8 May 2025: German New Stories

 1.  ZDF, business news item: Around 63-percent of all business purchases by Germans....were done by card...NOT cash....in the past year.

2.  Coalition gov't intends to dump one  law in 2025....there's a regulation from 2020 that says shops MUST print out and hand each customer the receipt, period (no exception).  If you ask most Germans....I'd say more than half  say if this were simply a ice cream, or bakery item....they'd prefer no print-out.  But the law says you must print it out and at least hand it to the customer (even if they don't want it).

3.   Raid in NRW (the state).....6,000 Cannabis plants discovered.

4.  The state of the Pfalz has cleared some regulations.....to allow automated  shops (no clerks) to operate 24 hours a day/7 days a week.  It would appear...by mid-summer, these types of shops will be fully approved.

For those who  haven't seen the technology.  This is  basically a small shop....maybe 4 meters by 8 meters....stocked up each morning by a delivery guy, with maybe 500 types of articles.  They are placed in smaller villages.  You only get access...if you scan your card at the door.  You scan your items at the end, and pay by card.  

5.  Green Party leader Felix Banaszak gave a interview yesterday AM via ARD "Morgenmagazin" (Morgen Magazine) . 

So....he indicated....yeah, that the Chancellor 'victory' for Merz in the 2nd vote....was 'helped' in some fashion by the Green Party.

He didn't go into a lot of details....but indicated that waiting 3 days for a 2nd vote....was not a positive thing....so they pursued a quick 'fix'. 

I would imagine....there's probably some votes that swung as well...from the Greens to ensure victory.  Greens had 85 seats/votes.

6.  Various comments out of Austria from  yesterday......mostly worried that if Germany gets tough on the border....there will be asylum folks denied entry and 'forced' to stay in Austria.  

7.  Weather guys yesterday gave their summer  predictions...saying  hot temps would be 'normal', and a extreme drought will linger around Germany.

8.  N-TV news item: Report over AfD being 'extremist'.....1,108 pages long.  If you ask me....across the entire Bundestag...even if you gave them two months to read the entire report....fewer than 1-percent would be able to accomplish it.

9.  On German border control....pregnant women and kids...will NOT be turned away.  For 2024.....roughly 240k sought asylum in Germany (gov't numbers).

7 May 2025: German News Stories

 1. Chancellor vote drama done.

On the second vote of 6 May....Merz got 325 votes (still not all of the 328 that the CDU/CSU and SPD have).

Someone made a suggestion....that maybe Green Party folks  crossed the line and voted to give Merz votes....to avoid failing the 3rd vote and triggering a national vote.   No facts to support this.  Obviously....some from the SPD and CDU/CSU....aren't that happy with Merz.

INSA (polling/survey folks) did a poll after the 2nd vote (for BILD).  57-percent of Germans say this was a pretty bad situation and Merz is 'permanently' damaged.  In a 2nd question....who benefits...51-percent said AfD got the big benefit (not a good sign).

2.  The union 'boss' of Germany civil service union gave a warning.....if the gov't starts cutting AfD Party members from gov't jobs....there would be a serious mess to clean up.

3.  BMW admits profits for first quarter are down.

Russian Natural Gas Chatter

 For 2024, EU countries imported approximately 54.45 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from Russia (Bruegel data).

This is 21-percent more, than in 2023.

So it's just odd to me....a statement by the EU yesterday said....by 2027....EU countries would buy ZERO Russian natural gas (new EU policy).

Odds of keeping the promise? I'd give it less than 10-percent of occurring.

Is the EU aware of current consumption?  I doubt it.

Would EU members openly deceive the EU of the current purchase situation?  

Theatrical Show Wrapped Up: Merz Wiins

 Count: 325 votes for Merz....nine more than necessary.

Where the 15 'new' votes came  from? Unknown.  Who knows....maybe 15 Green Party folks or AfD Party folks stepped over and voted for him.  Or maybe these 'lost' SPD/CDU voters woke up.

So we have a new Chancellor.

If you asked me will this crew be around for four years?  I'm doubting that, and  in my mind....there's a potential fallen-coalition within 2 to 3 years.  

Most Germans would say that we really didn't need a whole new national election....to resolve matters.

3:15 PM Next Vote

 Bundestag starts 2nd Chancellor vote at 3:15 PM.

Votes counted by 4:15 PM.

If that fails with 316 votes?  A 3rd attempt will occur....requiring only a simple majority (1 vote more than those against).

3rd vote today?  No....this would likely go to tomorrow.

Explaining This German Chaos

 Well...since 10 AM today....it's been like a train-wreck, and the failure to nominate Merz as Chancellor....is now a massive topic.

The way the system works....after an election....the winner-party is given a period of time (usually 4-to-8 weeks) to work a coalition deal...totaling 50-plus percent, and having a list of officers/ministers...and the Chancellor-seat to be the winner-party 'boss'.

Nothing is final until the coalition document is done, presented,  and then a vote occurs.  Merz in this case needs 316 vote, out of 328.  Well...he got 310.  Six short, but from the combined 328 SPD and CDU-CSU votes....18 folks didn't cooperate.

The system allows for a second vote, but generally recommends a 2-week cooling-off point.

Merz furious? OH YEAH.  

Who voted against him?  Unknown.   Scholz (still Chancellor) could have voted against him....as could any number of CDU folks.  Far left members of the SPD?  Yeah....same story.

CDU-CSU voters thrilled with the coalition agreement?  No....I'd say somewhere around 30-percent believe that it's mostly a left-of-center situation (not what they voted for).

Merz said to some degree....he wants another vote 'shortly'....meaning today.  Some report indicates the papers are prepared and by 6 PM....the second vote will occur.

If that fails?  A 3rd vote could occur tomorrow....requiring only a simple majority.  Most assume if the 310 situation holds....then he passes.  If some folks drift away and he fails the simple majority?  Then the President would give the public a 2nd vote.

A second public vote timeframe?  Well....you'd have to figure at least 2.5 months...so around mid-July.  The old gov't (Scholz coalition) still in charge?  Yes.

Would Merz run for the CDU  in the new election (July)?  I would suggest no.  The party would meet here within 10 days....form up three to four top candidates, and pick a new Chancellor candidate.  

Same story for SPD?  Yeah.

A mess remaining for the Minister of Interior (Faeser)?  Yeah, she's stuck holding the report....suggesting that the AfD Party be banned.  She needs to present it to the Bundestag and take 'some' type of action.

If banned before the election?  Where do  the 25-percent of public support go?  And could this get BSW (they failed to get to 5-percent of the vote....so no seats currently (they got around 4.8-percent).

The wildest scenario is that we go to a new public vote....BSW gets the banned AfD voter support, and you sit there in July....unable to form a gov't coalition.

Tonight being a hectic night for journalists in Germany?  Between Channel 1/2....probably four hours of chatter on this mess.

Merz Failing On The Vote?

 Merz fails in first round of chancellor election (10 AM).  

Yeah, weird deal.  Coalition agreement done...delivered.  All the CDU-CSU and SPD had to do....deliver all their member votes, and Merz was in.

Around 9:30, voting stopped, and 20 minutes of counting took place.

He needed 316 votes.   He got 310 votes.  If you count SPD and CDU-CSU votes possible....there's potentially 328.  So 18 folks didn't vote for him.  

What the book says for rules?  A second vote could be absolutely held in two weeks....with a possible rule sitting there.....suggesting a 2nd vote even today is possible.

Going to a 3rd vote?  The regulation says it's possible but you only require a simple majority to 'win'.

How peeved is Merz?  OH....on the high side.  Was it SPD votes that failed, or CDU-CSU?  Unknown.  There probably are a dozen CDU folks highly negative about Merz.

Yeah, it's pretty interesting thing to watch.  And yes, Scholz is still Chancellor.  

Sachsenhausen

 If you were stationed around Frankfurt in the 1970s/1980s....you probably have a memory of the Frankfurt neighborhood on the southside of the river.

The pub/party-district stretched basically about 1-km by half-a-km.  Up through the 1990s....I would define the district as 'safe'.  Today?  Most people would say that  that decline sat in...around 2010, and it's got to be a tidy-problem, a drunken-brawl problem, and the 'charm-factor' has declined.

So in local news....the cops say now...that they are going to be doing 'walks'.  If you were prone to public urination....you will be ID'ed and given a court-appearance. 

An alcohol ban?  Well....yeah, that's openly discussed now as a possibility.  So the bars might be open, but all you'd be able to buy/consume...would be sodas, coffee and water.

It's an amazing transformation...in  a negative way.

6 May 2025: German News Stories

 1.  It broke yesterday on the AfD 'affair'.....that this critical report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution....saying AfD is 'extremist'.....was received by the Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) in November of 2024, and she has done nothing with it for about six months.

Yeah, this is going to be a massive problem to clean up.  First, she claims that she hasn't really read it. Then they go into an election period.....knowing what the report says.  Then you have the issue....did they brief the Chancellor or Merz?  

Legal trouble?  Well....BSW (the party) will say that they had a chance to get  seats in the Bundestag, and this was 'rigged' in some way.  I could see the court asking Faeser questions and getting peeved over the answers.

Faeser getting fired?   No....the new coalition arrives today.  If I were her....I'd find a exit and leave the country for a year.

2. There's a show on RTL that I occasionally watch...."Hartz und Herzlich".  Mostly about out-of-luck Germans.

So from the latest....there's this transman who is unable to get a job, and gets state-funding/welfare.  For whatever reason.....it doesn't seem like any German company is interested in hiring him.

3. New Chancellor as of today, with new coalition.

4.  WELT piece this AM:  study by DAK, there appears to be more aggression in German's everyday life, with a fear building up over lessening for social cohesion.

5.  Frauke Petry.  You might remember the name.....she was the second party boss of the AfD Party, and around 18 months into her period....she was fired by the membership. 

So Petry has come up and said....she's creating a new political party....to be launched in 2026.

Name of the party?  Not spoken yet.  

Key quote by her: "The gap in the party system isn't between the CDU and the AfD, but rather the void of an anti-statist, liberal offering." 

