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CDU sticks to asylum plans, Demonstrations against CDU course, Netanyahu in Washington, Scholz in London, AI rules, US tariffs

published by Sigrid Arteaga
Contributor: Imogen Goodman and Ulrich Kraus

Monday, 03rd of February, 2024
Newspapers Headlines

Bild: What happens in the brain at 57, 70 and 78 years of age | Was mit 57, 70 und 78 Jahren im Gehirn passiert
FAZ: Trump imposes tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China | Trump belegt Importe aus Kanada, Mexiko und China mit Zöllen
Funke: 160,000 Berliners against the far right | 160.000 Berliner gegen rechts
Handelsblatt: Trump starts trade war | Trump startet Handelskrieg
RND: Green Party leader contradicts Hofreiter: „It’s up to Merz to rebuild trust“ | Grünen-Chefin widerspricht Hofreiter: „Liegt an Merz, wieder Vertrauen aufzubauen“
SZ: Trump is serious about the trade war | Trump macht im Handelskrieg ernst
Tagesspiegel: Mass demonstration in Berlin: 160,000 protest against the Union’s course | Massendemonstration in Berlin: 160.000 protestieren gegen Kurs der Union
taz: Unlimited influx | Unbegrenzter Zustrom
Welt: Deep rifts between the Union and red-green | Tiefe Gräben zwischen der Union und Rot-Grün

Top-News

CDU includes failed asylum bill in 15-point program: The CDU plans to adopt an emergency program at its party conference on Monday in the event of an election victory. CDU leader Friedrich Merz promises relief for the economy and the repeal of laws passed by the so-called „Ampel“ coalition such as the Heating Act, the National Supply Chain Act and the partial legalization of cannabis. The five-point plan to tighten migration policy, which received majority support in the Bundestag on Wednesday with the help of the AfD, is also part of the emergency program. On Friday, a controversial bill by the CDU to tighten migration policy was rejected despite the support of the AfD; although in addition to CDU members, members of the AfD, FDP and BSW also voted for the so-called influx limitation law. However, several CDU members and about a quarter of the FDP members abstained. The bill was rejected by the SPD, the Greens and the Left Party. n-tv.de, rnd.de, zdf.de

  • Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the CDU to clearly distance itself from the AfD; anyone who makes common cause with the far right surrenders to the extremists.
  • SPD leader Lars Klingbeil: The gap between him and Merz „has widened“. zdf.de
  • Britta Haßelmann, parliamentary leader of the Green Party, spoke of major cracks in the democratic center. Although the bill has been rejected, no one can be happy about this.
  • Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir called on the democratic parties to exercise moderation in the debate on migration policy and how to deal with the AfD. He advised all those loyal to Germany to „talk to each other in such a way that we don’t have to apologize the day after the election,“ he told ARD.
  • Green Party lead candidate Robert Habeck fears Merz’s government plans with the AfD. handelsblatt.com
  • CDU leader Friedrich Merz has accused the SPD and the Greens of defaming him in the election campaign in connection with the dispute over the vote on asylum law. spiegel.de
  • CSU leader Markus Söder sees the CDU/CSU’s position as significantly strengthened; the approach Merz took has „fundamentally increased credibility“. Söder assured ZDF that the firewall to the AfD is „harder than ever“. zdf.de
  • CDU treasurer Julia Klöckner criticized the fact that instead of demonstrating against violence and murderers, people were demonstrating against a mainstream party.
  • Thorsten Frei, parliamentary secretary of the CDU, defended the party’s approach on ARD; they had to „take action“, he said. The debate on Friday had been challenging. They fought to the end to ensure that there was a majority in the democratic center. tagesschau.de
  • FDP leader Christian Lindner offers the CDU help in implementing its emergency program. zeit.de

Rallies against right-wing extremism and collaboration with the AfD: In response to the events in the Bundestag, tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in numerous cities. Participants accused the CDU and CSU of having crossed a historic line. zdf.de

