Three Interesting Topics

 1.  I sat and watched ARD (public TV, Channel 1) yesterday, and they came up with a report on sugar drinks (the evil of intellectuals in Germany).

So, if you watching things unfold around five years ago...there was a whole bunch of chatter between politicians (even the Merkel CDU Party) and sugar-drink producers....about lessening content.

Someone went to the industry, and the number in 2022....now to say nothing has occurred with less sugar in drinks.  So the topic of a sugar tax on sodas and juicy-drinks is now back up on the board to be discussed.

The PhD folks at the Ludwig Maximilian University did agree, from 2015 to 2021....sugar content did fall, but it was an average total of two percent.  That's it.

What's likely to occur?  I would suspect that the Health Ministry will have talks this year, and by early 2023....submit a taxation deal....both on sodas, and sugar type drinks (like Capri-Sun juice).  

If you asked how it'd be designed?  I'd suggest full-up taxation (to drink producers who do nothing)....probably a 30-percent taxation gimmick, and for the drink producers who at least cut 25-percent....probably a 10-percent taxation gimmick.

What'll happen next?  Among normal consumers?  Nothing.....they will pay the 30-percent extra tax.  People in the low-income or welfare levels....probably will switch to a lower taxed product, or attempt to buy non-German products from Poland, Austria or Netherlands.  

After four years of use....the gov't will admit this was a failure, and double the tax....to get everyone's attention.  People by this point will figure out....buy the zero sugar product, and just buy commercialized sugar to add to the product later....when drinking it.

Anyone thinking you can mandate things and force habit changes....isn't viewing the reality of consumers.

Oh, and I'll add....by 2030, by I expect the German gov't to mandate that child under the age of fourteen can buy or consume regular sodas.

2.  More talks in Berlin about the city election results, and the SPD (2nd-place winner) attempting to convince the Greens and Linke Party to merge into their coalition gov't?  Yeah.

Stumbling point?  It would appear (at least to an non-German) that the only way they halt a CDU-led (the winner of the election) is by the SPD removing their lead candidate Griffey from the 'mayor' job.  

3.  It would appear on 1 March....that every single Covid 'rule' will disappear except the use of masks while in clinics, hospitals or retirement homes.