published by Sigrid Arteaga
Contributor: Imogen Goodman and Ulrich Kraus
Bild: Jauch grills Weidel about residence | Jauch grillt Weidel wegen Wohnsitz
FAZ: USA want to hold Ukraine talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia | USA wollen Ukrainegespräche mit Russland in Saudi-Arabien führen
Funke: “No time to spare” for postal voting – election director advises swift action | „Höchste Eisenbahn“ für Briefwahl – Wahlleiter rät zu raschem Handeln
Handelsblatt: Emergency for Europe | Ernstfall für Europa
RND: A little bit of youth: What was barely discussed in the four-way debate | Ein bisschen Jugend: Was im TV-Quadrell kaum thematisiert wurde
SZ: Special summit on Ukraine in Paris | Sondergipfel zu Ukraine in Paris
Tagesspiegel: Two days after the attack in Munich: Islamist knife attack shocks Austria | Zwei Tage nach dem Anschlag von München: Islamistische Messerattacke schockt Österreich
taz: Overpowered | Übertrumpelt
Welt: Europe looks into the abyss of its own powerlessness | Europa blickt in den Abgrund der eigenen Machtlosigkeit
Lead candidates argue about economic and deportation policies on RTL: The four candidates for the upcoming federal election have campaigned for their positions in the so-called “Quadrell”; migration as well as economic and social policy were the dominant topics. sueddeutsche.de, rnd.de
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz renewed the SPD’s proposal to relieve the tax burden on 95 percent of taxpayers. In return, the wealthy should pay more. Scholz pointed to his government’s successes in migration policy. Reducing irregular migration is important in order to protect those who “have an immigration background and who actively contribute to this country and must not be marginalized.”
- Union candidate Friedrich Merz reiterated that there would be no cooperation with the AfD. Merz calls for deportations to Afghanistan; Germany gives the country development aid, but does not negotiate with the Taliban, Merz said. He called for a significant reduction in bureaucracy to relieve the economy, as well as lower corporate taxes. The CDU wants to provide tax relief for pensioners who continue to work voluntarily. Merz explained that Germany is not neutral, but is standing by Ukraine.
- Green Party Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck defended Germany’s lack of relations with the Afghan government on the issue of deportation. The Taliban is a terrorist regime, he said. Habeck wants to boost the economy with tax breaks for investments, and Germany also needs more skilled workers.
- AfD leader Weidel told Merz that the CDU could not implement its tax plans with the SPD or the Greens. The AfD would stop illegal migration and consistently deport those involved. Weidel caused outrage with false statements about the war in Ukraine.
Winner of the debate: Olaf Scholz 25 percent, Friedrich Merz 32 percent, Robert Habeck 18 percent, Alice Weidel 18 percent, no difference 7 percent. n-tv.de
US Vice President J.D. Vance accuses Europe of suppressing freedom of expression: He has accused European governments of restricting democracy. He said that the greatest threat to security therefore comes not from Russia or China, but from European governments themselves. As examples, Vance cited the annulled election in Romania and investigations into online comments in Germany. He warned that excluding populist parties would ignore the will of many voters. Vance barely mentioned security policy issues in his speech. faz.net
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly rejected the statements of the US Vice President. He said that Germany had developed a firewall against extreme right-wing parties for good reasons. He called the statements in favor of the AfD an inappropriate interference in the election. He said that a commitment to “never again,” as made by Vance during his visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday, could not be reconciled with support for the AfD. tagesschau.de
Macron invites “major European countries” to Paris on Monday for talks on the war in Ukraine: The heads of state and government of Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark will take part, as will EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The background to this is US President Trump’s plans to end the war in Ukraine. Trump had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Wednesday and agreed to negotiations. US-Ukraine representative Keith Kellogg had ruled out the participation of European representatives in possible negotiations on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference; however, the Ukrainians would of course be at the table. rnd.de, zdf.de, tagesschau.de
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to relax European debt rules in order to increase defense spending: She wants to propose the use of a special rule in the Stability and Growth Pact that would allow member states to significantly increase their defense spending. Von der Leyen justified the step with the threat from Russia and the call from the USA that the Europeans must take care of their own defense and take over the majority of military aid to Ukraine. EU web.de
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyi describes “good conversation” with US Vice President J.D. Vance: Vance said after the meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that the US would seek a lasting peace. The goal is not the kind of peace that would plunge Eastern Europe back into conflict in a few years. Selenskyj said that they want this very much, but need real security guarantees. The background to this are fears that the US and Russia could conduct negotiations without involving Ukraine and Europe. n-tv.de