From commentary, I would suggest two things to be in this new party....first, she intends to make less gov't spending (thus less taxes) a key feature. Second, she utters the comment of enforcing  'freedom of expression' a good bit.

Running in the Baden-Württemberg state election in 2026?  Yeah.

If they ban AfD....this would fill the void.  I noted that she didn't say a word about migration.

Ten Bits of Travel Advice Around Europe

 1.  Have a day-bag for walking around.  You want a map, a water-botte, some fruit (apple usually), some cookies, tissues, cheap language manual,  some aspirin, your camera, and a flashlight.

2.  Pay attention to weather forecasts. If they say serious rainfall...don't risk being in a low-point.  If light rain is predicted....have a small  umbrella with you. 

3.  Stay hydrated.  If the temperature is above 30 C (86 F)....figure a small water bottle is gone by noon, and go to a second bottle by mid-afternoon. 

4. Crime is virtually everywhere...pay attention. Be vigilant....even at the hotel.

5.  Europeans eat on different schedules, and a light-breakfast is common.

6. WC's (toilets can generally be found), and usually require 50-Euro-cents to 1-Euro for use.  

7.  Pay attention to hotel rankings.

8.  Pay for health insurance ahead, and ask the hotel for recommendations if you need doctor's care.

9.  The best restaurants are typically NOT where tourists mingle.

10.  Most all major cities have a red-bus operation.  Yeah, it's hefty, but it's usually worth the money for a all-day ticket.  Also, I'd use this on day 1 of your city tour....checking out where the good sites are located.

5 May 2025: German News Stories

1.  Odd  thing in Mallorca....street vendors are charging 27 Euro for a pink jersey with the initials "Führer" and the number 44, which looks like 'SS' in font.  German tourists are apparently buying them.

Yeah, it's kinda illegal if you get caught selling them.  But it would appear a street sales guy could probably sell fifty of them easily each morning.  With German tourists coming and going weekly in Mallorca.....I guess you could sell 10,000 over the summer.

My question....where exactly could you wear this back in Germany?

2. ARD/ZDF are saying they are 'neutral' in terms of letting AfD show up on their network....at least until the ban stuff is determined.

3.  WELT on Sunday had an article to talk over the end of the SPD-Green-FDP coalition gov't....saying it was a 'successful-failure'.  

It's a term I used a good bit over the final five years in the Air Force.  It's where you had a plan, and enthusiasm....but reality drained your positive nature, and left you standing in the midst of crap.

4.  Tilman Kuban wrote a column in WELT yesterday....curious piece....basically discussing that when you have a political party with 25-percent of the public supporting....no matter how crazy or how far-right they seem....banning them is probably last of all options you want to engage in.

The people in the worst hot-seat?  The folks at the Office for the Protection of the Constitution will get dragged into a court eventually, and be asked how they came to this risk-assessment.  If they did a half-ass job....fifty-percent of German society will lose trust in their abilities.  

What is odd?  Here....the next coalition was supposed to step in this coming week, and their hopeful success was supposed to be topic number one for the week.  Instead....the chatter is mostly about AfD, and the new label put upon them.

5.  From mid-afternoon Saturday....to late Saturday evening....fair amount of lightning and rain in my valley (Wiesbaden). Probably two inches of rainfall.   Odd thing....since summer of last year....just no lightning storms much.  It used to be a common  thing...like six to ten severe storms a year.

6. New German law in effect....it used to be if you married....ONE member of the marriage could have a double-name....like Schmidt-Jones, or such.  So now....both parties can have a double-name.

However, another new rule says that you can't have a triple name.....like Schmidt-Jones-Carsen....those are forbidden.

7.  One funny aspect of the AfD report and ban-chatter....the Minister of Interior confirmed late Saturday evening....that she has NOT read the report.  

I'm guessing here....but it's likely a 20-page summary, with a 300-page background/fact-paper.  Yeah....something that would take you a week to read and condense. 

But look....she's out of the Interior Ministry in roughly two days.....new 'boss' arrives, and he gets a full-week to read and talk over the report.

As for  any members of the Bundestag getting a chance to read the 'report'?  Well....NO....N-TV had a piece last night....saying the 'report' is highly confidential and under lock-and-key.  

What might turn into a bit of anger?  If there is some hint of undercover agents that have been assigned to AfD....that will reflect a lot  of the 1920s feeling when the Secret Police of Bavaria hired Hitler to be an insider to the Nazi-Party.

8.  Simion wins primary in Romania election....goes to a second round.  He is a far-right party guy.

Twenty Bits of Advice On Travel To Italy

 1.  Italians use a hell of a lot of garlic, onions, spiced-up tomato sauce, and vinegar.  If you can't handle it....have a card on you....detailing that you have a tender situation and for the dishes made to avoid this.

Keep in mind....Italy, unlike America....has real cooks, and they can make dishes from  scratch. 

2.  Do your research and have five simple dishes (like spaghetti for example) listed on another card, and just stick with simple dishes.  

3.  Yeah, Italian pizza is different...more crusty. Less doughly.  I sat in some pizza shop once....where a kid's party was going on.  The birthday kid ordered a french-fry pizza. 

4. People drink a lot of wine.  However, when you sit down at a cafe or restaurant....always order a bottle of 'still' water (natural water, without the bubbles).

5.  Don't go to Italy in July and August....way too hot.  If  you are going to the northern region  (Alps)....have a decent jacket.

6. All serious metropolitan cities have a 4-star tram/subway/bus system.  Buy the all-day ticket, and try to use this for all occasions.  Footnote: a lot of pick-pocket action goes on in Italy, be aware of that.

7.  A LOT of cafes prefer cash....rather than credit cards.  So when you arrive in Italy....use a ATM machine to get Euro (in bills). My advice, if possible....select smaller bills (10,  20 for example), and  as you spend on the first day....try to get a collection of 1, 2 Euro coins.  

8.  Most shops close at 1 PM and re-open around 3 PM.  

9.  Most Italians eat dinner at 8 PM to 10 PM. So settle for this....you probably want a mid-afternoon 'cake-and-coffee'.

10.  What you likely will get for breakfast?   Coffee (Espresso or cappuccino) of a strong nature.  Pastries: A cornetto (similar to a croissant, often filled with jam, cream, or chocolate) or other baked goods like sfogliatelle or biscotti. A bread or toast (with butter, jam, or marmellata.  Juice or water complete breakfast. 

My general advice, on the 1st day of arrival....stop in a grocery....buy a bag of cookies, and snack-up around 10 AM.  Carry them in your day-bag (make sure you put a fresh bottle of water in the bag each morning).

11. As much as Rome is a magnet.....there are probably 100 other significant cities in Italy, and each with sight to see.

12.  Venice is mostly a city built with canals, and too much of a burden to see things because of too many tourists.  

13.  If the hotel or some local starts talking about heavy-rainfall coming....take the conversation serious and ensure you aren't in some low territory.

14.  Agriturismo is common in Italy.....basically a farm/vineyard....with guest rooms.  It's a quiet theme....mostly trails nearby....with a chance to relieve stress.

15.  There's probably 20 Italian phrases you need (on cards you keep in your pocket).  

16.  Three star hotels are usually sufficient.  If you went to the 2-star level....don't expect much more than a simple bathroom, and a marginal bed.  

17.  Make reservations and plans.....don't just GO.

18.  Most all hotels have some kind of city-tourist tax added (figure 2 Euro to 7 Euro  per day).

19.  Usually, one out of three Italians speak some level of English.  More urban areas....higher percentage.  

20.  On driving?  I had to make a duty-trip down for the Air Force once, and the base hotel was full.....so they gave me a reservation at a hotel, which was about 15 miles away.  They gave  me a slip of paper with 15 'turns' laid out....to which I asked the lady....is this really necessary?

Well, about half-way into this.....I came to a fork in the road....with around 12 signs in the middle....where I'd turn left or right.  We stopped at this fork....discussing the 12 signs, and realizing that the written instructions conflicted.  We stood there for a good three minutes debating the fork, and 12 signs....when a local woman came up on a Vespa scooter....stopped and asked about our 'problem'.  We mentioned the hotel,  and she nodded to the right...but in broken English noted that you could take the second option....taking an extra 20 minutes to reach the same point.  We thanked her.

Italy is mostly designed in some  weird way to be an experience....where nothing  makes sense....but it works out in the end.  If you don't have much patience upon arriving in Italy.....two weeks later.....you will find yourself a changed person, with plenty of patience.  

I  should add on this duty-trip.....we had dinner each night at a 'hole-in-the-wall' cafe....where two old Italian ladies made fresh dishes.  Best food possible.

The Pandora's Box of 'Banning'

 So with the chatter of review going on....if the Bundestag will ban the AfD Party.....there's an odd topic which came up on Friday.

Two German states are reviewing now....'dozens' of state/city-police for membership within AfD.  End-game?  Well....they could potentially lay-off the 'dozens'.  

Some folks have asked....wouldn't the same strategy have to occur with firemen, military members, teachers, etc.  If 25-percent of society were in this end-game....could Germany actually function?  

I surveyed the police story.  Personally, the 'dozens' wording might not work, and these are likely only folks who openly admit their affiliation.  Presently, if you count federal, state and local....there are 330,500 police in uniform.  I might go and suggest...because of the profession here...there might be 50k to 100k who are affiliated in some fashion with AfD.  

If you went to the military?  You might have a minimum of 20,000.  

Dumping all these folks?  Who exactly do you have to replace the folks 'fired'?

I would imagine this weekend....a fair number of political folks are gazing at the Pandora's box and shaking their head.  In a state like Bavaria, and dumping 20-odd police....no one would say much.  If this were 1,500?  The public would start asking serious questions over where this ends.  

4 May 2025: German News Stories

 1.Hans-Georg Maaßen, former 'boss' of Germany's 'FBI'.....came out yesterday and offered Twitter commentary: "The publication of Ms. Merkel's Stasi file is necessary in the interest of democracy, because citizens have a right to know whether they were governed by a former Stasi and/or KGB operative. Had she been merely a simple employee of an administrative authority, her file would have been released long ago."

