GER politics thread

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Reason enough for Germany to consider leaving the EU perhaps?

That was a good one!

[mapuc]

Germany is EU-They are the superpower in EU.

Markus

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mapuc

Germany isEU-They are the superpower in EU.

Markus

Wouldn't be so sure about that anymore. The centre of gravity is shifting, to the East (Poland), and South (Club Med). The fallout of the multi-factoral crisis has just started to reach Germany. The current government is determined to slam the basis of the economy - affordable and stable energy - frontally against the wall and to leave dependecies form Russia for a headjump into even more vital dependencies from China.

As if we were not already lethally depending from China.

Twice vaccinated and triple boostered against learning effects!

[Skybird]

DER TAGESSPIEGEL:

------------------------------

Dependency alarms German government: 39 of 46 strategic raw materials have to be imported

A study by the Ministry of Economics reveals the extent of Germany's dependence on raw materials. The Asian model could become the alternative.

Germany is significantly more dependent on critical raw materials than previously known. That is the finding of a study commissioned by the German Ministry of Economics and obtained by the Tagesspiegel. According to the study, Germany must import 39 of 46 strategically relevant raw materials.

Above all, the increasing dependence on China is a cause for concern; the country is "already in a strong dominant position," the analysis says. In fact, China is the world's main producer of 23 of the 46 raw materials; Germany, for example, obtains more than 90 percent of rare earths from the Middle Kingdom - an element that is necessary for the production of smartphones, notebooks or electric motors.

The German government is sounding the alarm in light of the report. "If the energy turnaround and the climate-neutral transformation of the economy are to succeed, we must secure access to critical raw materials in the long term," Franziska Brantner (Greens), the responsible parliamentary state secretary in the Economics Ministry, told the Tagesspiegel. "The pressure to act is great," Brantner continued, "The international race for raw materials is in full swing, and Germany must not be left behind."

Experts have long criticized raw material dependencies. "Greater efforts should be made to diversify the countries of supply more," said Lisandra Flach, head of the Ifo Center for Foreign Trade.

Many critical raw materials are needed to produce solar panels, wind turbines or battery technology. Brantner, who will accompany German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for raw materials talks on his trip to Asia this weekend, now wants to develop a more active government raw materials policy. The present study provides groundbreaking insights for this.

According to the study, raw material prices for countries with an active raw material policy, such as South Korea or Japan, have been consistently lower than European raw material prices over the past ten years. In Japan and South Korea, for example, there are state commodity agencies that are involved in the purchase and exploration of raw materials. There is also a large stockpile of raw materials, which companies can draw on in the event of shortages or high price phases.

For the government, the Asian model could be a model. "An active raw materials policy is to the advantage of companies, as they can gain more favorable access to raw materials," says Brantner. He said the intention now is to develop key points for the raw materials sector. "In addition, we will develop concepts for stockpiling and a raw materials fund," Brantner announced. This will be discussed with the European partners within the framework of the Raw Material Act.

The opposition is ambivalent about greater state activity. The CDU considers a state-owned raw materials company conceivable. "Such an instrument is suitable to better support companies in their urgently needed direct access to raw materials," CDU raw materials expert Stefan Rouenhoff told the Tagesspiegel.

When it comes to stockpiling, on the other hand, the state should not interfere, he said, but should make reserve expansion more attractive from a tax perspective. "Companies themselves know best which raw materials they need for their production," Rouenhoff said.

Business representatives reacted skeptically in view of a possible change of course by the traffic light in raw materials policy. A raw materials company based on the Japanese model would face very complicated questions of purchasing and distribution. "You could not transfer the Japanese model of a state raw materials agency one-to-one to Germany, with its medium-sized economy," said Matthias Wachter, head of the International Cooperation, Security and Raw Materials department at the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Stockpiling would make sense, but would have to be organized by the companies themselves.

The BDI also sees considerable potential in the circular economy, saying recycling rates for critical raw materials are still far too low. "We should not only rely on imports, but also promote the domestic extraction of raw materials," Wachter told the Tagesspiegel.
-------------------------------


What took them so long to realise this...? If they would have asked me they could know it since many years.

[Rockstar]

And here I was thinking the state of Arizona had big problems with their ballots. How did it happen this took a year to remedy? We would have seen a massive tsunami of pouting, finger pointing, political Karen’s and a great gnashing of teeth by now if this happened here.

Berlin will have its own version of the mid-term elections - Germany's
parliament Thursday said the country's capital will have to repeat the
September 2021 federal elections in 431 of its more than 2,000 election
precincts because of abnormalities, according to the Morgenpost. Officials
have already ordered a do-over on the elections of the Berlin parliament that
were held at the same time. Many election offices ran out of ballots or
gave voters the wrong ballots in 2021 after the city struggled with running
the annual marathon as well as the election on the same day, the
bureaucratic equivalent of chewing gum and walking at the same time.
Since so much has happened since the election, pundits say the vote could
change the composition of Berlin's government (but not the federal
government though it will serve as a measure of public sentiment). Dates
haven't yet been set because there are court cases pending.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

And here I was thinking the state of Arizona had big problems with their ballots. How did it happen this took a year to remedy? We would have seen a massive tsunami of pouting, finger pointing, political Karen’s and a great gnashing of teeth by now if this happened here.

Haven't you never noticed how bitterly I speak about politics in Berlin (as a federal state)? No other federal state is as incompetently adminstered and governed as Berlin, the so-called senate has anarchists and ultra-lefties in command that even openly ignore and violate state constitutional court orders and call people to violate certain laws, corruption always has been omnipresent in its construction economy no matter which party rules, and the wokeness scene and anarchistic scene is in no other federal state this present and "alive" as here. Its the most messy state of all 16 states. Many people more or less openly dream of the return of the GDR, at least its living conditions. And many in the current senate do what they can, by name or not, to get there. Some of them are not loyal to the constitution, and as senators call for politics that violate present laws.