Heavy fighting in Russia’s border region of Kursk: Staff in Kyiv reported several Russian attacks by units of a marine infantry with artillery support. They were able to repel the attack. Moscow did not comment. According to its own information and an online video, the Ukrainian Air Force has destroyed a Russian drone base. The area in the Kursk region was used for the final assembly and launch of drones. The attack is part of a new strategy in Ukraine. For some time now, military and logistical targets on Russian territory have been increasingly attacked.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu want to “work together on Trump’s plan for Gaza”: After meeting with Rubio, Netanyahu spoke of a “courageous vision”. Rubio said there was no point in “repeating tired old ideas” and called for the complete destruction of the militant Islamist Hamas in the Palestinian territories. Rubio said Israel could always count on US President Donald Trump and the US. He said there was agreement that Iran was the biggest obstacle to stability in the region. Rubio also wants to discuss Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip through the US and forcibly relocate the Palestinians living there to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. zeit.de, zdf.de, welt.de, handelsblatt.com
BamS Sunday trend from Insa: Union 30 percent (+1), SPD 15 percent (-1), Greens 13 percent (+1), FDP 4 percent, AfD 21 percent, Left 6 percent, BSW 5 percent (-1), others 6 percent. bild.de
Cross-party tributes to former interior minister Gerhart Baum: Left Party politician Gregor Gysi called the FDP politician an upright liberal democrat, Green Party politician Renate Künast a great fighter for justice. Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer said that the Dresden native was a role model for many. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that with Baum’s death, the country had lost a committed democrat who had not shied away from any confrontation. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Baum had stood for the strength and self-assertion of the democratic constitutional state like few other political figures in the Federal Republic. Gerhart Baum died on Saturday at the age of 92. He was Minister of the Interior under then-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt from 1978 to 1982. He was also a member of the Bundestag until 1994. Within his party, he always pushed for the preservation of its liberal roots. tagesschau.de, rp-online.de, n-tv.de
Survivors of the Munich bombing victims speak out against weaponization: They do not want the death of the child and his mother to be used to incite hatred, according to a statement from relatives and friends published on the website of the city of Munich. The 37-year-old woman, who was originally from Algeria, and her two-year-old daughter died of their injuries three days after the attack. A total of almost 40 people were injured in the attack on Thursday. A 24-year-old Afghan had deliberately driven his car into a group of people. stern.de, zdf.de
SPD campaign bus in Büchen, Schleswig-Holstein, caught fire: Police said they were investigating all possibilities and believe it could have been arson. No one was injured. So far, there is no evidence of the culprit or culprits. According to the SPD, the vehicle belongs to Nina Scheer, a member of the Bundestag. Secretary General Matthias Miersch spoke of an attack on democracy and stated that they would not be intimidated and would continue to fight for a social and just politics. zdf.de, handelsblatt.com
Tens of thousands of people demonstrate for tolerance and diversity: According to police estimates, around 25,000 people gathered in central Berlin’s Bebelplatz on Sunday to demonstrate against right-wing extremism. The Protestant bishop Christian Stäblein called for diversity of opinion and social cohesion, while Rabbi Andreas Nachama commemorated the victims of the latest attacks in Germany. On Saturday, there were several rallies that were also directed against the AfD. In Düsseldorf, around 13,000 people took to the streets, and in Cologne, according to police, around 10,000. In Frankfurt am Main, around 15,000 people demonstrated. In Dresden, several thousand people protested against a march by right-wing extremists to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied air raids on the city. spiegel.de, sueddeutsche.de, sueddeutsche.de (Dresden)
Thousands of people joined climate protests throughout Germany on Friday: According to police, a good 8,000 people gathered in Berlin. The organizers spoke of more than 10,000 participants. In front of the Brandenburg Gate, activist Luisa Neubauer warned politicians not to forget the climate crisis. She said that it is impossible to talk about the global economy, security in Europe and migration without also talking about global warming and its consequences. Demonstrations were announced in more than 150 cities across the country. tagesschau.de
More news:
Investigators suspect Islamist motive after knife attack in Villach, Austria: The attacker had a connection to the terrorist organization IS, according to the Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner. The Syrian attacked passersby with a knife on Saturday, killing a 14-year-old. Five people were injured, three of them so severely that they had to be treated in an intensive care unit, according to police. According to official statements, the 23-year-old perpetrator, who was arrested, has a right of residence in Austria. A witness, who also comes from Syria, had observed the crime and hit the attacker with his car. This apparently prevented further attacks by the perpetrator. faz.net, spiegel.de
Runoff vote in presidential election in Abkhazia: None of the candidates in the breakaway Georgian province received the necessary absolute majority of votes. There will be a runoff vote in two weeks. The presidential election had been brought forward after massive protests against incumbent Aslan Bschania in November. The background to this was the planned signing of an investment agreement with Russia. Although Abkhazia is dependent on Moscow, many people took to the streets in the capital Sukhumi. They fear a sell-off of national interests. taz.de
