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Klingbeil dominates SPD, Raw materials agreement reached, Criticism of Netanyahu, May 1, Protestant Church Congress
published by Sigrid Arteaga
Friday, 02nd of March, 2025
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Bild: German philosopher locks children up for four years | Deutscher Philosoph sperrt Kinder 4 Jahre ein
FAZ: Kiev and Washington agree on raw materials deal | Kiew und Washington einigen sich auf Rohstoffabkommen
Funke: Between party and protest | Zwischen Party und Protest
Handelsblatt: Stock market crash? Not for me! |Börsencrash? Ohne mich!
RND: Kamala Harris returns: America’s Democrats should learn from the elephants | Kamala Harris meldet sich zurück: Amerikas Demokraten sollen von den Elefanten lernen
SZ: A pact for reconstruction | Ein Pakt für den Wiederaufbau
Tagesspiegel: „Historic“ agreement: US secures access to Ukrainian raw materials | „Historisches“ Abkommen: USA sichern sich Zugriff auf ukrainische Rohstoffe
taz: Off to the last prayer | Auf zum letzten Gebet
Welt: US and Ukraine sign raw materials agreement | USA und Ukraine unterzeichnen Rohstoffvertrag

Top-News

SPD grassroots clear the way: In a digital vote, just under 85 percent of participants voted in favor of the SPD’s coalition with the CDU and CSU. Turnout was 56 percent. SPD Secretary General Matthias Miersch spoke of broad support for joining the federal government. CDU leader Friedrich Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the SPD vote. sueddeutsche.de

  • SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil is to take on the central role of the party in the future government as finance minister and vice chancellor. In a letter, he explained that the SPD would be able to focus on its priorities in the Ministry of Finance, particularly the planned billion-euro infrastructure package. He will be joined by Björn Böhning as State Secretary. n-tv.de, tagesschau.de
  • Boris Pistorius is to remain defense minister. On election night, Klingbeil had already signaled that he was not included in the necessary „generational change.“ Pistorius wants to bring in an additional civil servant as state secretary to better coordinate the financial challenges posed by rearmament.
  • Bärbel Bas is considered a shoo-in for the post of labor and social affairs minister. The Duisburg native campaigned intensively for approval of the coalition agreement. spiegel.de
  • Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister of Education and former judge Stefanie Hubig is being considered for the Ministry of Justice. She served as State Secretary there from 2014 to 2015. Alternatively, Brandenburg Member of Parliament and lawyer Sonja Eichwede is also being considered.

Hostage relatives outraged at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: According to media reports, Netanyahu has described victory over the terrorist organization Hamas as a higher priority than the release of the hostages who are still being held by Hamas. The forum for relatives wrote in a statement that the return of the kidnapped must be the government’s top priority. According to the Israeli army, 24 hostages and 35 bodies of abductees are currently still under Hamas control. tagesschau.de

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praises agreement with the US on raw materials extraction: Zelensky said that it was now a truly fair agreement that paved the way for the modernization of his country’s economy. The agreement had been significantly revised during weeks of negotiations. It was the first result of his meeting with US President Trump in the Vatican on the sidelines of Pope Francis‘ funeral. zdf.de, n-tv.de, handelsblatt.com

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls for more aid for Ukraine from Europe: Allies must provide significantly more resources for Ukraine, Rubio said at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. Rubio praised France’s diplomatic efforts but called for more political and financial commitment. The background to this is concern that Europe will not be able to provide enough troops for a planned multinational protection force. So far, the US has only offered intelligence and logistical support – without committing troops.

Russian attacks on Thursday night with 170 drones and five missiles: Most of the drones were destroyed, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The Black Sea port city of Odessa was attacked again. According to authorities, there were at least two fatalities and considerable damage to civilian infrastructure, particularly residential buildings. n-tv.de

Polls

YouGov Sunday poll: Union 26 percent, AfD 26 percent (+2), SPD 14 percent (-1), Greens 12 percent, Left 10 percent, BSW 5 percent, FDP 4 percent (+1), others 3 percent. yougov.de

Politics

Hundreds of thousands attend rallies for workers‘ rights on Labor Day: At numerous events, people demanded fair wages, more collective bargaining agreements and an end to austerity budgets. According to the DGB, around 330,000 people took part in the rallies nationwide. The left-wing demonstration „Revolutionary May 1st Demo“ in Berlin was largely peaceful, according to police. More than 5,000 police officers were on duty. rbb24.de, tagesspiegel.de, tagesschau.de

