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