  • On Sunday, according to police reports, the rally in Berlin under the motto „Uprising of the Decent – We are the Firewall“ recorded around 160,000 participants; the organizers, Campact, spoke of a quarter of a million. The demonstration moved from the Reichstag building through the Tiergarten to the CDU party headquarters. The journalist Michel Friedman spoke at the rally. tagesspiegel.de, tagesschau.de
  • Further protests took place on Sunday in Flensburg, Potsdam, Chemnitz, Kassel, Bonn, Nuremberg and Regensburg, among other places. Around 15,000 people gathered in Saarbrücken and Kiel respectively. ndr.de
  • On Saturday, at least 65,000 people gathered in Hamburg, according to police estimates. Around 9,000 people took part in the „Firewall instead of arsonists“ rally in Leipzig, and around 8,000 people gathered in Halle an der Saale, as did in Bremen. There were also rallies in Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Essen, Cologne and numerous other cities.
  • On Friday evening, there were protests in several cities against the joint vote of the CDU/CSU and AfD in the Bundestag. In Hamburg, more than 25,000 people took to the streets. According to police, around 1,500 people protested at a campaign event held by CDU leader Friedrich Merz in Erfurt. There was also a rally in Magdeburg.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traveled to the United States, where negotiations are to begin on the next phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu will meet with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday and will be received by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said it was not yet clear when the next phase of the negotiations on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip would begin; Qatar is in contact with Israel and Hamas to prepare the talks. Witkoff will meet with Qatar’s Prime Minister Al Thani and senior Egyptian officials later this week. web.de, tagesschau.de

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky reports over 1,400 Russian air strikes: His country is under daily attack; last week there were around 50 missiles, 660 drones and 760 glide bombs from Russia. Ukraine urgently needs more air defense systems; strong air defense and sufficient missiles are an „obligatory condition“ for ending Russian aggression. swissinfo.ch

Polls

BamS-Sonntagsfrage from Insa: Union 30 percent, SPD 17 percent (+1), Greens 12 percent, FDP 4 percent, AfD 22 percent (+1), Left 4 percent, BSW 6 percent (-1), Others 5 percent. bild.de

Politics

Tribute to former German President Horst Köhler: Köhler died on Saturday at the age of 81 after a short illness. He was the German head of state from 2004 to 2010. The economist and former director of the International Monetary Fund was the ninth German Federal President from July 2004 until his resignation in May 2010. One of his domestic policy priorities was the question of how sustainable jobs can be created and secured in Germany. In terms of foreign policy, he advocated fair globalization and particularly supported Africa. n-tv.de

Bundestag has approved an energy package: The legislative changes include a longer funding option for combined heat and power plants. It also involves adjustments to the expansion of wind energy and bioenergy, as well as measures to better equip the power grid in view of the rapid expansion of solar installations. The plans still have to be approved by the Bundesrat. zeit.de

FDP leader Christian Lindner rules out government cooperation with the Greens: According to Lindner, an ideology-free energy and climate policy, an economic turnaround and a new realpolitik in migration cannot be achieved with the Greens, Lindner told the FAZ. The FDP will not enter into a coalition with the Greens after the federal election; the FDP is fighting to regain a seat in the Bundestag. Lindner called for an alliance with the CDU; a government without left-wing parties would be best. spiegel.de

Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Great Britain for talks: At the meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer near London, the main topics are Britain’s relations with the EU and the transatlantic relationship. Starmer says he wants to bring Britain closer to the EU again. He will attend the EU summit in Brussels as a guest on Monday. The UK left the EU five years ago. rnd.de, spiegel.de

Decrease in number of Bundeswehr soldiers: According to the Ministry of Defense, the number has fallen to 181,000 soldiers despite increased recruitment. There was a decline in the number of temporary soldiers in particular, while a slight increase was recorded among professional soldiers and those performing military service. faz.net

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier laments the narrowing of the culture of debate at universities: At the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the German National Academic Foundation in Dresden, Steinmeier said that the ability to argue for one’s own convictions without setting them as absolute has been lost in many places. This applies to universities, but also to the country as a whole. Controversy is not only good for science, but also for democracy. sueddeutsche.de

218 politically motivated crimes against asylum shelters last year: According to a list from the Ministry of the Interior in response to a question from the left, a total of 14 people were injured, reports the RND. The number of attacks rose by about 50. Outside of refugee shelters, the number of politically motivated crimes against refugees has fallen. The authorities registered around 1900 crimes in 2024. In the previous year, there were 2450. n-tv.de