Cabinet approves 3.74 percent pension increase as of July 1: This means that pensions will rise faster than the general price increase, which is expected to be around two percent this year. For a standard pension based on average earnings and 45 years of contributions, the adjustment means an increase of just over 66 euros per month. The additional expenditure for statutory pension insurance will amount to around 7.5 billion euros this year. faz.net

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach confirms security breach in electronic patient records: According to reports, IT experts from the Chaos Computer Club were able to access the data of individual patients. The federal digital agency Gematik, which is responsible for the system, said it had immediately closed the gaps. IT experts had criticized weaknesses during the test phase. zdf.de, spiegel.de

Protestant Church Congress calls for greater commitment to climate protection: The focus was on the effects of climate change on the Global South and Europe’s responsibility for limiting climate impacts. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel said that society has not yet risen to this challenge facing humanity, and that this weighs heavily on her personally. The World Council of Churches, which represents around 580 million Christians in around 350 churches worldwide, called on the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany to provide additional funding for climate projects and to exert influence on the implementation of climate protection targets, among other things. The Church Congress in Hanover continues until Sunday. In addition to climate change, peace and right-wing extremism are also key topics. ndr.de

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Paris for a farewell visit: Together with their wives, they gathered for dinner at the Élysée Palace. According to French officials, Macron wanted to honor the cooperation with the chancellor in the service of a stronger, more independent, and more sovereign European Union. The German government said the meeting underscored the special importance of Franco-German friendship. web.de

EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas sees German leadership as essential for a strong Europe: After a meeting with the designated Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Brussels, Kallas said she appreciated the CDU politician’s clear stance on European security. A strong and united Europe is the key to lasting stability, she said, adding that Germany’s leadership is essential for shaping this Europe. Wadephul said he would make European policy a priority during his term in office. Wadephul is holding initial talks with leading representatives of the EU and NATO in Brussels. According to the German mission to NATO, Wadephul’s talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte focused on Germany’s contributions to the alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities. faz.net

More News:

  • Saxony: Cyberattack on IT systems in Dresden. mdr.de
  • Berlin: State security investigates suspected left-wing extremist arson attack on transformer station in Dahlem. rbb24.de
  • Schleswig-Holstein: SPD summons State Secretary of Justice Otto Carstens to committee again in tug-of-war over doctoral title. kn-online.de
Around the World

Germany and other EU countries want to use debt rule exemptions for defense: The clause in the Stability and Growth Pact allows up to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product to be spent on defense for four years. According to the Council, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Baltic states, and Finland, among others, want to make use of this option. The arms buildup plans are justified by the threat posed by Russia and the possible withdrawal of US support. spiegel.de, orf.at

China lifts sanctions against EU parliamentarians: These were imposed around four years ago in response to punitive measures by the EU. The EU had criticized China’s oppression of the Muslim Uighur minority in the Xinjiang region. According to the Parliament, the lifting of sanctions is limited to active members; former member Reinhard Bütikofer will not be included. In response to the lifting of sanctions, the EU Parliament now wants to show itself open to dialogue with China again. However, EU sanctions against Chinese authorities and officials remain in place. EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said relations with China remain complex and multifaceted. tagesschau.de

Clashes and around 400 arrests during May protests in Istanbul: Police cracked down on demonstrators who tried to march to Taksim Square despite a ban on gatherings. Clashes broke out. Trade unions and NGOs had called for rallies. Around 50,000 police officers were deployed. Since the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered the most important challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there have been numerous mass protests in Istanbul. In Ankara, thousands of people gathered for largely peaceful marches. Erdogan received representatives of trade unions and various professional groups in the capital. tagesschau.de

South Korea’s conservative president Han Duck Soo has resigned: He wants to take on greater responsibility and concentrate on the election campaign. Han, from the Conservative Party, took over from then-President Yoon Suk Yeol last month after he was removed from office by the Constitutional Court. Democratic presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung is facing uncertainty over his participation in the election in a month’s time after the country’s Supreme Court overturned his acquittal. Lee is ahead in the polls in South Korea. stern.de, tagesschau.de

