Up through the 1970s....the combined vote of the CDU-CSU and SPD Parties....usually ran around 85-percent.
Today, I looked at the most recent poll...if you combine the three....it ranks to 31-percent. Only three out of ten German voters would vote for one of the three.
1. More Malaria?
Well....two more cases near the Frankfurt Airport (near Schwanheim....about 5 km north of the Airport...closer to the river).
What the authorities are suggesting....if you have a fever of any type....go to the doctor and ask for a test.
2. The Chancellor is discussing gas-price-relief.
Price for E-10 per liter? Near 2.35 Euro. There's some discussion that in the past day or two....Saudi Arabia has given notice....some deliveries will not be on time. The hype? You might see prices escalate up to 2.50 (this is public opinion not gov't opinion).
3. Court case in Bavaria going on....Police-woman raping a 14-year old girl.
I had to get 5 lines into the story...where they finally say....transwoman.
To convict the lady....they need the 14-year-old girl to make a court appearance....which is a 50-50 odds situation.
4. 'Super-cell' activity noted for Wed in the northern one-third of Germany. Will be pretty harsh weather.
5. Sabotage reports across the Netherlands this AM....30-odd locations (railway points).
Well....NO.
Today (Tuesday)...the remaining 4.7-percent of votes (absentee/votes from outside of Sweden) will be counted.
Vote right now? The lefties are at 49.6 (at 176 seats), and the righties are at 49.0-percent (173 seats).
Fair amount of drama? Yeah.
Grok says it's about 300,000 votes to be counted, and the past history....these votes are slightly higher for right-wing, than left-wing. I might go and suggest that the right-wing comes out with three seats more and wins with barely three seats.
I sat yesterday and watched some 'talk' given by the left-wing candidate....saying democracy was at stake, and it'd be a terrible downfall if her crew lost.
All of this revolving around eight parties? Yeah.
The EU stood up today and says in some way....it wants to introduce a law on social media usage. Accounts should only be available from 15 years old.
Age verification? Mandatory for everyone. The costs of the regulation are to be borne by the operators.
I pondered upon this....they (the EU)....can't really say how age 15 was selected.
Then this cost issue....no, the cost will be handed down in various ways to the media companies themselves....you can call it a fee, or tax, or whatever....but the individuals will pay in the end.
The simplest 'fix'? Treat it the same way as Lotto 'entry'. Print out a card....write your ID card number and name....walk to the village post office, and have them verify you in the system....stamp it, and you get into the 'system'. The post office would charge a Euro or two for the service.
Satisfying the EU? I doubt it.
EU regulating this in some fashion, and having a cost of 15 to 20 Euro? That's my bet.
Likely to be last one before Sunday's election, from Forschungsgruppe Wahlen:
AfD likely to 'win' with 37 percent, and SPD in second place with 34 percent.
Greens at marginal 5 percent, CDU at 7 percent, and Linke at 10 percent.
If AfD can't form a coalition? SPD gets the nod, and likely forms with Linke, Greens.
1. Munich murder trial opening up. Yemen guy came to Germany....brought kids (they weren't his apparently)....brought the legit wife. Wife wanted to report the fraud. Husband beheads the wife to prevent her from reporting. Based on charges....if convicted of all of them....he'd remain in a German prison for remainder of his life.
2. Some task force being created in the city of Berlin....to examine hefty rent prices. They'd have some power to bring landlords into court....prosecute.
3. New YouGov national poll: AfD at 29-percent, CDU-CSU at 18-percent (down 2).
Greens up (1) to 16-percent. SPD at 13-percent (up 1).
Linke at 10-percent (down 2). FDP at 5-percent and BSW at 4-percent (up 1).
4. Offenbach city: 60-year old guy shot dead in front of grocery. Witnesses noted some guy.....shots (plural) reportd....shooter escaped.
5. WELT: Some rumor started up.....this weekend is another state election (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Chancellor Merz will be among key top leadership of CDU-CSU. As the story goes....if there are terrible numbers for the CDU in this state election....he'll ask for a vote of confidence to continue. If you read polling for the state....best numbers are 6-to-7 percent. Some folks believe it's possible that it'll be less than 5-percent (meaning no seats in the state assembly).
6. New E-Polo from VW.....under 25k Euro.....hot item.....already 30,000 orders in the system for it.
7. Furth: some local pool 'mystery'......pool authorities report up to around 100 pairs of flip-flops being stolen during the season.
Sweden currently....has a government deal....if you are guest-migrant with a pre-2024 residency permit.....they will pay up to 600,000 SEK (roughly $60k)....per household....to voluntarily leave the country.
Basically, they hope you will take the money, and leave....without a lot of drama.
So when they say household....they are suggesting the husband and wife...with the kids.
How many have taken the deal? 171 folks.
In the past month....the right-wing politicians got into the middle of this. They want the deal expanded....to include regular Swedes. The plan would read.....you have decided Sweden is not the place for you....you've reviewed options, and chosen to leave. You were born here.....you went to school here, and no longer feel the citizenship is worth keeping.
The gov't folks are mostly shaking their heads....this exit deal was only intended for migrants.
The story goes....tomorrow....the three will meet and organize one joint exit document and prepare the general public for what will likely come by the end of 2026.
Scotland opinion....mostly tied around 44-percent for/against....with around 10-percent undecided. This would be the group of interest.
Wales? Latest poll shows only 26-percent in favor....so it's very unlikely to pass.
Northern Ireland? It's in the 35-percent range or a united Ireland (from a August poll).
So if you ask me....lot of chatter, but Scotland is the only one of the three that might exit (likely to re-enter the EU).