So, he was fired by Chancellor Merkel....I won't go heavily into details....but it's safe to say he was ordered to investigate AfD....did a brief 'view', and said 'no'.  He was gone within 30 days.

As for the suggestion that Merkel had a Stasi file? Yes, virtually everyone in old DDR had such a file.  For most folks who were  age 30....you were probably talking about a 10-page file....basically what the neighbors or co-workers said  of  the person.  If you were an insider (a true spy for the Stasi).....you probably had fifty-odd pages....of stuff you reported on others.

In most all cases....you can ask for a copy of your file.  

If she was a Stasi-spy......you would think Kohl's team would have found this fact out.  So to go and suggest she was a 'plant' by Stasi....would mean the KGB (now FSB) saw all of this developing and believed she was the best candidate that Kohl would recruit, and purged her files.

Pretty wild conspiracy theory....even for me to believe.

2.  WELT had a piece Saturday...talking about the 'trail' of  former SPD voters....who've left and gone to AfD. The suggestion?  Well....if you were pro-worker....you might find the AfD program more attractive than what SPD could offer.  It's just an odd fact to the balance of politics in Germany today.

3.  Interesting trend pointed out in WELT....various European countries expanding on nuke energy. Germany? No.

4.  WELT discussion over Vienna.....trend....40-percent of students in the city profess some connection to Islam.  Yeah,  it probably worries folks.

5.   Odd continuing story.  Back about 5 months ago....there was a Magdeburg Christmas market attack by a Muslim terrorist.  Six people and injured nearly 300 other passers, racing through with his BMW X3.

So the guy, who was a guest of the Dresden Prison system (waiting on his trial)....has a change. The guy (originally from Saudi Arabia) has been on a hunger strike, refusing  to eat for 26 days. In the past week or two....got moved to a hospital unit in Leipzig.  

The guy now?  Isolated in the hospital unit....under watch 24 hours a day now.  He complains about this.....not being right, with female guards being part of the watch.  He has gone back to eating.

Generally, most Germans think he's either 100-percent crazy, or 100-percent acting fake-crazy.  

If you start on day one....when he quickly exited Saudi Arabia  (on potential charges)....to now....you'd have a five-star script for a movie.

6. As for the question....if AfD is banned....where to the several million voters then 'go'?

This would worry the CDU/CSU, Greens  and SPD.  Because I  suspect they won't return to the four parties.

Likely end-point in this scenario?  BSW.  If you magnify BSW.....they are a left-of-center political minor party.  With incoming potential voters.....they'd go from 4.9-percent currently....to near 30-percent. 

The argument that AfD is  hard-right-extremists?  How would you make the argument....with BSW being left-of-center? 

So I don't think AfD will be banned.....the system will try to bring on more surveillance. 

7. That Stuttgart accident that I brought up on Friday?  Police have investigated the driver.

So, bits and pieces of the story.  This guy is a German....self-made millionaire...luxury Mercedes.  Accident?  Mostly out of control....not paying attention..one dead, seven injured. 

Driver is not being held in custody.  Authorities suggesting the German man for negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm.  Max prison time?  Well....by German law....up to 3 years.  If there was no booze or drugs involved....just someone not paying attention....I'm of the mind...he might be able slide by with a max of 6 to 12 months, and probably never getting his license back. If there were no deaths in the situation....a lesser-jail-ending would be possible.  I don't see how the guy can get no jail-time at this point.

8. I noticed a Insa survey done.....was in "Bild am Sonntag"  this AM.  So question was asked...after the release of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's report on the AfD Party....folks were asked if they should be banned.

48 percent said to ban AfD.   37 percent said no-ban. 15 percent had no real opinion. 

They didn't ask political persuasion of the survey folks.  I would imagine that the ban-crowd....probably were mostly SPD, Greens, and Linke supporters.

Saying to ban, and thinking the AfD voters will return to options of CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens, Linke, FDP?  It won't happen, and this is 25-percent of the voting public at present.  I would suggest there's a bigger mess lingering here....if ban is the fix-it situation. 

One other odd factor....if this is dragged into court....the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's report will be read....page by page....by the judges.  Just a humble guess, the pointed problem is that Russian influence is a key factor (at least the fed-office will suggest that).  Whether the report will ever be declassified....for regular people to read it?  Unknown....I would mostly believe they would never go and do that. 

AfD, Banning and 1933 History

 It kinda got brought up that banning parties has been a thing in Germany before....back in the summer of 1933....the Nazis banned the SPD Party, with the claim that they were 'subversive'.  

Twelve years would pass....with the correction fixed in 1945.

It's just an odd piece of history to bring up and folks asking why that was 'special' and why AfD is 'special' now.

I should bring up....about 3 months prior to the SPD being banned....the KPD (the Communists) were banned.....same deal....subversive.

If you brought up associations (not parties)....then you'd have several more:  Volkssozialistische Bewegung Deutschlands/Partei der Arbeit (1982), Action Front of National Socialists/National Activists (1983), Nationalist Front (1992), German Alternative (1992), National Offensive (1992), Free German Workers’ Party (1995, after failing to qualify as a party in 1994).  

3 May 2025: German News Stories

 1.  Some weird-out-of-control SUV accident in Stuttgart yesterday. One dead....5 wounded....on the street.  Cops have detained the driver....not a terror action. Just the way it reads....I would imagine either drugs or booze in the mix.

2.  Question has come up over potential 'ban' of AfD, and if the gov't goes  to a lesser action....will public TV now prevent AfD from showing up on public forum shows?

My guess? Both ZDF and ARD....will write a cryptic 'rule'....trying hard to prevent them from TV presentations.  The public reaction?  Why pay the TV tax....will come up to a comment by roughly 25-to-35 percent of the public.

Other odd note here....AfD hired a lawyer and is suing in court the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.  Forty-eight page brief.  Just guessing....on a quarter of points....they might have some valid points.   Court (decision won't be made for at least a year)....might tell the Fed guys to go back and accomplish the whole 'study'.

3. A US guy and a German guy will buy X from Temu (the Chinese company).  Price for the American guy is double (because of the tariff situation) what the German will pay.  In both cases....it's junk/crap. No other way to analyze the situation.

4.  Massive storm front coming through today, in my valley. Weather guy says up to three hours of lightning (something I haven't seen in nearly 2 years...used to be rather common....five to eight times a year).

5. RBB (public TV for Berlin) did a segment  talking over a extended blackout scenario for Germany (like the Spain event of the past week).

The  longest blackout I've experienced in my years in Germany....went from 9 PM on a Friday night.....to 8 AM Saturday morning....resulting from a lightning storm. In an average  year....there's probably two power-outages usually...ranging from 10 minutes to 30 minutes....per year.

If we had a 18-hour outage? Shocker would be 50-percent of Germans standing  there with no pocket-change....just a bank-card...which can't function. 

6.  Odd fire in Kassel yesterday.....solar panels in some fashion on a sports-hall....caught fire.  

What Happens To AfD (the party) If Banned?

 Today, the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (their version of the FBI)....classified the AfD Party as definitely right-wing extremist.  What happens next?

Three possible things: (1) the party is banned from existence, (2) the Bundestag decides to do nothing, or (3) more investigation is demanded.

Implications?

Well....first, if kicked  out....you'd have to reallocate the 598 seats....saying that AfD seats don't exist.

Then BSW will ask....odd how timing is....if they'd kicked AfD out in December.....BSW would have added 5-to-8 percent onto their numbers (thus having seats in the Bundestag).  

AfD suing?  Yeah, very likely....but don't expectation any court verdict for 2025.

Public anger brewing?  At least 25-percent of the public are pro-AfD.....so they won't be happy.

If you were asking about terror action by AfD? Well....no, you can't cite any facts.

AfD having a script already for this situation?  Yeah, I would imagine they have a 50-page plan for such a event, and they will take and use social media to openly criticize both the CDU/CSU, and SPD. 

2 May 2025: German News Stories

 1.  A Russian economist that I regularly watch his podcast....noted in private conversations he's had in the past week....most Russian banks have a new strategy.....adjusting interest rates for their commercial bank loans (if you were a great business....figure 25-percent minimum).  He's not saying all loans are halted, but there's just not any businesses willing to take on such a loan.

Does it change the outcome of the war?  No. But it makes it more difficult for the financial ministry folks to stabilize the economy.

2. Linke Party 'chief' has said....there should be public referendums at the federal level (meaning you'd have a vote a couple of times a year), and then said....there should  be voting rights for foreigners.

Odds of either action?  ZERO.  

3.  There was a lot of talk about having digital medical records, and how encryption was developed to ensure privacy.  WELL....shortly after they introduced the new system....they were hacked.

Not much I can say....other than whatever money they invested into this scheme....was wasted.

4.  The new minister of agriculture in Germany has spoken over the idea of increasing taxes on meat  (pushed by the Green Party).  He says 'NO WAY'.  

5.  New rule in Berlin (the city) today....if you willfully block bus and train doors from closing.....it can now result in a fine (50 Euro).

In the Frankfurt region....I've probably seen this behavior at least forty times over the past decade.

6. Drought conditions in Erlangen (Bavaria). Fire started up....roughly 15,000 square meters of forest on fire.

7.  One of the more interesting sites in Munich....is the Eisbach Stream....a public park for surfing.  

About 2 weeks ago....there was a female surfer who had an accident...couple of days later....she dies in the hospital. Investigation followed.

What the cops say from the drowning situation....the 33-year-old surfer had a safety line, which connected to her surfboard (to her foot), and apparently it got caught underwater and she was repeatedly pulled underwater.

8.  Starting Tuesday....massive presence to take place on German borders....federal  police say they will absolutely enforce the law, under Merz.

For most of the past two years....there's been a stronger presence on the border points.

9.  A May-pole fell onto a crowd in the state of NRW....five folks injured in a serious way.

10.  ARD did a documentary piece....over London (hotbed of knife violence). For 2024...50,000 knife attacks there.  Basically a warning to Germany....this will apparently soon arrive here.  

1 May 2025: German News Stories

1. I looked over analysis  of German droughts.  Presently....if you go from late December 2024 to now....it's hyped-up about a drought situation. 