New protests after violent death of a student in Iran: The economics student was robbed and killed in Tehran on Wednesday. His death sparked anger and mourning across the country. On Friday, students held demonstrations on the capital’s campus, according to reports. President Massud Peseschkian instructed the Ministry of Science to investigate the crime. The government called on the demonstrators to remain calm and keep the path of dialogue open. The Misan news agency reports that suspects have been arrested. orf.at
More news:
- France: Significant resistance to Emmanuel Macron’s candidate for president of the supreme constitutional court, Richard Ferrand. faz.net
- France: Even native speakers fail language tests for immigrants. spiegel.de
- Austria: The office manager of the FPÖ parliamentary president, Rosenkranz, has his residence searched as part of investigations against a neo-Nazi group. faz.net
- France: The last coal-fired power plant will switch to gas in 2026. sueddeutsche.de
- Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defends President Sergio Mattarella against Moscow. rnd.de
- Belgium: Protests against new government. zentralplus.ch
- Slovakia: Robert Fico leads a NATO country but still visits Russian leader Vladimir Putin. stern.de
- Turkey: Negotiations between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. tagesspiegel.de
- Switzerland: Foreign Ministry “welcomes” the new US Ukraine peace initiative. tagesanzeiger.ch
- Serbia: Thousands demonstrate against corruption and for reforms. derstandard.at
- Norway: WWF loses lawsuit against deep-sea mining. taz.de
- Greece: Long-lasting earthquake on Santorini. zdf.de
- United Kingdom: SMEs see Germany as an attractive location. welt.de
- Vatican City: Pope Francis appoints Raffaela Petrini, the first woman to head the government. rnd.de
- South Africa: Internationally known gay Imam Mushin Hendricks shot dead. spiegel.de
- Congo: M23 militia advances further in the east of the country and takes Bukavu. tagesschau.de
- Mali: Illegal gold mine collapses; more than 40 dead. spiegel.de
- Honduras: Expert group to investigate murder of environmentalist Berta Caceres. deutschlandfunk.de
- Argentina: Court issues arrest warrants for Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ex-president Htin Kyaw and military government leader Min Aung Hlaing; allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority. zeit.de
- Argentina: The most severe forest fires in 30 years in the Andes and Patagonia. rnd.de
Deutsche Bahn and the EVG union have reached an agreement, with the parties agreeing to 6.5 percent more money for employees until 2027. They also agreed on annual one-time payments, special benefits for shift workers and union members, an employment guarantee until the end of 2027, and structural wage adjustments between individual occupational groups. faz.net, spiegel.de
HateAid files complaint against Tiktok with the Federal Network Agency: The organization accuses Tiktok of violating the Digital Services Act, which regulates online platforms by law at the EU level. HateAid had reported several illegal pieces of content to the platform; Tiktok did not respond to the report in more than two-thirds of the cases. However, the platform has been obliged to do so since the Digital Services Act came into force. zeit.de
More news:
- According to the Federal Statistical Office, insolvencies rose sharply at the beginning of the year. focus.de
- VW boss Oliver Blume wants to contact Trump administration; hope for concession. n-tv.de
- Wide-ranging expansion plans: Flixbus offers trips in Mexico and Peru. n-tv.de
- Federal state broadcasting coordinator Heike Raab considers P7S1’s approach to be “unjustifiable”. dwdl.de
- OpenAI rejects Musk’s bid. derstandard.at
- Trump’s Truth Social makes a $400 million loss – on just $3.6 million in revenue t3n.de
- USA: Some are left out – The White House has restricted access for news agency AP. How Donald Trump is continuing his fight against quality media. sueddeutsche.de
- Subscribers are annoyed: Netflix describes inclusion of content in the Apple TV app as a ‚technical error‘. golem.de
- Felix Neureuther gets ARD documentary: At the end of March, the former ski pro will report on the dangers of Alpine tourism. quotenmeter.de
- Silke Müller heads the press and public relations department for Documenta. pr-journal.de
- Berlinale: Chalamet on Dylan role: “I just ate a lot” monopol-magazin.de
- Admission is free: Leipzig records more museum visitors monopol-magazin.de
- Tom Cruise: Caught on Valentine’s Day date with actress Ana de Armas. gala.de
- „My parents always said… you are who you associate with” – Singer Sheryl Crow is selling her Tesla in protest against Musk rnd.de
- “I have trouble dealing with it”: Shirin David misses politeness and respect in Berlin. rnd.de
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- Goalless draw in the top match between Leverkusen and Bayern: Xabi Alonso’s team demonstrates that they can continue to compete with the record champions sportbuzzer.de
- Kovac’s league flop like Konietzka’s debut: BVB mired in mediocrity as a team of disconcerted individuals kicker.de
- 45th matchday in the DEL: Eisbären Berlin secure their playoff ticket early
- Ice hockey: Germany takes on Canada in prestigious duel: boos for the US national anthem, then three fights in the first nine seconds spiegel.de
- World Cup gold in biathlon: Franziska Preuß is relieved of her burden faz.net
- Lillehammer bobsleigh world cup: Nolte and Friedrich nab the overall World Cup sportschau.de
- Boxer sets his sights on world title: Felix Sturm makes short work of his outmatched opponent n-tv.de
US judge hands down unusual sentence: Shoplifters must wash cars t-online.de