Scandal Chatter

I spent a fair amount of this week...reading over the German army scandal....which revolved around sexual misconduct and bullying/mobbing.

Study done by the army....says....72-percent of women in the German military and 31-percent of guys....say they've had bullying/discrimination. 

The bigger landscape?  Basically....mobbing, degrading rituals, threats, isolation of women who rejected advances, far-right signaling, and drug use. 

Oddly, all of this led to toxic unit culture and failure of unit effectiveness.  Also oddly....guys felt this as well.

What'll happen now?  A lot of talk of measures.....classes....and probably more drug-tests.

14 Nov 2026: Germany: News

 1.  German natural gas storage fell to 58-percent....giving a early warning stage.

2.  Ilse Aigner is very likely to be nominated as candidate for first female president of Germany.

The CDU/CSU nominated Bavarian Landtag President Ilse Aigner (CSU) to succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

SPD support?  Apparently there.  Vote to occur in January.

Odd background....trained electrical/helicopter technician....later getting into politics.

3.  Germany beat Serbia last night....3-1.  

4. New income rules being discussed, for those on German welfare and having part-time jobs.  Best guess....gov't might be able to save up to 1.5-billion Euro.

5.  Normal German retirement rule....for each month you retire early.....there is a .3-percent cut in your monthly pension.   One year would be 3.6-percent cut.  So instead of a retirement at age 67....you retire at 65 with a 7.2-percent cut.  

Well....gov't is discussing a increase....maybe .4  cut.  This would make a 2-year early deal cut at 9.6-percent.

Lot of Germans having this early-retire deal....disgruntled over company activities.

Ukraine-Russia Talks And BS

German BILD says the initial Russia desires to get peace....are

-Russia wants Finland to leave NATO. (No-go in my opinion)

- Russia wants NO NATO bases in the Baltics. (No-go in my opinion)

- Russia wants a full division of Moldova into three separate republics Moldova, Tranistria and Gagauzia.  (No-go in my opinion)

- Russia says....NO European troops in Ukraine, that Russia would maintain occupied territories and be given control of the whole Donbas.  (Might be possible....but territory control over all of Donbas....probably is a no-go) 

- Russian ships would have free movement in the Black Sea and the Baltic and there would be a full demilitarisation of Ukrainian ports.  (free movement is very possible....but no-go on Ukrainian ports) 

-Territories of Transnistria and Gagauzia would be given independence referendum if Moldova joined the EU.

-Withdraw nuclear weapons from Belarus by Russia (what they don't say is that they'd merely move 50-odd miles across the border....just as close)

Overall....it's something....but the list will not be accepted by Ukraine, Finland, or the EU.

TV Chatter

 I watched about 30 minutes of a public forum show last night....from ZDF (Channel 2, public TV).  Topic?  Well....it's a odd group....moderator....five panelists....basically in same level of saying the cash-support for Ukraine to continue....is pretty maxed-out.  

2024 or 2025?  Same folks probably were still hyped-up.  

The Merz-gov't has reached a point where a dozen different priorities exist....more important than Ukraine, and debt is starting to be noticed (fair amount projected for 2027).

As bad off as Russia, and Ukraine are....financially-speaking....Germany and the EU are not that distant in admitting same trend.

The Landscape Isn't That Pleasant To Discuss

In roughly six months....it'll be eleven years that the German gov't has been in different ways....subsidizing E-cars in the nation.

Total amount so far poured in?  13 billion Euro (roughly 16 billion dollars).

What you can say...bluntly?  Most German E-cars are still far too expansive for the bulk of German society to buy....while the lesser fortunate folk turn to Chinese-made E-cars to make their statement. 

Also....these German car companies....from BMW, Audi, VW, Mercedes, Ford-Germany and Opel....have quietly entered a 'doom-era' where they realize three-quarters of the public isn't pro-E-car....wanting combustion-engine cars....which were on dinosaur-list (to die off).  Profit-wise?  VW says off each model that comes off the assembly-line....the profit is 12 Euro (no kidding)....to keep the line open and hoping for some 'savior' (Jesus-like politician or party) to correct the mess.

Adding the 'end'?  Well....they added enough taxes/fees to fuel (per-liter) that the public is now frustrated with E-10 fuel being 2.30 to 2.40 (in recent weeks with the temp relief....fuel is temporarily at 1.85 Euro per liter).

2027?  If you work for the car manufacturing folks....your job isn't safe, and your house-payment is threatened. If you own a car-dealership?  You probably are reviewing the staff and discussing a 20-percent cut in manpower.  If you were a peppy-talker over E-cars being the future....you probably put this topic on taboo-topic list. 

Three Observations

 First, a German court stood up and ruled that the emergency 'powers' that were used for German border controls...were unlawful/illegal.

What happens next?  Unknown.  In polls done over the last year or two....this border control business was supported by more than 50-percent of the voters.

Second, 'retire-at-age-63' concept likely to be dumped by the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition.  Polls indicate three out of four Germans still support the idea.

Third, Bundeshaushalt 2027 (the budget plan)....finally cleared by committee after a 16-hour day yesterday.  Spending is set at roughly €561 billion with around €210 billion in new debt/borrowing.  

13 November 2026: Germany

1.  Fair amount of chatter this morning....it appears....the German government wants to legally require operators of coal- and oil-fired power plants to prepare for a day where there is a electrical shortage.

They are being told.....start stockpiling fuel for this purpose.  Mostly aimed at plants who are in newly shut-down situations.

Environmentalists reaction?  Nothing....yet.

2.  Stuttgart....state authorities have bought the old vacant Mercedes office-building....to be remodeled and used as refugee housing for 1,800 folks.

3.  Mercedes....says it's not going to invest any 'extra' cash in manufacturing in Germany....discussing job cuts.

4.  Since 2015....child-benefit payments have surged in Germany from 302-million Euro....to 3.2-billlion Euro.  51-percent of this goes to non-German families.

5.  VW says that they make 12 Euro per car manufactured.....having cut profits to the bone to ensure sales and continued production.

12 Nov 2026: Germany: News

 1.  Hanover.....police and ambulance crews....reacting to some accident....in the past hour, some driver 'plowed' into a number of pedestrians....several wounded/injured.

2.  Public forum show from last night....ARD (Channel 1)....CDU politician Armin Laschet was talking and got asked about  his failed bid for the chancellorship job in 2021.  He responded in some odd way....that Germans were 'punished' with Scholz (SPD, Chancellor for 3 years) and Merz (CDU, Chancellor for past 2 years).

3.  Gunshots fired at a café in Mannheim late last night....one dead guy....one wounded.  Cops have a suspect. 

4.  Some coal power plants which were in shut-down phase.....given new orders....prepare for full-up operations.  Gov't admitting it may be short on power-generation.  Part of this relates to lack of natural gas.  'Evil' coal....saves the day again.

5.  Wife and I went out to a regional restaurant last night....11 Nov is a big deal....traditional goose dinner at some places.  Place we picked....usually has a sitting area of 15 tables and half full for the goose dinner.  Well....last night....mostly empty except for me and the wife.  Bill was probably 20-percent higher over last year. 

6.  Watching ARD news last night...one of the top items....highest level (ever) of German college graduates....UNEMPLOYED.

Urgent need for those educated at this level.....not existing.  

Gov't officials somewhat worried.  X-number in the pipeline currently for college degrees.....that may prove to be worthless.

7.  German Army officials meeting....admitting 'bullying' is at all-time level (for women, and men)  Major changes coming....likely be to be anti-bullying courses.

8.  DAX near all-time record high.