However, after looking over a study of German droughts....at Wattsupwiththat.com....(here)...there's a number of years with more severe drought conditions (like 1959, 1911, and 1921).

2.  Fair analysis by WELT from yesterday....asking if the blackout situation in Spain could occur in Germany.

I would say this....if  you had most of Germany in a 12-hour blackout....there would be massive political turmoil. If you said that the phone network, internet and railway lines were non-functional.....it would be mass chaos after six hours.

3. VW admits a 41-percent loss on profits in past 12 months.  

4.  Since late 2024....an investigative team from "Stern" and RTL-TV did analysis over a particular right-wing extremist group. Odd part of the story?  The 'kids' were in the age group of 15.

The team says the group allegedly planned and partially carried out attacks on asylum centers in Brandenburg and Thuringia. 

Cops got involve in Feb....with raids.   Weapons  found?  Brass knuckles, knives, blank-firing guns, and BB-guns.

Yeah....shocked a fair sum of  people.

5. Starting in May...if you are having a new passport/ID card made in Germany....you no longer have to bring an actual photo for requirement.  A digital file is sufficient.

6. Another May change.....you no longer have to go to the county office to pick up your new ID or passport....you can opt to have it mailed to you (for a fee of 15  Euro).

7. There was a N-TV piece on the Ukraine war.  South Korea says they have info....that around 18,000 North Korean  soldiers have so far been deployed to 'help' Russia.  May be BS.

8.  German unemployment numbers......182,000 more unemployed over 1 May 2024.  

I'll just say that a lot of companies are looking at downsizing,  and we are nowhere near hitting bottom in 2025.

9.   News from the state of the Pfalz: Figures from the Ministry of the Interior out......crime in schools up. Fights, threats of violence, sexually harassment....up.  For 2024, 1,686 crimes were reported in the state.

10.   Pool season opens shortly in Germany.  I was reading Berlin news and this item came up:  increased security will run about 1.5 million Euro in extra cost.

Increased number of 'bouncers'....fences are being raised at some pools....ID and bag checks being conducted.  Forbidden items?   Knives, shisha pipes, barbecue grills.

11. For several decades....Hessen (the state) had a rule about the color of fire department uniforms.  Yesterday, they tossed the rule.   Each fire department may choose their own style/color.

12. Analysis done over Spain's blackout.....over 1-billion Euro in lost income projected for what was 16 hours of no power.  Some belief of 2025 national GDP will have been affected by the blackout.

13.  Interesting late night show last evening....via ZDF's Markus Lanz Show.

Presently....if you ask Germans....the economy is in a crisis period. 

So the guest last night....was Winfried Kretschmann (Green Party member, Premier-President of Baden-Wuerttemberg. 

What Kretschmann hyped....was that Germans need to go back to 'old'  tradition....having a willingness to work (saying it must be revived). 

Lanz countered....there would be a lot of resistance to this 'old' idea...especially if you took just three or four days of leave away.

Interesting topic,  no doubt of a serious recession existing.

30 Apr 2025: German News Stories

 1.  New poll by Forsa....AfD now leads with 26-percent. CDU/CSU down a point....to 24-percent.  Greens at 12-percent, and SPD at 14-percent.

If you asked me....with the general public....migration woes and views on crime are getting AfD positive numbers. 

2. Some drama in Bremen.....49-year old guy fell off a Ferris-wheel, dead.  Cops still investigating how it happened.

3. Odd story.  Former employee of AfD....worked for Chinese intelligence services, now federally charged with espionage.

4.  Some talk from Monday night's 'Hard But Fair' show....that the German car industry was in serious woes.....long before Trump came along.  I think this chatter got some people bothered. Mostly a true statement....the E-car trend and inflation numbers (especially during Covid) constributed..

5.  There's talk that there will be FIVE different ways of calculating electrical bills...dependent on what state/region  you live in.  Hint: Bavaria would be the worst state for electrical cost.

6. Just a odd footnote from WELT.....the SPD has lost the most votes from the working class....of  people going to the AfD Party (statistically speaking).

7.  New waste directives coming up for bio-garbage.  Your can will be inspected on occasion, and if there is any 'hint'  of non bio-material.....they won't empty it, and you will be fined.  

8. EU has said 'NO' to Malta's golden-passport (the one where a non-EU person can buy).

9.  Lufthansa says it will halt flight-sales....where you could buy smokes, watches, gifts....tax-free...while in flight.  Says it was a waste of effort.

10.  Word of warning.....if you are in any German city, and encounter a sign of a 'weapon-free zone'....with cops approaching you and saying 'ID and frisk'....you have to cooperate.  If you are not in a weapons-free one....they can ask you for an ID if you seem suspicious (the frisk request won't occur unless you are maximizing on risk-potential).  A footnote here.....you have to have some form of ID on you, period.

11. VW 'boss' (Blume) has said he doubts the 'end' of gas/diesel cars by German/EU law.  He thinks the rules will be dissolved.

12.The Federal Audit Office has said in a highly negative way....bridge renovations are behind.  The Ministry of Transport is said to be of glossing over the numbers.

13. ARD news piece....now about 80 years after the end of the NAZIS...lot of Germans people want to draw a line under German culture of remembrance. 

In simple terms?  With each generation....less attention to the war and the effects.

14. "Anyone attempting to enter Germany illegally must expect that from May 6 onward, they will be denied entry at the German border."  Thorsten Frei, the incoming head of the Chancellery.  Sounds like a pretty strong message for migration.

Five Things I Noticed Out Out Of That Power Outage Yesterday In Portugal

I followed a lot of the Twitter/News commentary from that power outage....so five observations from the roughly ten hours of power out:

1.  ALL telephone networks went down....so if you wanted to call for a fire-truck or ambulance....zero luck.

2.  ALL ATMs were out.

3.  If you did stop for a coffee or groceries....at a place with generators....only cash  worked.   No cash?  Then no service. 

3.  Virtually all trains were down.  So a lot of folks who were trying to find a way home.....relied upon hitch hiking.

5.  Most folks suggest that one-third of gas stations were open (they had generators)....but you had to pay in cash....since cash-machines weren't working.  And if you had a E-car.....near zero charge.....you were screwed.

There's going to be a lot of analysis over this....lessons learned.

29 April 2025: Eight German News Stories

 1.  N-TV had a analytical piece.....looking over jobs possibly affected by the US tariff situation with Germany.  The two German states in the worst position?   Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg.  Least states?  Mostly in eastern Germany.

2.  Strong push by incoming new gov't to get people to buy/lease E-cars.  Just my humble opinion....you could go and offer 4,000 Euro in credit.....it would not make any difference. 

3.  MediaMarktSaturn CEO Karsten Wildberger will apparently be the new Merz gov't Minister of Digital Affairs. Media Markt and Saturn are the mega-operations to  sell electronic goods in Germany.

4.  RBB (the Berlin public TV network) came up about 3 years ago and fired their CEO.  Well.....court action occurred, and the court said it was a illegal firing....so they have to pay the pension to the person....figure 8,000 Euro a month for the remainder of her life.

5. We had a serious traffic jam on A66 autobahn here in Wiesbaden for Sunday afternoon.  The cops say there was a wedding party, and they shut down the autobahn for about 15 minutes. 

Jail-time?  They will end up with a hefty fine.

6. Explaining this Portugal and Spain power outage yesterday.  The term to know....Oscillation.  

At some key point in time....power across the grid in 3 countries (to  include SW France) got bumped on thousands of times in a short period of time. The grid in these 3 locations....wasn't up to the task....so it went off.  You can make the analysis that upgrades are needed.

Political folks in frustration?   Oh yeah, and they really can't explain the science to this issue or how to resolve it. 

Accusation that Putin may have done this? That has been made, but it's BS.

All power up?  As of 7 AM.....Spain is 99-percent up.

One odd note....some grid experts say that things came pretty close to all grids (to include Germany) going 'off'  yesterday.

7.  CDU's designated new health minister, Nina Warken, has hot topics to discuss.  Two health insurance companies DAK and AOK, say they are on the verge of financial chaos.  

8.  If you were asking me of the odds of peace between Putin's Russia and Ukraine....at this point....I'd say less than 10-percent chance.   New conditions established by Putin....goes nowhere.

27 April 2025 Gerrman News Stories

 1.  The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) says (as of April 1), 575 people in Germany are 'watched' under special official rules, as dangerous individuals.

Majority?  Under the class of  "religious ideology." Figure around 458.  

2. The BSW Party is still asking for a national  re-count of the election.  They missed getting seats in the Bundestag....by roughly 9,000 votes.  Won't happen....my bet.

3.  Flights from Aghanistan with new refugees to  Germany....are halted until the new coalition steps in.

4.  I watched a piece from ARD's Tagesschau news program....relating to 'space'  for incoming new German Army folks, and the Army admits...in terms of barracks space, they have a serious problem.

5. AfD's headquarters in Berlin....has a problem.  The landlord wants them out.  Lease terminated without notice.

6.  Jan Fleischhauer wrote a piece for Focus....says that roughly "65 percent of school principals report cases in which teachers were threatened, insulted, or bullied by students. 35 percent report physical attacks". 

7.  About two years ago....my town (Wiesbaden) voted (within the city council) a new tax.....water-consumption tax....amounting  to 90-Euro-Cents per cubic meter of water use.  Immediately, consumer groups sued...saying  it wasn't right.  It drifted around at the local level, and the court  last  week said that the city has the right to create such a tax.

Why a new tax?  What the city said was that people were using too much water.

I posed this to my wife.....what would we have to pay, and she  did the numbers....saying it was fairly close to 17 Euro a month. I then asked.....how we could cut use, and her response was....well....just stop taking one or two baths per week. 

The matter going to a higher court? Yeah.  What the city likely makes per year....once it's implemented?  Well...near  26-million Euro  (my best guess).

25 April 2025: Five German News Stories

 1.  Presently, by German law....your car must be inspected every two years.

There is a EU discussion going on....the EU Commission wants to introduce a mandatory annual inspection for all cars older than ten years. 

Odds of this passing?  Some folks are going to ask why.