More regional news:

  • Hamburg: SPD and the Greens want a heat pump for several houses. n-tv.de
  • NRW: Vigil with more than 100 participants at the Jewish cemetery in Höxter. nw.de
  • Thuringia: Police investigate threats against Böttcher boss. n-tv.de
  • Baden-Württemberg: Damage to property at the Landau CDU office; perpetrator arrested. mannheimer-morgen.de
  • Hamburg: Glitch in notifications for city-state election; 145,000 eligible voters to receive new information. rnd.de
  • Berlin: CDU condemns intrusion into CDU district office. n-tv.de
  • Bavaria: The University of Augsburg has dismissed Gabriel Bruckdorfer, the Left Party’s candidate for the Bundestag, over doubts about loyalty to the constitution. sueddeutsche.de
  • Rhineland-Palatinate: Lock on the Moselle that was out of service after an accident is back in operation. swr.de
Around the World

EU enforces rules for dealing with artificial intelligence: The use of AI programs that evaluate social behavior is prohibited. This is to prevent people from being categorized, rewarded or punished for their behavior. Facial recognition in public spaces – for example through video surveillance – is also fundamentally prohibited. However, exceptions apply for the police and security authorities in the prosecution of serious crimes. handelsblatt.com, horizont.net

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calls on Germany to significantly increase its defense spending: Germany must spend and produce more, Rutte told the BamS, referring to the size of the German economy. He justified his demand by pointing to growing global threats. Not only is the situation with Russia dangerous, but the Chinese are also expanding their military capabilities enormously. t-online.de, zdf.de

Italy picks up migrants from Albania after another setback in court: A coastguard ship is to take the men, some of whom come from Bangladesh and Egypt, to the Italian port of Bari. A court in Rome had overturned the detention of the migrants in Albania. According to the Italian government’s plans, asylum procedures for people from safe countries of origin are to be decided in reception centers outside the EU. Italian courts have already banned this approach twice. The European Court of Justice is expected to clarify in February whether Italy’s approach is compatible with EU law. sueddeutsche.de, tagesschau.de, faz.net

Right-wingers lead new government coalition in Belgium: The right-wing conservative and Eurosceptic N-VA party is at the helm; its coalition partners are the liberal MR party from the French-speaking Walloon region, the Flemish Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats from both parts of the country. N-VA leader Bart De Wever is to become head of government. The new government’s main goal, according to the statement, is to reduce the national debt and prevent new debt. As a result, drastic cuts to the welfare state are expected. dw.com, faz. net

Norwegian police have arrested a ship with a Russian crew in connection with a damaged Baltic Sea cable between Sweden and Latvia. According to the police, the ship was brought to the port of Tromsö at the request of the Latvian authorities on suspicion of having damaged the fiber optic cable. The „Silver Dania“ is a Norwegian ship sailing under the Norwegian flag, but with an all-Russian crew. Sweden’s coast guard had previously seized and searched a freighter sailing under the Maltese flag. spiegel.de

US fighter jets bomb hideouts of IS terrorists in Somalia: The US Department of Defense announced that the operation had been coordinated with the Somali government. „Numerous IS fighters“ were killed. US President Donald Trump said terrorist caves had been destroyed. He also criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for being too hesitant in this matter. Biden had IS targets in Somalia under fire in May last year. web.de, n-tv.de

SADC heads of state call for „sustainable solutions“ to conflict in Congo: At the Southern African Development Community summit, it was said that sustainable agreements must now be worked out. The government of the DR Congo accuses Rwanda of targeting the resources in the east of the country and therefore supporting the M23 militia. Rwanda rejects this. Meanwhile, the UN reports at least 700 deaths in the fighting, and at least 2,800 people were injured in the fighting for the city of Goma. faz.net, sueddeutsche.de

New Syrian rulers orienting themselves towards Saudi Arabia: In Riyadh, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; the focus was on ‘extensive future plans’ in energy, technology, education and health. By seeking closer ties with Saudi Arabia, the new rulers in Syria are simultaneously turning away from Iran, which has been a protective power for them. dw.com

