Bild: SPD voters unite behind Merz | SPD-Wähler stellen sich hinter Merz
FAZ: Merz wants votes “mainly” from SPD, Greens and FDP | Merz will Stimmen „vor allem“ von SPD, Grünen und FDP
Funke: Resident parking permits: Berliners mostly in favor of higher fees | Anwohnerparkausweise: Berliner mehrheitlich für höhere Gebühren
Handelsblatt: Scholz accuses Merz of “snobbery” | Scholz wirft Merz „Wichtigtuerei“ vor
RND: Aschaffenburg: The turning point in the German election campaign | Aschaffenburg: Der Wendepunkt im deutschen Wahlkampf
SZ: Sharp criticism of Merz’s migration plans | Scharfe Kritik an Merz‘ Migrationsplänen
Tagesspiegel: The CDU’s migration policy: Merz distances himself from AfD, SPD accuses CDU of blackmail| Migrationspolitik der Union: Merz grenzt sich von AfD ab, SPD wirft CDU Erpressungsversuch vor
taz: Comeback of the year (movement against the right) | Comeback des Jahres (Bewegung gegen Rechts)
Welt: Their belongings (objects from Auschwitz) | Ihre Dinge (Gegenstände aus Auschwitz)
Unions Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz calls for consensus on migration – especially from the Ampel parties: Merz called on parliamentary groups to approve plans to tighten migration policy; he hopes in particular for the votes of the SPD, Greens and FDP, he wrote in his newsletter. The proposals, however, were directed at all members of parliament. The plans include permanent border controls and an entry ban for people who do not have valid entry documents. People who are required to leave the country are to be detained immediately. faz.net, spiegel.de
BamS Sunday trend by Insa: Union 30 percent (+1), SPD 16 percent, Greens 12 percent (-1), FDP 4 percent (-1), AfD 21 percent, Left 4 percent, BSW 7 percent, others 6 percent. bild.de
Hostages released by Hamas “in stable health”: According to an initial medical assessment by the Rabin Medical Center, the health of the four female soldiers is stable. At the same time, however, the effects of a long captivity under grueling conditions are visible. The four women are now with their families. In return, Israel released another 200 Palestinian prisoners from prison. rnd.de
The Greens adopt election manifesto: There were no votes against and two abstentions. Among other things, the party is calling for a reform of the debt brake to enable investment in infrastructure, defense and education. The Greens also want to introduce a speed limit on motorways and redistribute the CO2 tax to citizens through a ‚climate allowance‘. The minimum wage is to be raised to 15 euros. A new addition to the program was the demand for a year-round ban on the sale of fireworks. zdf.de, stern.de, sueddeutsche.de, n-tv.de
Federal government plans at least one deportation flight to Afghanistan before the parliamentary elections: The Ministry of the Interior confirmed a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, but denied any connection with the date of the parliamentary elections on February 23. Last summer, the government deported people to Afghanistan for the first and only time since the militant Islamist Taliban returned to power. tagesschau.de, n-tv.de
Tens of thousands demonstrate in several cities against right-wing extremism:
- In Berlin, 100,000 people, according to the organizers, and 35,000, according to the police, took part in the “Sea of Lights against the shift to the right” rally at Brandenburg Gate. rnd.de
- In Cologne, around 40,000 people demonstrated, according to police estimates. They marched through the city center under the slogan ‘5 to 12 – Loud for Democracy’. ksta.de
- In Halle an der Saale, more than 9,000 opponents of the AfD took to the streets to mark the start of the party’s election campaign there, along with around 3,000 of their supporters. zdf.de
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier calls for swift coronavirus investigation after the federal election: It is not about an ostensible search for culprits, but about transparency, Steinmeier told Stern. Without a thorough investigation, they would be playing into populists‘ hands. Steinmeier is pressing for a swift pandemic review; otherwise he wants to take action himself. In recent months, the government and the opposition have been unable to agree on an institutional review of the pandemic and its consequences. A committee of inquiry, a study commission and citizens‘ councils were discussed. faz.net
Hospitals do not consider Germany well prepared for new pandemics: Despite improved crisis management, a good half of the hospitals surveyed have insufficient capacity, reports the “Rheinische Post”, citing a survey of 234 institutions conducted by the German Hospital Institute. Above all, there was a lack of money and personnel. In addition, there were supply bottlenecks for medication and structural restrictions that prevented the construction of further isolation rooms. 97 percent of the clinics are convinced that they are better prepared today than they were in spring 2020. rp-online.de
Ecumenical memorial service for the victims of the knife attack in Aschaffenburg: The service, led by the Bishop of Würzburg, Franz Jung, and the Protestant Bishop of the region, Christian Kopp, was also attended by Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. Both had previously visited the scene and laid wreaths. In his speech, Imam Zischan Mehmood praised the courage of the 41-year-old who was killed. He said that the man had tried to protect children from the attacker and had thus also “saved humanity”. A prayer for the dead was held for the two-year-old boy, whose family comes from Morocco, at a mosque in Frankfurt am Main on Friday evening. spiegel.de, br.de