Is there some issue existing?  In Germany, with the current TUV standards, I doubt it.

2.  That shooting I essayed about.....a week ago....where the two Turkish guys were shot dead?

Well...German cops have arrested a 28-year-old Turkish guy there in Bad Nauheim.  What they say....this guy admits having shot both victims, in relation to a a revenge  situation....for the killing of his father in Turkey in 2021.

3.  German position on Trump's design peace deal (which does not appear acceptable to Russia or Ukraine)...negative.  

4. E-cars are currently going through a nationwide sales boom in Germany. The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) published the numbers for new registrations.  Nationwide, 112,966 cars were registered in the first quarter of 2025. That's about 30k more than this quarter last year.

5.  It is curious....as the NFL draft 'show' is going on....fair number of Germans are watching it unfold.

Story-Line: Trump And How People Believe Things

 I noticed this week....a SW (public TV from the Pfalz)....where they interviewed some Germans in the Spangdahlem region. The topic....the Germans  were conditioning themselves not to be overly critical of Trump....in front of GI's who live in the area.  Oddly, they found that the American GI's didn't have the same opinion over things.

So, I'm going to tell you a story.

As the Clinton years wound down....2000 was this election year where VP Al Gore would run against George Bush.  Most of the newspapers in Germany with a  left view (Die Tageszeitung, Neues Deutschland, Frankfurter Rundschau,  Berliner Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung), and ZDF/ARD TV news....carried the main articles of Bush in trouble, or Bush with a bad performance report while in the Air National Guard.

The election came up....5-star theatrics in Florida....no one in Germany able to understand the card-problem, and a major disappointment because they expected Al Gore to win.

Four years would pass.  It's safe to say while 9-11 influenced people....the bulk of what Germans say in the build-up of 2004's election....was pro-Kerry.

Shocker?  Bush won.

What you can say over the next year or so.....is that each time a picture came up on  ZDF  or ARD....it was made to  persuade you that Bush was an idiot.  At some point...maybe in the 6th year....Chancellor had some meeting with the ARD CEO (remember, it's  a public TV situation).  No one said what the meeting was about.....but over the next week....the poor picture gimmick ended, and the ARD/ZDF efforts were mostly to set a neutral 'tone'.  At some point....one of the two were given a 20-minute interview situation with Bush.  

So then came 2008, and the entry of Barak Obama. Over a 8-year period....just about each time that Obama or his staff came up....it was either neutral or positive news.  

2016?  Over the whole year, Germans were conditioned....the Obama period would continue, and Hillary Clinton would easily win over Trump.   No one could understand how Trump could possibly win.

Over a four year period....Germans were convinced over and over....Trump would fall or be impeached.   It was great theatrics and kept people in hopes of the great ending.

Once Joe Biden won....they expected the Obama era to return, and Trump would never be mentioned again.

Well....then came the court cases....where Germans were reassured....Trump would be bankrupted...convicted, and sent off to prison.  The numbers in 2024? Joe Biden couldn't lose.

It was just an odd thing....you saw less and less of Joe Biden and those 'lost-mind'  episodes were never shown to the German public.  Once he was out and Harris in....everyone was reassured....Trump would be in prison, or that Harris had  this  set to win.

So as we come to January....there's a new show playing.

The tariff-chatter?  It worries German car companies.  No one will mention the German tariffs on US goods (for over 40 years).

 This talk of a lack of German 'free-speech'?  Well...it sets off all kinds of drama.

The election chatter of Elon Musk talking about migration problems and pumping up AfD numbers?  It sets the media off in a frenzy.

Germans hoping that Tesla fails in Germany?  Oddly....the jobs will appear, and China will pick up the lost numbers, and the jobs.

Trump getting into the peace business with Ukraine and Russia?  That disturbs German politicians. 

Trump needling Germany with intent?  Oh yeah....no doubt.  Unlike 2016....he's got them on the defensive this time.

Germans trusting the news business like in 2016 or 2020?  No...it's different now. I'd say one out of  four are skeptical of what they see, or how to perceive it.

So I can understand the German locals standing there in Spangdahlem, and waking up to Americans muting their conversation....keeping things at a distance. 

A Story

 Around 35 years ago....I lived in the Kaiserslautern community.  Next door was this guy....married....three kids...around 30 years old.

I was sort briefed by my wife (German) that the guy typically held a job for six to eight months....then would get laid off.  Reason?  Well....he was a pretty hefty smoker of cannabis (weed).

It reached a point as we lived there....he eventually went on long-term unemployment.  His statement to the gov't office paying this.....working was stressful.

About  three years into this long-term situation....the job-office kinda demanded he take a job.  He lasted about four weeks....before saying he was ill, and getting a doctor's note.

Six months passed....another attempt to get him hired-up.  That led to another illness situation and another doctor's note.

We lived around the area until 2013.  If I were guessing....they attempted to place him on at least a dozen occasions....each failing.

My wife kept some contact, and somewhere around 2015....the gov't office must have gotten hardass with the doctor,  and said we are going to start second-guessing your notes.  Getting a sick note was now next to impossible.

It's odd....at that point....the guy was forced into employment.  

But now he started to try quitting work here, and getting hired with a new job....always saying the stress was too much.

I would take a guess that he probably worked for at least 15 companies in that period.

As the Covid period came around....he had issues (breathing, asthma-related).  He apparently passed away in early 2024.

If you bring up scenarios like this with most Germans....they get hyped-up (angry, frustrated).  Out of the 84-million in population....there's a belief that roughly a million folks exist at this level....no desire to work.  

I only bring this up...because of the ongoing saga in the US....same issue....probably upwards to 7-to-10 million....long-term unemployed.

24 April 2025: Three German News Stories

 1.  Out of Bad Kreuznach (in the Pfalz)....there's this odd saga developing.  There's this Afghan guy (age 20) who had arrived and applied for refugee status. Well....he failed....mostly over radicalization.

Once they told him of the decline of paperwork....he's gotten pretty rowdy.  

Yeah, he is on a deportation list (since Oct 2024)....but delay after delay has occurred.  Presently, the local gov't is so worried....they have hired a monitoring-security company (paying around 20k Euro a month) to monitor the guy.

Locals are in fear....he'll eventually get a knife and kill people on the street.  Why no holding-cell?   Well...in recent weeks, they finally went to a holding cell.

Why deportation is a problem.   Well....that passport he held (back when his application for asylum was in the works)....'disappeared', and Afghanistan isn't that willing to accept him.

If you wonder why so many Germans are critical of the asylum program....it's guys like this that make the program suspect.

2. N-TV item.....150,000 Germans yearly will die from drinking or smoking themselves to death.

3.  Rain finally in my valley. Roughly 24 hours straight of showers  since mid-morning of yesterday.  First real rainfall since Christmas week.

Three Topics

 1.  What's the problem proceeding on the Ukraine-Russia 'peace-deal'?

Well....Russia wants territory in the deal....Ukraine says nothing is to be given up.

So this is the 'twist'....other of this eastern section being discussed....at least before the war started....was made up of some ethnic Russian-Ukrainians. Depending on which district....it ranges from one-out-of-three to one-out-of-four being Russian.

Would any of these folks 'return' home....even if Russia got the territory?  I would have some doubts.  

I'm not saying the deal is dead...but it's pretty corrupted.

2. In Frankfurt....about two blocks NW  of the train-station....the city is discussing this idea of a drug-support 'center' (it's an older building near a shopping district and hotels).

A bunch of the locals, and shops....have stood up and said 'NO'....hoping to convince the city to dump the plan.

If you were stationed around Frankfurt in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.....it's changed a good bit.   The train-station district now?  If you draw a 8-block circle around the train-station today....there's probably in the range of 2k to 3k junkies who reside there.  This is one of those zones that I'd tell you to take the train in, exit, and move as quickly as possible to exit the zone.  This expansion/growth?  It started in the 1980s with cocaine, but in the past 20 years....expanded rapidly with heroin. 

3.  Its not front-page news...but over in Frankfurt....there's a major court case going on with the Frankfurt Reich citizens' trial.

So it kinda came up this week....a major witness for the prosecution....gave BS testimony and the case is in some minor jeopardy.

If it's just one single guy....things will proceed.  If there's another witness or two that does BS situation (open lies).....this 4-star case will have problems proceeding.

Four Predictions Occurring Before 2030

 1.  I will go out and predict with the exodus of both millionaires and well-to-do Brits....a financial collapse of some type will occur.  The Labour gov't will  approach banks and find the risk assessment of a huge scale, and loan only to sink the country into further debt issues.

2.  At least fifteen members of the EU will admit by 2030....that populism is now a top-three problem.

3.  By 2030, Germany will pass a public-streets law...stating that  any public street (sidewalk)  is a weapons-free zone, and the police can frisk you.

4.  A sugar-content tax will be passed in Germany.....raising the price of a can of Coke/Pepsi by 1-Euro.  Energy drinks will have a 1.5-Euro tax established.

22 Apr 2025: Five German News Stories

 1.   Friedrich Merz is the new incoming  Chancellor of Germany.  Confidence level?  Well...Forsa survey done....only one in five Germans (21 percent) consider the guy to be 'chancellor-to-be trustworthy'.

Yeah, it's a bad sign.

2.  Because other markets are saturated....cocaine dealers are concentrating now on Europe (Germany in particular). The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) chief made comments over the weekend...using the term "cocaine glut."

3.  From that Saturday shooting in Bad Nuheim (two Turks dead)....police have arrested two guyd (ages 31/36, both Turks).  What they are saying....the two didn't shoot the gun, but apparently have some connection (perhaps a murder contract).  

4.  WELT piece this AM....for decades....over-population was the big worry.  Well....new statistics.....population across the globe is on the decline, and this now has people worried.

5.  It would appear...one of the top three priorities of the new coalition....is to reform the pension program.  Lot of promises that Germans  won't have to work an  extra year....to retire  with current estimate of 'promised funds'.

Why Social Media Is A Threat To Society?

 Imagine a story....where your go-to-news source tells you X, with four facts.  You go to social media, where the story/facts are told, and sixty people have a comment each.

