Three German News Stories

 1.  Erdogan of Turkey is set to visit Berlin.  What he says or comments upon on this visit....might be interesting.

2.  German Health Ministry has said it will agree to legalization of cannabis at the beginning of 2024.  Meaning?  Some session in mid-January will occur, and some debate occur.  Votes are already there (at least journalists suggest that).  Probably by April....legal sales of weed would start up (in theory).  

Shocker?  Yeah, if you'd asked me ten years ago....I would have said Germany would not go to this situation.  

Across society...everyone agreeable?  No.  I would say Germans over the age of sixty....it's probably near 75-percent against the idea.  

Even from the Health Minister himself (Lauterbach, SPD)....he's fairly negative about the idea.  Back in 2022, some study was done to suggest that 4-million Germans use cannabis already on an occasional basis (minimum).  

3.  The VAT rate (sales tax rate) for restaurants, cafes, and bars....was temporarily lowered from 19-percent to 7-percent, during Covid. 

Well...the temp deal is running out.  At some point in early 2024, unless the Bundestag does something....19-percent goes back into effect.

A big deal?  What's generally said by the owners of restaurants....it'll be a harsh thing to get through, and some think bankruptcies will bounce up for 2024.

I'll just say this....last weekend, I paid the restaurant bill for four people, and this was a regular local village Greek restaurant.....no steaks....no expensive wine, and it totaled out at 121 Euro (tip included, $131).  If you added the this up, with the 19-percent deal....it would have gone to 135 Euro ($147).  

My issue...inflation has hurt the society a good bit.  But what the government says....they need to rebalance things because there's been a serious amount of spending for the past four years.