US Security Advisor Mike Waltz to become UN Ambassador after chat blunder: US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily take over the role of National Security Advisor. The background to this is the Signal chat scandal. In March, high-ranking government officials discussed US military plans to attack Houthi positions in Yemen in a chat group that was not considered secure. A journalist was accidentally invited to join the group and published the communications. Waltz had already taken responsibility for this. Trump rejected calls for Waltz to be fired until the very end. spiegel.de, n-tv.de

US federal court bans deportations under old war law: The judge ruled that the so-called „Aliens Enemies Act“ of 1798 could not be applied. It was only intended for use in the event that the US was confronted with an organized attack. The White House’s actions were a misuse of the law. This is the first permanent injunction by a court against the use of the centuries-old law for deportations.

Former presidential candidate Kamala Harris criticizes US President Donald Trump: She has called for resistance against Trump. In her first major speech since her election defeat, she accused the Republican of deliberately dismantling the state and public education. Harris spoke of a „narrow-minded“ and „self-serving vision of America“ in which those who speak the truth are punished. Trump is also to blame for the biggest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history, she said. According to media reports, the 60-year-old is currently considering running for governor in her home state of California. web.de, zdf.de, rnd.de

More news:

  • United Kingdom: Local elections as a test of public opinion for the Starmer government. tagesschau.de
  • Spain: Right-wing extremist party Vox must pay around 800,000 euros for illegal party financing. deutschlandfunk.de
  • Sweden: 16-year-old suspect arrested after fatal shooting in Uppsala; background to the crime unclear. faz.net
  • Estonia: NATO group patrols Baltic Sea out of concern for sabotage. euronews.com
  • Portugal: Misinformation floods the internet ahead of early elections. euronews.com
  • Finland: Use of smartphones restricted in schools. euronews.com
  • Turkey: Swedish journalist convicted on charges of insulting the president. deutschlandfunk.de
  • France: Government launches talks on electoral reform. deutschlandfunk.de
  • Italy: Economy grows stronger than expected. boerse.de
  • Iran: Judiciary executes suspected Mossad spy. zeit.de
  • Iran: Nuclear talks between Iran and the US scheduled for Saturday postponed. spiegel.de
  • India: New Delhi closes its airspace to Pakistan. zdf.de
Business

Top salaries have risen much faster than average wages: According to the development organization Oxfam, CEO salaries rose 30 times faster than the real wages of all employees. According to the analysis, they earned an average of around 4.4 million euros in 2024, which is 21 percent more than in 2019 when adjusted for inflation. Oxfam called on the government to tax particularly high incomes more heavily and to introduce a wealth tax. zdf.de, spiegel.de

More news:

  • German economy grew by 0.2 percent in the first quarter. faz.net
  • German inflation rate falls to 2.1 percent. tagesschau.de
  • Number of unemployed falls slightly to 2.93 million in April. tagesschau.de
  • „Summer fairy tale“ trial against former DFB president Theo Zwanziger dropped. faz.net
  • Because of Trump: Microsoft expands in Europe and promises more resilience. heise.de
  • X loses one-eighth of its EU reach in one year. heise.de
  • E-commerce giant Amazon forecasts disappointing profits. handelsblatt.com
Lifestyle
  • Press Council reprimands Bild’s online presence five times meedia.de
  • X has lost 14.4 million users in the EU within 12 months meedia.de
  • Controversial appointment: Designated Minister of State for Culture Weimer does not want to be an „austerity commissioner“ monopol-magazin.de
  • „Schnee von morgen“ (Tomorrow“s Snow): the art installation in Ellmau criticizes winter sports sueddeutsche.de
  • After surgery: Brazil“s former president Bolsonaro leaves intensive care faz.net
Sports
  • Amnesty International: Human rights threatened at sporting events in the US. web.de
  • Six-goal spectacle at the Champions League semi-final: Inter hold Barcelona to a 3-3 draw. rnd.de
  • Million-dollar deal with Hertha BSC – Wirtz’s heir found? Bayer Leverkusen seals transfer coup, top talent Ibrahim Maza arrives. sport.de
  • Problem children of the Premier League: Man United and Tottenham. sportschau.de
  • ATP Masters in Madrid: Ruud is first semifinalist. sportschau.de
  • Decision on classic triathlon: Ironman World Championship to remain in Hawaii. sportschau.de
Gedöns

Find in Zvičina: Hikers discover impressive treasure in the forest t-online.de

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