You discover in ten minutes....that one fact is marginally true, and that the news source fails to mention five associated facts....which curtail the believability of X-story. 

You start to look at the additional evidence laid out....giving them a 'score', and realizing that either your go-to-news source failed to tell the whole story, or is just not capable of digging into a story.

At this point, you lose confidence.

A year passes, and you go routinely to social media....realizing that your go-to-news source marginally works.

At this point....the term 'propaganda' creeps into your mind continually.

What can the go-to-news source do?  Well....either they start to blend their stories with more facts....lessening your position and simply telling you a no-position story (you aren't pro-or-con).  Or they can grasp that readership/viewership....is in decline.

So if you were a political party and counting on the news media to deliver your position....you might be in trouble right now.  

21 April 2025: Thirteen German News Stories

 1.  If you went out shopping for 'premium' coffee in Germany....over the past year, you might be shocked to figure a 40-percent rise in prices.  

2.  There was a interview over RBB (Berlin public TV) where a young German was asked about the talk of conscription (the draft) coming back.  He basically said....if it comes....he will either leave the country or go to jail.  No one cites numbers or polls...but I would imagine a minimum of 10-percent of young Germans feel this way.

3. ZDF business report.....1 in 3 German companies expect job cuts in 2025.

4. Wine production in Germany....figures by end of 2025....production will be at lowest point in sixty years....mostly due to climate change/poor weather.

5. If you haven't noticed.....two of the most popular social media Apps in Germany....WhatsApp and Instagram....are owned by Facebook/Meta.

6. New German survey on Gen-Z folks....one out of two is mentally prepared to change jobs.

7.  That shooting I discussed from yesterday?  Well....the two gentlemen dead.....father-in-law and son-in-law....six rounds fired.  Cops believe a personal 'beef' occurred between other parties and them.  No one arrested yet.

8.  21 folks wounded in Frankfurt....some argument started up at a restaurant near the train-station district....with a guy reacting and spraying the interior of it with tear gas.  Police arrested the guy later.  Restaurant considered 'contaminated'.

9.  If you use WhatApp in Germany.....new version coming....to compress photos, and allow more 'storage' on each phone.

10.  German police union is calling for a full-ban on transportation for weapons.  Meaning? They want a national policy where they can ID you within any bus, train, subway, station or at a bus-stop....and frisk you.

11.  Last night, via ZDF (public TV, Channel 2)...."Traumschiff", the 90-minute cruise movie (runs 4 times a year) occurred.  This AM.....LOT  of criticism by fans...over the story-line.

I'll just say it...it's mostly Germans over the age of 50 that watch the show.  My wife is a 'fan' of the show.

As for the story-line?  It's mostly a travel documentary blended with a soap-opera-like story....usually four to six themes.  

As for my humble view.....you could mute the whole story and just run the location scenes and skip the dialog.  

12. At the end of the last coalition....stood the SPD and Greens....kicking the FDP out.   So one member of the FDP opt'ed to stay...Volker Wissing.  Well....this weekend....the head of the SPD has offered membership to Volker Wissing (he can join the SPD Party).  

Yeah, it's  an odd occurrence where people leave one party and join another.

13.  Odd occurrence in Oldenburg last night (Sunday evening, far NW of the  country).

Police get called to a night-club.  There's some kind of argument brewing between staff of the club and some young male (21).  This guy gets violent and uses tear  gas on them....then pulls a knife.   Police arrive and try to deescalate the matter....guy still waves a knife around.  Cops end up shooting the guy dead.  Just a humble  guess....there's either drugs or alcohol involved.

20 April 2025: Five German News Stories

1.  Another shooting.  What the Hessen state police say....around 5:40 PM Saturday....2 folks were shot dead on the street in front of a apartment building in Bad Nauheim (Wetterau region),  Huge police operation developed....dozens of police.  For reference, this is about 30 minutes straight north of Frankfurt....pretty near the autobahn.

So far....no real description, or motivation given. Ages of the two dead folks....unknown.

Yeah, it's just rare that shootings occur in Germany....so this went to front-page news in a hurry.

2.  I noticed this story in the AM today.  If you want to join the German police, there are several tests to rank you in the process.   

In the Hamburg region, for the city-police....they've  decided to abolish the  dictation test in their aptitude test . 

Reasoning?  Roughly 60 percent of all applicants failed the test. What you can get out of this....standards of school work....where you'd  pick up the skill of dictation....are slacking.  

3.  Poland went in the past week to make illegal....taking pictures of certain locations  (25,000 of them)....saying it's for a security reason.  Even some bridges are on this list. Related to a fear of Russian invasion?  I get some sense out of this way of thinking but it'll be a challenge if you were a tourist....trying to figure out ways to photograph something.

4.  I noticed some SPD chatter this AM....possibly discussing raising some taxes....with the CDU-CSU saying they won't agree to this.

5.  I watched a N-TV piece this AM....referencing public discontent about center-center political positions (something that Merkel started).  Problem? Well....the general public now are saying such politics....aren't right-wing enough, and that some positions need to be 'marked' to move further right (politically).  

I was at a base logistics point (Ramstein) in the 2007/2008 period, and got into a talk with a older German base employee. He was fairly disgruntled over the way that the CDU was progressing with this center-center political talk.  Even at that point....people like this guy didn't think the party was conservative anymore.

Three Footnotes

1.  Just interesting....by the end of Friday (yesterday)....the coalition gov't forming....kinda hinted in a strong way....the top level of DB (the Bahn/railway folks)....has to go.  Trigger?  They have made a  number of promises over the past  five years, and failed to get ahead.

What I found interesting this week....the Bahn has a new agenda...spending probably half-a-billion over the next couple of years....cleaning train stations, in a MORE tidy and efficient way. Now, I will say this...if you traveled around the country in the 2000 to 2010 period....most of the stations you'd enter....were marginally clean.  In the past two years.....at least in the BIG stations....they've made an effort to tidy up and make things presentable.  At least they are trying to present a better image.

2.  German Army applications up?  Well....since early 2025....it's up by 19-percent.  Trigger?  They say they went more heavily into advertising via social media, and it got the attention of young people.

3.  We are now two years after the final nuke-energy plant closed down in Germany.  The good news?  This week, they established that by 2074....they expect to have finally figured out a permanent spot to house nuke waste....currently in temp locations. 

19 April 2025: Five German News Stories

 1.  The aurochs, a breed of cattle....originally native to Hessen, was extinct.  Well....there's a lab in Lorsch that is trying to develop the breed again.

My description of the breed?  Take a normal cow....pump it up by 30-percent, and add 200 pounds of muscle.

Not sure where this is going to lead to. 

2.  Austria has figured out that this guy who was a  school-teacher....was not qualified for the job.  Years spent in this fake-stunt?  Fifteen.

3.  There's a element of the German gov't that wants to double the number of active-duty and reserve troop in the Army.  The stumbling block?  The SPD is firmly against conscription.

4.  I watched a N-TV piece this AM....on Chinese E-cars coming into Germany.  So the analyst admits two things....first, the cars aren't that 'bad' (indicating that quality is decent)....but second, the marketing campaign so far, has been a 'disaster'.

5.  Mixed message by incoming coalition gov't....they want to increase defense spending (significantly)....but to reach that point....social spending will have some cuts along the way.  This won't sell well to the pubic.

That Death Story

 A couple of days ago.....I essayed over a Syrian kid (15) who'd fallen from a 8th floor balcony in Hamburg....pronounced dead.  

So cops have wrapped up the investigation.  Some 'gang' (group) of Syrian youths/juveniles arrested/detained.

Motivation?  So far....none.  The dead kid had attempted to escape to the apartment below, and lost his grip on the railing.

18 April 2025: Four German News Stories

 1.  Yesterday, over near Chemnitz (eastern Germany)....a young German guy (23) stabbed a older German gal (59) in a serious way...just walking out of the front door of a grocery store.  From the next store....ran a 18-year old German gal to help stop the attack....and she got stabbed.

From what the police say....the guy had been on a forbidden-to-enter list,  and caught within the store....told to leave....he got peeved and attacked the first person that he saw exiting.  Police have detained the guy....both women are ok, but seriously wounded.  

I'll  go and predict....guy ends up with a mental eval, and sent off for permanent placement in a facility.

2. Berlin-City Council have new policy going into effect....all transportation 'hubs' (buses, trains, stations, etc) will have a no-weapons  policy.....meaning the police can stop you, force an ID check, and frisk you....within these locations.  Policy will start as soon as signs are placed to warn you of  the 'zone'.

3.  German Army says recruitment is up over 2024 (20-percent is suggested).

4.  Out of Bavaria, the number of hantavirus infections (from rodents) is noted on the rise....compared to previous years.....no indication why.

Curious Label Story

I was reading a business report this AM....talking over Europe-China trade. So this odd story came up....from the high bag line of Gucci...analysts now believe around 80-percent of what Gucci sells...is made in China, and then shipped off to Italy/France....where it's 'branded', with the label showing 'made in Milan' or 'made in France'.   

Analysts suggest Prada has a similar issue....maybe 60-percent of their  stuff...made in China.  Same story for Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

The idea that it's not all high-quality European leather?  Well...it just begs questions.  Maybe if you bought your bag twenty-to-forty years ago....it's the real thing.

My wife (German in nature) has a friend who saw this remarkable deal (back  around 2017) in Dubai....where they offered 50-percent off deal of a second high-value bag....if you paid full-price on bag number one. I asked my wife how you could sell such a bag, with half-off, and she had no answer.  

Looking back....bag number one was probably a authentic Milan-made bag, and bag number two....the Chinese-made one.  It would make sense then how you could heavily discount the second bag.

Legal?   Well....if  it came into the EU with NO label....yeah, it'd be legal to import a pallet of no-name bags.  Then you take it into a Milan factory.....to put the 'label' on the bag, and put into a nice box....to ship out to the world as their product.  Nothing illegal in doing this.  

To be honest....if you laid out the top 500 labels across the globe (including the US)....it wouldn't shock me if 90-percent of the labels all do the same thing, and have some path going back to China.

