimerzheim....hits on the topic that fringe youth groups (Fridays  For The Future, for example) are developing anti-draft/anti-conscription strategies...in some state of worry/fear....that their membership might be shaken by a year in the military.

We have NOT yet reached the stage where the draft will occur, and personally....I would suggest that this is likely to be a hot topic by 2027. Also, the question will come up....just how many teens would feel threatened by the draft...mentally?  Unknown factor.

5.  Two FDP Party members launched a petition to abolish the mandatory public broadcasting fee, but it has now been blocked on at least one platform. 

Hard to say the numbers. If you were to ask 18-to-30 year old Germans....at least 50-percent are negative on public TV and the monthly fee.  With the older-than-50 crowd....probably near 90-percent are pro-public TV/fee.

6. Numbers out on regional S-Bahn for Frankfurt-Wiesbaden region. Bahn guys now admit that one in ten trains are ending up cancelled.

2 comments:

Wilco said...

Is there any real reason the ADF youth should be banned, or is it just left and center pushing back against anything "right" leaning.

Schnitzel_Republic said...

The original AfD youth 'club' (designed for 17-to-30 year olds.....which I should note...the CDU, FDP, Greens, Linke and SPD have such a club)....was labeled as a problem. Gov't forced them to disband.

Sp this is effort number 2. What you tend to find is that among German youth....there are x-number who feel the migration program is screwed-up. Polling is not clear....but it might be one out of four. If it were to rise to one out of three young people being pro-AfD....it's hard to see politics in a stable situation.

Worst scenario? AfD gets 35-percent of a national vote (winning), but unable to form a coalition. Second place winner....CDU-CSU with 20-odd percent...gets the nod to form. Result....a highly weakened gov't (probably CDU-CSU-SPD-Green) forms and they limp through 2 or 3 years....making everyone unhappy. This is what most want to avoid.

My prediction.....this youth AfD group is ordered disbanded by April 2026.