Tuesday, January 9, 2024

9 Jan 2024: Eight German News Stories

 1.  German gov't confirmed a total 329,120 folks applied for asylum in 2023.  4th highest level in 20-odd years.  Course, just applying does not mean you were approved.

2.  Habeck, Economics Minister, came out and said some right-wing groups might be trying to hijack the farm-protest business.  

3.  Just odd....some Hamburg group has registered brand name and image of 'Last Generation' protest folks.  No idea how you'd make profit off this....other than making t-shirts.

4.  Just odd, from the farm  protests of yesterday....some  craftsmen (butchers for example) joined up for the protest.  

Locally (in Wiesbaden), police counted around 2,000 tractors/vehicles in the protest.  Probably double of what they were expected.  No violence....just shut down a main 'drag' of entry into the city.

5.  Galaria Karstadt....bankrupt.  Paperwork to be submitted tomorrow.  They were like Macy's in Germany.  Said to be looking for fresh capital.  

6.  200 grocery stores are saying deliveries were screwed over yesterday.....because of the farmer strike....so a fair amount of shelves are empty.  One has to remember that most grocery units in Germany operate with zero storage space, with a morning/evening depot truck bringing in necessary items for shelves.

7. France's gov't coalition collapsed today.  Another attempt will be made to form one.  Last election?  Spring 2022.  What dragged them  down.....argument over asylum/immigration.

8.  If you were curious on the diesel tax in Germany?  47 Euro cents per liter, then 19-percent VAT on top of that.  Normal per-liter price on diesel....near 1.78 Euro.  

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