Thursday, September 5, 2024

5 Sep 2024: 6 German News Stories

 1.  This VW spiral?  This is now the top developing story in Germany.  

From the prospective of the Union and workers...disaster.  They want answers, and this BS about closing down plants is going 'turbo'.

The gov't?  So far, it's just a discussion.  To help VW?  Financially, it's in the 5-billion Euro range.  My humble view is that the gov't could rig up a interest-free loan...whether it meets the 5-billion or even half that amount....is the question.  

The fact that the board of VW is not stable?  Well....that makes for a more interesting development.

2.  Chatter of the FDP Party being on a 'death-bed'?  This goes to the idea that in the fall 2025 fed-election....the party might not get 5-percent or more of the vote.....thus losing all seats in the Bundestag.  

3.  There's political chatter on tobacco bans.  So the talk goes to 2 issues: (1) banning of 'flavored' vape E-cigarettes', and (2) banning of cigarettes' at kiosks and gas stations.  

What's left if they did the bans?  Mostly buying smokes at grocery stores, tobacco shops, and the machines at restaurants/pubs.  

4.  AfD Party has seats in the NRW state assembly.  They went asking about 'gang-rapes' in the state, demanding information.  Well....the police delivered and the bulk of the reported gang-rapes leads you to a migration-issue.  I don't think the state expected this fall-out.

5.  There's pressure building in German eastern states....onto the CDU Party.  Voters want the party to exit the public TV broadcasting treaty.  In simple terms, these voters are suggesting that public TV (ARD/ZDF) don't represent their views of Germany or the world.  

Whether the CDU parties within individual states go this far?  Unknown.

If you asked most Germans about supporting the monthly TV tax.....it's a generation thing.  Older Germans still think public TV  is needed.  Younger Germans think the tax is out-of-whack and they don't use public TV or public radio.

6. There was a public talk by the Chancellor yesterday.  Number of hard criticisms leveled at Scholz and the coalition by members of the audience.  There's no doubt a majority of Germans now want a early election.  

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