Month: November 2020
German courts usually confirm Corona restrictions
The current lockdown to contain the Coronavirus pandemic is confirmed by most administrative courts in Germany. After November 2, around 600 urgent appeals were pending in the judicial courts, the German Association of Judges announced. The restrictions were thus confirmed in around nine out of…
Umwelthilfe calls for more sustainability in agriculture
The interest group ‘Deutsche Umwelthilfe’ has spoken out in favor of the EU Commission striving for more ambitious goals within the Common Agricultural Policy (GAP). “With the Green Deal, the EU Commission has presented a comprehensive action program to get out of the current economic…
Whistleblowers should be legally protected, Lambrecht
German whistleblowers should enjoy better protection in the future. Federal Justice Minister Lambrecht is committed to this. A draft law, which is due to be submitted soon, provides for legal protection if informants about issues in business or government pass on critical matters and insider…
North Rhine-Westphalia: more police officers suspected in right-wing extremist chat groups
In North Rhine-Westphalia, 173 security officers in the state service are currently suspected of having posted right-wing extremist opinions in chat groups. Three weeks ago, it was 20 fewer. Most of the 173 suspects are police officers, said State Interior Minister Reul. The right-wing extremist…
Plans: five times as much wind power by 2030
Wind power from plants off the European coasts should deliver up to five times as much energy within the next ten years as before. The EU Commission named an increase from the current 12 gigawatts to 60 gigawatts. Over the next 30 years, 800 billion…
State security files to be located in the Federal Archives
In a vote, the Bundestag decided that the GDR state security files will be transferred to the Federal Archives. They should continue to be accessible to German citizens, the media, and scientists. In the future, people should even be able to view data about themselves…
Chancellery Minister opts for Home Schooling for Older Students
The Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery, Braun, has called for the federal and state conference on Corona measures to focus on schools when it convenes next week. The existing measures have broken infection dynamics, but the numbers are not yet sufficiently low. Braun…
Patient records – insured persons should be able to control their data
The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, Kelber, considers the electronic patient file to be partly incompatible with EU law. The patient record should become effective in a few weeks. Kelber criticized, above all, the fact that the insured cannot control who can view which data….
German Foreign Office: right-wing extremists connected internationally
The German Foreign Office has warned against right-wing extremists who are increasingly networking internationally. A study commissioned by the ministry examined links between right-wing extremists in Germany, the USA, France, and Great Britain, as well as in two Scandinavian countries. Due to the Corona pandemic,…
In memory of the 1941 deportation of German Jews
On the anniversary of the first deportations of Jewish German citizens from Munich, which took place in 1941, the President of the Israelite Religious Community, Knobloch, promoted a culture of remembrance. There is growing hatred of Jews, which is why “the memory of the crimes…
AfD to pay half a million in fines for illegal donations
The AfD has to pay more than half a million Euros in fines after having received donations of over 130,000 Euros from Switzerland. According to the law, political parties are prohibited from booking donations from abroad. The AfD replied that they did not understand the…
The Greens, once in a federal government, will opt for climate protection, education, welfare, and new energy
The Green Party have declared compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement to be a basic requirement for government participation in the federal government. The Greens chairman Baerbock also named “social and educational policies that really reach every child” as conditions. Finally, she addressed the energy…
The poverty rate in Germany is at 15.9 percent
The poverty rate in Germany, with 13.2 million people concerned, is at 15.9 percent of the total population and has thus reached the highest level since German reunification. Measured by the number of inhabitants, there were highs around Bremerhaven and Bremen, at over 24.5 percent….
Mask requirement in parliament goes for AfD, too
The AfD parliamentary group must comply with the mask requirement in the German Bundestag. This emerges from a decision by the Berlin Administrative Court. The President of the Bundestag has house law powers, and the AfD faction must comply. The mask requirement is intended to…
Merkel: Corona vaccine possibly by the turn of the year
Chancellor Merkel is confident that Corona vaccines could be made available in December or early 2021, she said after a video conference of the EU Heads of State and of Government. Merkel sees a challenge in the logistics of one of the products. The leaders…
60 nationwide vaccination centers planned in Germany
It is planned that the vaccines against the Coronavirus will be available at 60 locations, according to press reports. There should be no obligation to vaccinate. It should instead be voluntary. The distribution of vaccine dosages, which is broken down according to the population of…
Call for fewer contacts – decision on Corona measures in one week
by Thorsten Koch The Bavarian Prime Minister Söder (CSU) has “little hope that the measures to contain the Corona pandemic can be lifted by the end of November”. “We have to rely on security,” explained Söder. The lockdown must be maintained until it will yield…
BAMF case: Bremen Prosecutor’s Office investigating own investigators
by Thorsten Koch The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bremen has initiated proceedings for suppression of documents after a group of investigators in the so-called BAMF affair allegedly failed to consider exculpatory material. The affair is a matter that received great attention in 2018, and in…
New functions for the German Corona warning app – continued voluntary use
by Thorsten Koch Several politicians have called for the official Corona warning app to be more effective. As CDU health politician Sorge said, “alleged privacy concerns” have slowed down the app. In the future, the health authorities should have direct access. This opinion is not…
Hints of racist actions by German police officers, study says
by Thorsten Koch According to Tobias Singelnstein (Ruhr-Uni Bochum) there are indications of racism by German police officers. Non-white people are discriminated against far more often than whites. This is the preliminary result of the study, initially on physical injuries by police officers, which, although…
One study about racism in society, one study about everyday life of security officers in Germany
by Thorsten Koch The Federal Government will have a study carried out on everyday racism in society – instead of focusing solely on incidents of racism within the police. In addition, Federal Minister of the Interior Seehofer has pushed through that there will be a…
Lockdown in Germany Amid Second Wave of Covid-19
by Thorsten Koch From this Monday, November 2, restaurants and pubs in Germany will not be allowed to open to dining guests. Sports facilities, swimming pools, museums, cinemas and theaters, as well as other entertainment venues, will remain closed. In addition, hotels will not be…