AfD Topic

 Germany's AfD leader Alice Weidel said this week.....she wants the EU abolished and power returned to individual European nations.

Hot priority with Germans? Not really.

I've seen various polls over the past five years....it's never more than 30-percent of German society who wants the German participation in the EU dissolved.

I suspect....if you approached a hundred adults in Germany....they might agree...the EU can be reckless and out-of-control on occasion, but if you asked them to rank this as a problem to fix....it's not in their top 500 issues.

Having lived around West Germany in the 1970s/1980s, and remembering the various border problems/issues....you need something like the EU....but you need to limit their days at 'work'....keeping sessions to just 60-to-90 days a year.   You don't need them looking for fresh new problems to solve.

Poor choice of stuff to offer AfD-voters?  I can think of a dozen things which might be more appreciated.   

How Merz 'Failed' (Never-Got-Ahead) As Chancellor

 Look....Merz was 'sold' as the smart economics guy that could rebrand Germany....dissolve the downward trend....and would build a path to 'old days' (prosperity years).

The CDU Party sold this....the news media sold this....and there simply wasn't a more positive alternative.

Merz walked in, and found the first boundary....he'd have to partner with the SPD Party, and the Finance Ministry would be their territory.  I'd say that most of the first twelve months were wasted on stumbling around with this conservative/liberal relationship, and continually focused on increased taxes.

His past with Blackrock?  Well....after a while, you'd start to wonder if he ever had much success with them.

Thinking there is a better alternative in the CDU or CSU ranks?  I'm not really that convinced of that idea.  Polls mostly show a majority of Germans (say 30-percent) don't see any great options....from any party.

Next federal election (unless the coalition collapses)?  Early 2029.  

28 May 2026: Germany: 8 Things

 1. Markus Lanz public forum show from last night (Wed): lot of talk over Merz  probably gone by end of the year  from Chancellor job.  Problem I see at this point....Germany needs a economic 'kick', and having the SPD as a partner in the coalition....probably doesn't achieve much of a kick.

So....once Merz leaves....the new guy arrives....don't expect much except for new elections within 12 months (my bet).

2.  Some NATO assessment....suggesting Putin is at the bottom of the barrel for military manpower, and the only obvious way out....stage a front into Europe and take over a few countries to invent new manpower.

Biggest BS assessment I've read in past five years.

3.  German Defense Ministry says they are preparing for a mandatory situation for upping reservist manpower. Volunteer situation marginally working.

4.  CDU Party wrote up resignation letters for AfD members in the Bundestag....that they could write their name in and sign...quitting.  Partly as a joke....partly to make a point. Sounds like some gimmick that 12-year old kids would dream up.

5.  Fusion reactor being discussed......possible future for nuke-energy.

6.  Head-guy of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Sinan Selen, says there's a threat to democracy. For this reason, he wants to grant his agency more extensive powers in order to address it more effectively. He more or  less said.....among other things, the computers and cell phones of target individuals are to be spied on.

Folks might appreciate the spying effort....especially since China, Russia and the US probably already spy on them.

7.  Pope Leo said in a statement....AI must be 'disarmed'.

Seems like a exorcism would be next up.  Don't know how AI would react if demons were cast out.

8.  Last day or two....Spanish anti-corruption police raided the HQ of the ruling PSOE Party.  Various reasons given....one suggests that Venezuela delivered funds to the party.....to ensure public votes.

Germany: US Troops Withdrawal

 The German Defense Minister (Pistorius, SPD) had a meeting geared for this week in DC....to talk over the 5,000 exiting plan....but the US War Secretary....said 'no' to the meeting.

So Defense Minister Pistorius canceled a scheduled U.S. visit.

Any blame to dish out on Merz? Marginal amount.

I don't see this occurring in 2026....and it might be into 2027 before the full exit occurs.

Wiesbaden And The Tram Chatter

 Tomorrow (Thur)....there's supposed to be another city-hall meeting....discussing the tram idea.