Canada, Mexico and China respond to US import tariffs with countermeasures: The US government announced that a 25 percent surcharge will be applied to imports from Canada and Mexico. Tariffs of ten percent will be imposed on oil and gas from Canada. Surcharges of ten percent will also be added to existing tariffs on imports from China. US President Donald Trump accuses the three countries of not doing enough to stop the smuggling of the drug Fentanyl into the US. He also wants Mexico and Canada to stop irregular migration to the United States. tagesschau.de

More news:

  • EU: Van Beethoven, Marie Curie or storks: Possible motifs for new euro banknotes presented. stern.de
  • France: Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wants to push through budget without vote. handelsblatt.com
  • Slovakia: Prime Minister Robert Fico accuses Ukrainians of attempting a coup. n-tv.de
  • Georgia: Two opposition leaders arrested during protests. faz.net
  • Moldova: Chisinau supplies gas to Transnistria in dispute with Gazprom. spiegel.de
  • Austria: Unrest in the ÖVP over the possibility of Herbert Kickl becoming Chancellor. sueddeutsche.de
  • Turkey: Another wave of repression against opponents of the government. tagesspiegel.de
  • Sudan: 50 people were killed when fighters for the RSF militia attacked a market in Omdurman, near the capital Khartoum. tagesschau.de
  • Pakistan: 18 security forces killed in fighting with separatists in the troubled region of Balochistan.
  • Taiwan: Authorities said to avoid DeepSeek for security reasons. heise.de
  • Argentina: Protests against right-wing liberal government. tagesschau.de
  • USA: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio starts his first trip abroad to Panama. spiegel.de, faz.net

Business

Battery storage capacity in Germany has grown by 50 percent: Almost 600,000 battery storage units have been installed, according to the German Solar Industry Association. By the end of 2024, more than 1.8 million storage units with a total capacity of around 19 gigawatt-hours had been installed in Germany. This is mathematically sufficient to store the average daily electricity consumption of more than two million two-person households in Germany. unternehmen-heute.de

More from the worlds of business, technology and science:

  • Former cum-ex investigator Anne Brorhilker: „The state can still be tricked today.“ n-tv.de
  • Porsche’s executive board to be restructured. zdf.de
  • Energy companies Adnoc and OMV plan major merger of their plastics business. handelsblatt.com
  • Two out of three employees go to work sick. sueddeutsche.de
  • Compromise still possible? Trump’s tariffs could have fatal consequences for Germany. n-tv.de
  • Millions in donations: Office supplier Udo Böttcher cannot get rid of the AfD. wiwo.de
  • What to watch out for when investing? Interest in green financial products is declining. zdf.de
Lifestyle
  • Interview with Cicero: Mathias Döpfner – „I’m very happy that TikTok has finally been banned in America“ meedia.de
  • Incorrect reports about Green Party politician: Gelbhaar does not accept RBB’s apology for the time being spiegel.de
  • Underestimated chronicler of the republic: A plea for Phoenix dwdl.de
  • Gala in Los Angeles: Grammy music awards are presented – Beyoncé is the big favorite spiegel.de
  • Those who want to see the world-famous painting of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris will soon have to pay extra for the privilege wdr.de
  • White House criticizes Selena Gomez for crying: ‚You’re faking it‘. n-tv.de
  • Surprise on Instagram: Madonna supports student protests in Serbia. faz.net
  • A$AP Rocky in court – Rihanna there in support. musikexpress.de
Community News

Berlin & Me: couple’s therapy for your relationship with the city If you forget what you love about Berlin, feel frustrated by the little things, or wonder if you should stay or leave (and where to!?) this workshop is for you. Come to play with creative exercises, and share with a small group of Berlin’s lovers to talk about how to make peace with your situation or, if necessary, move on to sunnier places.

Sports
  • „Bloody“ sponsorship deals: Congo calls on FC Bayern to end Rwanda partnership spiegel.de
  • No penalty for Bayer: VAR – Successful premiere of the announcement in Leverkusen sportschau.de
  • Megatrade in the NBA: Luka Dončić will probably be LeBron James‘ teammate spiegel.de
  • Nordic combined: Nathalie I. moves from the classroom to the history books sportschau.de
Gedöns

Basel buys domain in the Bahamas – Because the link was printed incorrectly on a flyer, the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt decided to buy the domain instead of reprinting everything. golem.de

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