Exploding Price in Germany

https://x.com/i/status/2054396218412085355

Hospital Stay

Well...shocked I am.  Staying at HSK.  Premium room, 48 in tv, decent menu, free bottle of water, and refrigerator in the room.  IV hook up 3x a day with Aciclovir for shingles.  No real pain, yet.

Room cost?  105 Euro per day...figures Tricare covers around 90 percent.   In the US, this would have been $500 a day.

Zero criticism except nurses wanting to check on you hour by hour.

Quiet Until The Weekend

 Will be lounging as of tomorrow AM.....in a Wiesbaden clinic....doc say shingles.  Says I have to stay for 3 nights....so no chatter for a couple of days.

Two German Holidays At Risk?

Well....the Chancellor (Merz) is to have a meeting with the SPD rep (Klingbeil). To show increased 'production'.....there is this suggestion to dump two holidays  (1 May, and either Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day) or Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday / Pentecost Monday).

Public appeal? Zero.

The idea that the SPD would agree to dump May-Day?  Zero.

To show some mathematical plus-up? More or less....16 extra man-hours a year....for each working adult.  

10 May 2026: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  The Hantavirus ship is now parked at Tenerife (the Spanish isle).  Supposed to be a medical team (in hazmat suits) checking each guest out.

2. Putin said something to the effect that the 'special operation' is about to end. Maybe BS...maybe some conclusion.

3. Tuesday, here in Germany....CDU-CSU and SPD bigwigs to meet and  talk over 'path' ahead.  Reportedly, Merz has said...on a number of issues, there has to be a firm 'conclusion'.  If this is not met....the rumor goes that Merz would collapse the coalition.  

Maybe BS....but I suspect that the SPD is fearful of a crappy result if a fresh new election would occur (like 12-percent or less).

4.  Trump hinted....whatever troops leave Germany....odds are....they move to Poland. NATO continues on.  

5.   Putin say.....he wants former Chancellor Schroeder....to head  up talk with the EU....to get Russia relations on 'track'.  Trade?  That's the top priority....I would suspect. 

6. Rumor started up....Linke, SPD and Greens...would exit Twitter and their 'hype' would only be seen on Bluesky.

I looked for numbers....only 2-million Germans have accounts currently on Bluesky.  The hope here....if they left Twitter/X....others would leave.  The worst scenario....1-to-2 million add  Blueesky, but stay on Twitter as well...getting both sides of the spectrum.

My Village Fest

 My village, on the outer ring of Wiesbaden, started their weekend fest yesterday.  The wife and I spent four hours there.  Two observations:

1.  It's EXPENSIVE.  Food/beverage-wise....just the two of us...we spent near 70 Euro ($80). If you had kids.....it's five Euro for each ride.  Beer was reasonable....near 5 Euro per half-liter.  Corndogs?  Well....they had them for 5 Euro each (I skipped that).

2.  Security-wise....street-blockers and  private security around. You felt safe, but it obviously came with a cost-factor.

If you had two kids....each would have demanded 100-plus Euro for the weekend.

9 May 2026: Germany: Four Things

 1. I don't normally follow the royals of the UK....but this odd German news  item popped up.....Fergie (former wife of Prince Andy)....apparently had a 'hot-affair' going on for several years with P. Diddy.  

On news value....it's marginal.  But you just wonder how they met up, and if Epstein was involved.

2.  On the Hanta virus updates?  One key thing I  note.....German doctors are pretty 'firm'....no one they have under their care....is bad-off.  A good example....if you have four-star medical care going on....you likely will survive.

3.  Focus travel article: flight cancellations across Germany....now generally expected this summer.  Fuel issues driving this.

4.  Three-day cease-fire in effect for Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Serious economic problems probably dragging Russia into this.

This Germany Economic 'Bubble' Spiral

Economists argue over this....some say the spiral started with Covid....some say it started  in 2022 as Covid became a non-issue....some will say between 2017 and 2020,  you could see industry in decline.

If you see a discussion going on....they usually say bad policy without consequences at the ballot box carried the nation to the current point.

Lately.....the news media (public TV) says the decline started with the Iran 'war'...missing everything from 2022, or 2023 or 2024.

The funny thing?  The reason why so many Germans voted for the CDU/Merz in the last election....was that he understood commerce/business/economics.  The general feeling was that he would serve as some 'Moses' character....bringing things back into focus..

So....at this point?  Merz had to build  a coalition around the SPD...who need higher taxes to cover the promised programs. SPD numbers?  If you look at current polls....they marginally can get 12-percent of the national vote.  

Yeah, there is a drama unfolding....with most Germans disgruntled about the trend.