For probably fifty years....there's been an agenda to bring trams to Wiesbaden.  We currently exist with mostly bus service, and some train service to the outlying region. If  you gaze over at Mainz....two tram lines exist.

Negative view within Wiesbaden?  I'd say two values pop up....one....no one wants public access around the city messed up for three-plus years. The second....no one wants the noise situation.

The city planners?  If approved, they want it to start around the 'tent' in Mainz-Kastel (to the far SE of town)....reach the train-station, and end somewhere around the HSK (clinic) on the far west of town.

The last time this topic came up....a public vote occurred, and the NO won by 10-to-15 points.

The only way you could get this passed?  Mostly go and avoid urban zones and make it worthless to get hyped-up about.

Do Most German Deaths Occur In The Heat Period?

 Well....NO.

According to official statistics from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany records roughly 1.006–1.008 million deaths per year in recent years (2024: 1,007,758; 2025: 1,006,346). 

So....they break it down by months....where 83,900 should  be the monthly average of deaths.

Winter months (especially December–March) have significantly higher numbers (often 85,000–98,000-plus), mainly due to respiratory illnesses, accidents, flu, cold weather, and cardiovascular issues.

Using 2024/2025 data.

Month            Average deaths (approx.)        Notes

January                97,600                                Highest month

February              89,600                                High

March                  89,700                                High

April                    81,100                                Medium

May                     80,200                                Medium

June                     76,500                                Low

July                      77,600                                Low

August                 78,000                                Low

September            76,700                                Lowest

October                85,100                                Rising

November            84,500                                Medium-high

December             90,600                                Higher

So.....in blunt terms....Germans may die from summer heat (global  warming), but the more death period is in the winter months, and you ought to be forewarned....be careful.  Don't be stupid and fail to hydrate yourself.

Trusted-Agent News

 I sat and read through a wordy-piece today....it appears that Germany’s state media 'regulators' are preparing some new rules that could force Apps like X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to give greater visibility to “trusted” or “reliable” media outlets in their algorithms. 

The jest....if approved....and you went to search for a news item....the ARD or ZDF news piece would appear 'first'.  If you searched via Twitter for the item....again, it'd be the public piece popping up first.

My humble thoughts....on day one, this might work for three to seven days. Then as you view the trusted-source.....you probably would ask five to ten questions which were left out of their story.  Then you'd view the secondary sources, and grumble that they laid out more facts.

A month or two later....the 'reliable' source would be skipped without hesitation.

Key issue....ARD/ZDF would be under intense pressure to produce massive amounts of news (stuff they don't create content on today)....with trusted-agent-bosses trying to continually limit news or approval to publish.  I don't think any of these politicians have insight of the 'machine' they'd have to create...to make this work.

Historical story....in the mid-1980s...Stars and Stripes had this article they wanted to tell....from a German Defense Minister on a hardcore binge-drinking episode while in the Hamburg red-light district.  Most all German newspapers ran the story on Monday....the lesser news print sources.....Tuesday and Wednesday.  By Wed, Stars and Stripes tried to tell the story but the 4-star general (EUCOM boss) held the story up for two extra day.....allowing it only to be told in limited words, and about five days after the German press told the story.  If you were a GI in Germany and read through  BILD or local newspapers....you knew about this.  If you relied upon S&S?  You were 'protected'.  

Merz Gone By Fall As Chancellor?

 Well...some chatter started up....insider CDU Party folks....saying a review is underway....how to write the script for this 'change'.

The only two replacements being discussed?  

Markus Söder (CSU) — CSU chairman (since 2019) and Minister-President of Bavaria. 

Hendrik Wüst (CDU, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia).

If you were leaning toward a 'copy' of Merkel....Wüst is the guy.  If you wanted a public figure who was the opposite of Merkel....Söder is the guy.

How this would occur....someone would trigger a confidence-vote (probably at the beginning of the fall session).  Merz fails....the party meets and in one weekend....a name comes up.