More regional news:
- Baden-Württemberg: Left Party member of parliament Gökay Akbulut reports a racist attack. spiegel.de
- Berlin: Senate prepares emergency loans for refugee costs. rbb24.de
- Sachsen-Anhalt: 25 million euros in aid planned for victims of the attack in Magdeburg. tagesschau.de
- Hamburg: CDU wants parliamentary debate on migration policy. n-tv.de
- NRW: After the increase of the “refreshment allowance”, local authorities are pleased about the boom in election helpers. n-tv.de
- NRW: SPD in Krefeld supports body cameras for traffic enforcement officers. rp-online.de
- Hessen: Rhein-Main-Link route should spare vineyards. faz.net
- Lower Saxony: Number of truants is increasing. ndr.de
Undersea cable in the Baltic Sea damaged again: According to the authorities in Latvia, it is a fiber optic cable that runs between the Latvian port city of Ventspils and the Swedish island of Gotland. According to initial findings, the damage was caused by external influences. Both countries are investigating the incident together with NATO. The Swedish public prosecutor’s office is conducting a preliminary investigation into alleged “serious sabotage”. A ship suspected of having committed the sabotage has been seized. faz.net, spiegel.de
Italy is once again sending migrants to Albania despite legal defeats: A navy ship is on its way there with 49 people, the interior ministry announced. The migrants were picked up in the Mediterranean. They came from countries classified as safe, such as Egypt. The reception centers set up by Italy in Albania are to decide on asylum applications. Italian courts had twice prohibited this procedure because the countries of origin of the migrants concerned were not safe. The European Court of Justice is expected to clarify in spring whether Italy’s approach is compatible with EU law. zeit.de, tagesschau.de, derstandard.at
Coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and ÖVP in Austria are causing concern: ORF’s editorial board has announced that the destruction of the public broadcaster has begun. The FPÖ wants to ruin public broadcasting in order to get party propaganda instead of independent reporting, ORF employees explained. The aim is to weaken quality media as a whole. However, quality journalism is an essential part of the democratic infrastructure and has proven its worth after the end of fascist and communist dictatorships in Europe. The FPÖ rejects the ORF’s accusations and has argued that the move is motivated by pressure to save costs. derstandard.at
Ukraine transfers air force personnel to infantry: According to the “Kyiv Independent”, several soldiers report that the transfers are continuing. The Ukrainian military command’s attempt to compensate for its numerical disadvantage at the front by deploying highly qualified air force personnel should be stopped. Unimpressed by public criticism that condemned the “wasteful” deployment of specialized troops, the air force leadership is allegedly continuing to send its men to the infantry.
Authorities in Belarus report 87.6 percent for Alexander Lukashenko: The autocrat had himself confirmed in office as president of Belarus for the seventh time on Sunday. The vote is considered a farce. Since no serious opponent ran in the election, the victory of the 70-year-old, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for 30 years, was certain even before the polling stations closed. The four other candidates in the election were considered purely symbolic. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos issued a joint statement saying that the election was a sham that was neither free nor fair. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called it a bitter day for the people of Belarus. faz.net, n-tv.de
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban wants Russia’s gas supplies through Ukraine to resume: His country is asking the EU to persuade Kiev to restart gas transit. Orban pointed out that Hungary had suffered economic damage of 19 billion euros as a result of the sanctions against Russia. Since the beginning of January, no Russian gas has flowed through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine. n-tv.de
Heavy fighting in eastern Congo: The M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, are besieging the city of Goma, which has a population of over a million. Heavy fighting is also taking place in the city of Sake, which is about 25 kilometers away. According to South Africa’s military, nine South African peacekeepers have been killed, including two members of the UN peacekeeping mission Monusco. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Rwanda’s support for the rebel offensive was a violation of international law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo. zeit.de, tagesschau.de
EU Commission plans significant reduction of red tape for businesses: The agency wants to make an unprecedented effort to simplify matters, according to a draft of a strategy paper to be presented next week. In addition to reducing bureaucracy, the document is about promoting investment in future technologies such as artificial intelligence, providing greater support for climate-friendly technologies and lowering energy prices. tagesschau.de