17 April 2025: Three German News Stories

 1.  New coalition will implement a mandatory disaster-insurance.

Deal?  All residential buildings must be insured against heavy rain, flooding, and other natural disasters (earthquakes, etc).

Cost?  Some rough estimates....if you had a building with four apartments....they estimate it'll run 1,600 Euro a year....to be split among the four tenets.  Smaller house structure...probably in the 300 to 400 Euro range.

Upsetting folks? You will have to find another 30 Euro per month....to fix your budget issue.  

2. BSW Party having a power-struggle over party-boss.

3. Anniversary of the end of the World War II going on throughout Germany.  Bundestag decided to exclude Russian ambassador from commemoration events. 80th year.

Verdict From K-Town Today

 Court concluded today.....so that episode with the American young lady who'd stabbed a 60's older Eritrean guy (dead)....that I wrote up on the case coming up two weeks....concluded.

Judgement....2 year sentence....suspended. 

Basic story....she'd returned to town on the train....going up the escalator of the  bahnhof...this guy came up behind her, and groped her.  Words were spoken at the top.....she pulls a knife...there's some actions of hands between the two, and the guy ends up dead.

She was a dependent (not active duty).

Just Something Odd I've Noticed

 Over the past week here in Germany....as I browse....I constantly get Temu advertisements (you know, the Chinese Amazon folks).

My German wife has a iron-clad rule....NO purchases via Temu.

It's just odd....since the tariff crap started.....it seems like they've doubled up advertising in Europe, and getting folks hyped to buy Chinese crap.

Over 2024....I probably watched at least ten news pieces from German public and commercial TV....discussing the poor quality stuff sold on Temu.

What The SPD and CDU/CSU Agreed Upon For The 15-Euro Minimum Wage Idea?

 The only thing of agreement....they would set up a committee and examine the need to increase minimum wage to 15 Euro an hour.

End-result? Toward the end of 2025....some paper will be delivered and suggest a wage increase.....probably toward the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2026, going from 12.82 Euro (presently)....to 14 Euro in 2026, and 15 Euro in summer of 2027....my humble guess.

Who makes minimum wage?  Well....if you asked....it's mostly Germans or guests, who are untrained and unskilled people.  

If you look around....with so many positions unfilled, and serious searches going on for employees....most business operations are already offering 15 to 18 Euro for unskilled jobs.

15 Apr 2025: Eight German News Stories

 1.  Odd death....Hamburg, over the weekend.  What the cops say....they were called...1 AM Sunday.  Dead body on the ground outside of a apartment building.

Upstairs....they determine the dead guy is a 15-year old Syrian kid, who lived in the building.  They go to the 8th floor apartment.  At some  point...the kid had fallen off the balcony.

Then they come to these five  'guests'....4 Syrian young lads...juveniles, and one Iraqi female.....20 years old.  

No one seems to know much and there's some speculation of the dead kid having been pushed off the rail.

2. N-TV item.....what German city makes the most from speeding tickets and fines?  Berlin, with 112.43 million Euro annually.

3.  The state of NRW....Ministry of Education...has given out advice to teachers.  If your room gets out of control (hinting violence)......flee (don't try to deescalate the matter).  

4.   N-TV ran a piece this AM....talking over what some fear is a health risk with E-cars....by having a fair amount of magnetic fields in a tight space.  Experts have reviewed the numbers and say there is no risk.  The numbers of E-cars presently in Germany?  1.6 million.

The one thing I found interesting....or lacking...in this discussion....it appears that only German or European cars were in the study.    

5.  Extreme weather deaths in Europe for 2024?  N-TV spoke to the topic, and said 335 Europeans died in some manner....by extreme weather.

6.  Not a well known fact in Germany, but presently...just over 800 non-alcohol beer brands now sold in Germany.

7.  ARD (public TV,  Channel 1) has added a new news-documentary piece called 'Klar'.  Aim?  Well....the question opens in each episode....'what is going wrong in society', and basically lays out problems that people are discussing.

Yeah, a bit unusual....admitting negative landscapes in German culture.

The previous mentality....never discuss screwed-up things in a public forum.

8..  Should be interesting weather in my valley this afternoon....weather guy is giving a 75-percent chance of rain....something rarely seen since Christmas. 

14 Apr 2025: Eight German News Stories

 1.  Tuesday...the SPD Party votes on the coalition agreement.  I will say this.....the youth element of the party is unhappy and likely voting against it.  But it ought to still  pass, with 70-to-80 percent approval.

CDU-CSU?  Well....it's come out that Merz doesn't want a membership up-or-down vote.  At best, there's to be a executive committee vote.  Satisfying folks?  No....there's a challenge going on, and I suspect that at least a quarter of CDU-CSU membership want a say.

Interesting live interview last night with a hour-long session of Q-an-A. Merz said one impressive thing....'don't make promises you can't keep'.  Whether he can keep that....unknown.

2.  ARD TV news (public TV)....did a piece over threat worries....with civil defense now becoming MORE important. So the  topic of tent cities  came up, and how in disasters or war....they aren't really ready for the task at hand.  Might be several years before they reach a good point.

3.  German cops are now using cameras to monitor if you are using a cellphone while driving.  Fine?  100 Euro.

Cops indicate they are in a test phase.

4.  Front page story on Focus....The EU went out and paid NGOs to lobby for electric cars and to get country-by-country influenced votes. 

People to be disturbed  by this?  Well...if this were just a million Euro.....no one would  likely get peeved.  If you were talking about 30-odd million Euro....yeah, there's likely to be questions.

5.  Merz says.....under his 'watch'....he wants an asylum limit of 100,000 a year.  

6. After a knife attack on the Berlin subway....the Berlin-City Interior Senator wants to expand knife-free zones.  It means more frisking and more risks to the police.

I'll be honest.....if you view news sources across the nation....there's probably 20-odd knife situations daily now.  

7.  Zelensky of Ukraine has made a blunt comment that Trump needs to see first-hand (in-person) the damage to Ukraine.....so he opens up the funding.  Odds of this?   Zero.

8.  All this talk of a minimum wage of 15 Euro?  Well....the left-element of the SPD Party says this has to be agreed to by the CDU-CSU....or they will vote the coalition down.   12.82 was established on 1 January 2025....as the new minimum wage. My humble guess.....the CDU-CSU will agree to a 15 Euro situation.....in the 2nd half of 2026.   

My List of European Countries to Visit And Avoid

 Countries to avoid:

1.  Iceland.  Mostly since the volcano business started up....the 'Blue-Lagoon' resort is shutdown, and you can mark off the far SW of the island to avoid.  I'm not saying it's a bad situation.....just that the visit might might not be productive.

2.  Ireland.  Basically, with political and police turmoil....you'd have to be ultra careful on urban areas to visit/avoid.  The refugee crisis triggering half of this issue?  Yeah, but with petty crime often talked about.....you probably find better places to hang out.

3. UK.  Aggressive police....monitoring of social media....potential to encounter criminals...leads me to recommend finding places to visit.

4.  Malmo and Stockholm, Sweden.  Between drug 'wars'....car-fires, and crime....I'd recommend either central or north Sweden....especially rural areas. 

Countries/regions to seek out:

1.  Greece.  It's hard to find anything negative to say about Greece....other than the heat in mid-summer.  There are probably two or three no-go areas in Athens, but the vast majority of the city is 'safe'.

2.  Bavaria.  I might mark two areas of Munich as 'no-go' but the majority of the city is safe, and tons of tourist things to see.

3.  Croatia.  Lot of tourist-trap locations, but also great value for what you are spending. Very safe. 

13 Apr 2025: Seven German News Stories

 1.  The CDU-CSU and SPD in their coalition deal....say they will repeal Robert Habeck's heating law. 

Habeck's law?  Well...the requirement read....65-percent of heating systems in newly built structures....had to be renewable energy (either heat pumps or solar panels).

Pissing off some folks?  Yeah.....there was a upsurge in heat pumps, and some will say they wished they'd gone to oil or natural gas.

2.  Ice cream prices up?  Yeah, as the heat arrives....folks are checking out scopes of ice cream, and most everyone went up 20 to 30 cents.

3.  Odd story out of Hallstadt.  71-year-old retiree female came into a dental office demanding an appointment.  For some reason....NOT explained....the comeback was 'NO'.  So the gal refused to leave when asked.

Well....they called the police.  

Police arrive and are in some process of handcuffing her....the husband (appears he was waiting in the car)  sees the action, and gets involved.  He is then handcuffed as well.

So the two simmer down.....cops get them to chill out, and then release them after a report is established.

Charges?  There's to be more investigation, but potentially....yeah..

4.  N-TV ran a documentary piece.....entitled: 'Volcano Under Germany'....talking up the potential of the Eifel area (Bitburg) being a potential volcano (again).  

5.  The Inspector General of the  German Army says....by the end of 2026....the Russian Army will be twice the size as they were....before the Ukraine-war.

BS?  Just on replacing tanks and APCs....I'd go and suggest...unless they make a deal with China to produce stuff....it'll be a minimum of 15 years before they are operationally back to full strength.

6.  Drought affect river heights? YES.  One interview from Friday that I watched....the boat-captain figured from Hamburg down the river....operations will likely be stopped at Koln by the end of May.

In my region....marginal snowfall in December, with only two real rainfalls since early December....mixed with 5 or 6 short-duration showers of 15-to-20 minutes.  

7.  They had a odd discussion in Frankfurt this past week.....there's a political element who wanted some dedicated subway cars....for women/trans/lesbian only.  City had a brief talk,  and then said 'no'.  Logistically, it would have been a challenge.  I suspect men identifying as women....would have ridden on the same cars....making it a eventual friction-problem.

8. It would appear that the minimum wage of 15 Euro....was not agreed upon by the CDU-CSU and SPD.

Are There Any EU Countries With Electronic Voting?

Well....mostly none.

Estonia does electronic voting but you have to use your national digital national ID card.

Belgium?  Some of the more urbanized districts use it....but it's not a national thing.

Bulgaria?  Same story....some experimentation....not a national thing.

France. They went and used it for 2003, 2009, and 2012....but got into a worry by 2017....over security concerns.