Public prosecutor brings charges against South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol: He is accused of instigating a rebellion by temporarily imposing martial law. Investigators from the anti-corruption agency recommended a few days ago that charges be brought. Yoon is the first incumbent South Korean president to be arrested. He is also facing impeachment proceedings in the Constitutional Court. Yoon’s lawyers argue that the imposition of martial law was intended only as a warning to end the political stalemate in the country. zeit.de, n-tv.de
More news:
- Denmark: EU military chief Robert Brieger in favor of stationing EU soldiers in Greenland; Donald Trump believes in voluntary US annexation. rnd.de
- Moldova: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky offers to supply coal to pro-Russian Transnistria. spiegel.de
- Slovakia: Record protests against “Orbanization”. taz.de
- Switzerland: President expects billions in public deficits in the coming years. handelsblatt.com
- Switzerland: Federal Councillor Beat Jans wants to ban international adoption after thousands of cases of child abuse. nzz.ch
- Montenegro: Jailed businessman’s case raises questions over EU accession hopes. de.euronews.com
- Great Britain: British Museum remains partially closed after IT attack. tagesspiegel.de
- Ireland: 300,000 households still without electricity after storm. rnd.de
- Sweden: Another series of explosions. tagesspiegel.de
- Greece: Tens of thousands of demonstrators demand investigation into 2023 train crash. spiegel.de
- Italy: PFAS pollution in drinking water. fr.de
- France: Nice bans large cruise ships from docking for environmental reasons. watson.de
- Sudan: WHO condemns drone attack on hospital in Darfur; at least 70 dead. zdf.de
- North Korea: Strategic cruise missile tested again. tagesschau.de
Unions want to stick with minimum wage commission: Stefan Körzell, a member of the board of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB), told the “Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft” that the DGB wants to ensure that there is no reason for politicians to intervene again as they did in 2022. The unions are aiming for a target of around 15 euros per hour for next year’s deliberations. swp.de
Heating costs down in 2024: Verivox reports a decline of around twelve percent for gas heating and around eight percent for oil heating. In addition to lower fossil fuel prices, warm weather has also played a role in the drop. However, prices are still high compared to the period before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. rnd.de
Federal government expects low economic growth in 2025: Citing government sources, “Handelsblatt” reports that an increase in gross domestic product of 0.3 percent is expected for 2025. Most recently, the forecast was set at 1.1 percent. The Ministry of Economic Affairs declined to comment on the report, but pointed to geopolitical risks such as concerns about new US tariffs. handelsblatt.com
US billionaire Elon Musk dissatisfied with X: User growth is stagnating, sales are not impressive – they can hardly make ends meet, the Wall Street Journal and The Verge reported, citing an internal email to employees. Musk rejected the story and called it a lie. He said he did not send such an email. Like President Donald Trump, Musk repeatedly accuses the media in general of untruthfulness and propaganda without providing more detailed evidence. Since the company is no longer listed on the stock exchange, there is no publicly available information on its business. However, it is widely known that sales plummeted after the takeover. Numerous companies and organizations withdrew from X because of Musk’s right-wing populist agenda. heise.de
More from the worlds of business, technology and science:
- Long-term care insurance deep in the red. n-tv.de
- Railway association: Dialogue on the infrastructure of the future leaves many questions unanswered. rnd.de
- Transport associations complain about fraud with the Deutschlandticket. heise.de
- BMW takes action against EU additional tariffs on electric cars from China at the European Court of Justice. handelsblatt.com
- Around eight percent more wind power from the North Sea. handelsblatt.com
- Green Week in Berlin ends with more visitors than last year. rbb24.de
- The parcel industry is increasingly relying on electric vans. handelsblatt.com
- An evaluation by YouGov shows which parties can best reach their voters in which media platforms. horizont .net
- Sweatpants played a key role: Correctiv reporter unpacks his undercover assignment in the secret plan investigation. kress.de
- Fewer movies and series: Amazon focuses on sports broadcasts. golem.de
- Shock in the Netherlands: Museum thieves steal Romanian masterpieces. n-tv.de
- The final part of the Holocaust trilogy: Survivors meet perpetrators at the Berliner Ensemble theater. n-tv.de
- Ed Sheeran: He makes history with his performance in Bhutan. viply.de
- SZA sings with Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl. musikexpress.de
- They were a couple for 27 years – Bill Gates: Divorce from ex-wife Melinda was a “big mistake”. web.de
- Rihanna’s husband in court: A$AP Rocky claims he only fired a prop gun. n-tv.de
- Victory in Freiburg: Bayern is a top team – but only in the Bundesliga. spiegel.de
- Top game in the second Bundesliga: HSV defend their lead in the table with a 3-2 win in Berlin. spiegel.de
- Record transfer: Chelsea pays $1.1 million for Naomi Girma. sportschau.de
- After long injury: Outstanding NBA pro Franz Wagner sets record. faz.net
- Australian Open: Alexander Zverev loses third Grand Slam final against Jannik Sinner. sportschau.de
Election in Belarus: the president’s dog causes a strange scene at the polling station. t-online.de