Odd of the EU ever mandating electronic voting?  Probably a one-percent or less chance.

Political BS Chatter

I noticed this AM....CDU politician....Jens Spahn gave an interview, and talked up the idea of a new way of countering the AfD Party.

Main idea?  Politicians and the news folks....need to approach  'millions' of voters  and somehow recognize their worries, concerns, and convey a political dialog that goes beyond the current BS-level.

More talk...more objective responses.

I sat and pondered over this.

Around 25-perent of the voting public now is supportive of the AfD.

They mostly got this way because NONE of the other political parties were able to engage or discuss migration, failed integration, or deportation.  

Has any of that concern changed?  No. 

I hate to suggest it but Spahn is mostly delivering another BS-talk over a bluff.  It is a good bluff....I admit.  But I would imagine that over two-thirds of the AfD typical voting group...are used to bluffs, BS, and propaganda...so this will fall short.

Explaining The German Social Pension Tax

 : The pension insurance contribution is 18.6-percent of your pay (half from you and half from the company).....gross salary.

Contributions max at 90,600 Euro (per year).

Your pension being taxable?  If you started in 2005....only 50-percent is taxable. If you retire after 2040....100-percent is taxable.

If you marginally had an income for the first 20 years of working?  Yeah, you probably will find your pension level down around 600 to 1,200 Euro a month.

The pension folks in the at-risk-of-poverty threshold? Figure around 1,200 or less....for a single person.  

12 April 2025: Five MORE German News Stories

 1.  Another machete story.  Out of  Linden (eastern Germany)...a special police task force was required to overpowered a guy who'd been running through the town with a machete.  Somewhere in the midst of this arrest....a police dog was required (getting injured himself), and the machete guy got a number of dog bites in return.

2.  On that CSU 'promise' in the campaign about bringing back nuke-power?  Not a word mentioned in the coalition agreement.

3. CSU gets 3 ministries in the new coalition gov't: Interior, Space and Agriculture.  The SPD Party: the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defense (Boris Pistorius likely gets the seat), Justice, Labor/Social Affairs, Environment/Climate, Economic Cooperation, and Housing/Construction. Remainder  go to the CDU.

The 'job' that matters?  Ministry of Finance.  

4.  This discussion of the 15 Euro per hour minimum wage?  Well....it's not yet in the coalition agreement.  Just the way it looks....it won't happen in 2025....probably a 2026 event.

5.  That machete attack guy (Berlin-Reinickendorf) from Wednesday morning?  Beaten by five guys....the public prosecutor's office now says they have issued arrest warrants for two people on charges of manslaughter.

What will matter is if there is a security-video of the incident, and if the machete guy was laying on the ground, while still getting beaten.

12 April 2025: Five German News Stories

 1. Curious news piece this AM....investigation started up in Germany....suggestion is that Russian timber made its way into Germany....billions worth.  Exam so far....over half of the birch-wood products....are Russian.  How it got into Germany?  Still an unknown. 

2.  Pension plans by the new coalition....seen as 'eyewash' and cost-factor will be into the billions that 'someone' has to pay.  Other side of the coin....fair number of people say the pension program is already 'broke'.

3. Odd statistic....Hessen (the state) ranks at the top (16 states) for skin cancer.  

4.  Line 1707 of the coalition agreement....written in a way to suggest that the billions for climate-change....could be used in the general budget.  Will freak out the environmentalists, if true.  

5.  It appears that the EU is developing a wolf-hunt guideline....making it easier to shoot wolves...something that German lawmakers could not bring themselves to  settle the mess.  In some ways....odd...the EU doing something that seems positive.

On the wolf issue? In the northern third of Germany....it's becoming an issue that farmers are concerned about.  

11 April 2025: Thirteen German News Stories

 1.  Here in Wiesbaden.....one of the bigger department stores in the mid-town area shut-down three years ago.  It's been empty ever since.

This week.....IKEA said it'd be interested in approximately half of the structure (not the whole thing). 

There is a IKEA in the region (say 6 miles away).  I think mainly what they want....is display areas for the public to browse, and order online.  

2.  Bergdorf is this small Alpine village in the far south of Germany.  The village (79 residents) has gotten pretty concerned and frustrated....the state is going to set up a refugee home (45 folks).  Petition being set up and village is going to a lawsuit to prevent the 'home'.

3.  I read through a long piece....these 'kids' associated with Fridays For The Future....are bothered by the coalition agreement with the SPD and CDU-CSU.  

4.  “Goodbye Germany” star Danni Büchner (age 47) has posed naked for Playboy.  If the name doesn't ring a bell....she was the wife of 'Jens' (who passed away five years ago).  

5.  Marcus Söder (CSU 'boss'), has hinted he might be the Foreign Ministry 'boss' in the new government.

6.  One item being still discussed by the new coalition....attempting to get a 2nd opinion by a doctor....on a serious condition....might  be more difficult.  It just looks like you would have a fee attached....likely paying at least half the cost yourself. 

7.  It is the beginning of the asparagus season, with asparagus prices are high. The price per kilo for first-class asparagus starts at around €15.

8.  Why is coffee prices up in Germany (40-percent)?  Mostly over a drought in Central/South America.

9.  Old German path to citizenship was a five-year period....then evolved into three years, and now via new coalition....back to five years.

10.  Social fraud in Germany?  Well...the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV) says there are ways that organized social security fraud is being conducted by criminal networks. A lack of information sharing is to blame.

11.  N-24 item: two-thirds of Germans in a new poll indicate that with the new coalition.....they really DON'T expect any significant change....just more of the same.  In this respect....Merz is continuing to lose points

12.  The German company Jack Wolfskin....owned for 6 years by an American company....was sold this week to a Chinese clothing company.

13.  For 2024....85 Germans died in Austria while on vacation.

Dry?

 For weeks, probably going back to late December....there's just not been any significant rainfall (my region of Germany....Frankfurt/Wiesbaden).

One two-hour shower, and then maybe four periods of ten minutes of light rain....that's it.

Officially, authorities are now talking of an impact on shipping (via rivers) and agriculture. 

The German Association of Cities? In the past week or two....they started urging folks to use tap water sparingly.

Rain this weekend?  Weather guy is talking up a light rain-front coming through.

The fact that we haven't even gotten to July/August? Yeah.

10 April 2025: Six German News Stories

 1.  Coalition agreement between CDU-CSU/SPD...done.  Roughly 120 pages of 'script'.

Electrical tax to be reduced.  Burgergeld to be dumped and invented (again).....meaning welfare has to evolve once again. Welfare benefits would be withdrawn entirely if people who are able to work....repeatedly refuse reasonable work. Both Syria and Afghanistan are going on the 'safe-list'....meaning if you were to be deported....and these were your home-countries....nothing can hinder you now.

Only thing left....announcing Ministers.

2.  Ukraine says.....155 Chinese are fighting for Russia now.  BS?  Maybe.

3.  Germany says....under the new coalition guidelines....they will be using the 'Sweden-model' for conscription.  

To explain it....Sweden brings in yearly.....100,000 18-year olds....for two days of mental/physical tests.  Roughly 10-to-20 percent will 'pass' and be heavily recruited.

4.  Nutcase ran into a Berlin bakery...swinging a machete.  He starts an argument with five German guys inside....the beat the crap out of the guy....with him later reported dead.

5. Statistical survey of the Wiesbaden city-area....reveals over 700 beauty salons.  If you go back to the 1990s....I don't remember there being more than 200 of these.  Seems like on every square block....there's a salon with at least two chairs.  Just odd.  Apparently highest level in Germany....per 100,000 residents.

6.     A 48-year-old German guy from Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg, disappeared from an addition clinic. Police were directed to go and find him.  Locates the guy  in his garden, where he threatened the police with a firearm.  They directed him to put the gun down....he refused....they shot him dead. 

New Political Poll By IPSOS

 AfD: 25 percent

CDU/CSU: 24 percent

SPD: 15 percent

Greens: 11 percent

Left: 11 percent

BSW: 5 percent

FDP: 4 percent

Shocker?  No....trend over past 6 weeks has AfD gaining.  A lot of the promises that the CDU/CSU have made....aren't really evident after the election.

TV News Item

 I sat and watched a public  TV news piece last night.....where a short item came....suggesting Russian-influence occurred with a radicalized Muslim guy.  It wasn't 'solid' proof (German police investigation still going on).  

For at least a couple of years, there's been continual suggestions of Russian-influence with the right-wing guys (the AfD Party in particular).

Would it surprise me?  No....not really.  It also wouldn't surprise me....if the CIA (US) or BUND (Germany) had such stuff going on in Russia.

Germans disturbed by this?  I would imagine 'yes'.

9 Apr 2025: Five German News Stories

1.  Zelensky of the Ukraine....says his troops captured Chinese soldiers in Russian uniforms.  Maybe BS....maybe just Chinese civilians who took up a paid-situation for Russia.

2.  It appears that the coalition talks between the CDU-CSU and SPD....are near the end.  Asylum/migration appears as a sticking point.

3. Markus Lanz public forum show from last night....lot of talk over tariffs and Trump....then someone on the panel noted that the AfD  Party is 'strangely quiet'.   No one on the panel from AfD....I should point this out..

4.  Since 1 January....coffee products across Germany....up by 43-percent in cost (particularly if a name-brand).

5.    German statistics office piece: The German median gross annual income for 2024.....was €52,159. 

Explaining the average?  Half of employees earned more than or exactly this amount, while the other half received less.

If Absolute Free-Trade Occurred In Germany, Would Germans Buy US-Made Cars?

 Well....NO.

I would admit some interest in the Ford Mustang....but beyond that....I doubt that it goes beyond 1.5-percent of total  new cars registered each year...figure in the 20k to 25k.

The BMW-X Suv?  Well.....it's ONLY made in the US, and yes....some are imported into Germany.

Jeep?  Yeah....another popular brand that you might see.

The exchange rate working for you?  That's the one positive....if only the Americans could manufacture a $35k car/Suv....selling it in Germany for 32k Euro.  But those days are long gone....with $50k to $75k US vehicles the 'norm'.