Add to it that its not just a federal state, but also the national capitol and houses the national govenrment and ministries as well, and the political chaos is perfect.

The current senate was not formed on basis of experience or competence, but on basis of various quotas, namely gender quotas, and ultra-feminist and queer ideological demands for the candidates. This ^is what you get from that, incompetence as political program, dilettantism as the intended goal of the show. At the same time it is one of the most heavily subsidized states in germany, needs massive financial supports from other states.

Politically, Berlin is a "Rohrprepierer". A dud. A desaster. And it lives more or less on tic only.

I could continue with the rude mentality of the natives, the dirt, the carelessness, and much more. No, I do not really like Berlin, though I know some of its better places, too, and have plenty of memories (and had a good school time, a good school, good teachers, and a good class community, so from class 7 on, shcool was very good to and for me). But I would not live there, under no circumstances. It would be a punishment for me. My mum got several episodes of depression from needing to live there.

[Catfish]

Germany to nationalize former Gazprom subsidiary SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe).

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-nation...ary/a-63754453

[Catfish]

Sanctions bite, if not immediately. And they also bite us ..
(Kiel institute indicator)

[Catfish]

Not sure whether this would better fit in the Ukraine thread but hey ..

Seems the 'Gepard' is quite effective in shooting down drones. There is a sophisticated shell/hit analysis but i will not post this here since it gives away some major advantages of the Gepard system. After all this time this is so effctive –

[Skybird]

Gepard was not phased out due to having become inefficient against modern threats, it always remained to be a formidable weapon, and still is, no other Flak tank of its class today has such a intimidatingly short reaction time. The Bundeswehr ground forces HATED to be told they should go without it. It was a political decision, because, as we know, we are not threatened by anyone anymore.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Gepard was not phased out due to having become inefficient against modern threats [...] It was a political decision, because, as we know, we are not threatened by anyone anymore.

True.
And as we now know Panzers use fossil fuels. So tanks = bad (only for their carbon footprint, not for killing of course)
Maybe with catalyst converters? Or even better electric!
The exhaust being placed at the horizon so you do not see the coal and nuclear power plants!
And painting them in rainbow colours will take away any stealth.
So bad.

[Jimbuna]

Shocking docs warn Germany could be 'wiped off the map' over Russian 'existential threats'

Ashocking report has warned that a Russian invasion of Europe is "more likely than ever", adding that Germany could be wiped off the map "at any moment." The Sun reported that the officials in Germany have requested the country to brace itself for an impending war with Russia, amid fears the war in Ukraine will escalate into a global conflict with NATO.

The confidential documents leaked to the German publication Der Spiegel suggest that one of the country's top generals Eberhard Zorn ordered the country's army to put itself on a war footing in the face of "existential" threats.

The 68-page policy paper produced in late September is titled "Operational Guidelines for the Armed Forces".

In it, General Zorn called for the complete overhaul of the German military, and to prepare itself for war.

He wrote: "Attacks on Germany can potentially occur without warning and with great, possibly even existential, damage."

Although the modern German army has been involved in foreign conflicts such as Afghanistan, Zorn calls for the Bundeswehr to prepare itself "for an enforced war" on its own territory.

Germany's armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, has 183,638 active personnel as of February this year, and 949,000 reserve personnel.

He warned that a war in a NATO member nation in Eastern Europe has "become more likely again," and called on Germany to play a leading role in the continent's defence, and create a more "robust" armed forces.

He demanded for large units that are ready at times to fight for NATO.

He said: "Alliance defence, including the ability to provide visible and credible deterrence, will dominate Germany's military action."

The paper says that in the event of Russian aggression on NATO's eastern border, Germany would have to provide "reactive and combative forces" and couldn't wait for support from the US.

Mr Zorn warns that neither the EU nor NATO can afford "to start planning and generating forces only after the attack has taken place".

He goes on: "If we don't jump fast, no army will move in Europe."

However, the leaking of the report may be a sign that German military chiefs have grown frustrated at what they see as a sluggish response by their government to earlier pledges of money.

A defence manager told Reuters: "There is a war raging in Ukraine but procedures here are still running in peace-time mode, while inflation is eating up the money."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...800a3509e0e1cd

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Catfish

True.
And as we now know Panzers use fossil fuels. So tanks = bad (only for their carbon footprint, not for killing of course)
Maybe with catalyst converters? Or even better electric!
The exhaust being placed at the horizon so you do not see the coal and nuclear power plants!
And painting them in rainbow colours will take away any stealth.
So bad.

Your forgot the most important point: we should not have any armoured vehicles at all, because their exhaust gasses may do health damage to pregnant soldieresses (or is the politically correct phrase now soldiering humans of unspecified gender?

Sorry, couldnt resist. Its my all time favourite.

Those not knowing or recalling it: the Puma IFV was delayed massively due to concerns that exhaust gas may possibly reach into the passenger compartment and in a low concentration - but still big enough that it could do damage to the safety of fetusses carried by pregnant soldiers on board. An army that gets poltically forced to be concerned about such absurd criticisms, is lost, imo. And maybe that is exactly the intention.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Shocking docs warn Germany could be 'wiped off the map' over Russian 'existential threats'

Ashocking report has warned that a Russian invasion of Europe is "more likely than ever", adding that Germany could be wiped off the map "at any moment." The Sun reported that the officials in Germany have requested the country to brace itself for an impending war with Russia, amid fears the war in Ukraine will escalate into a global conflict with NATO.

The confidential documents leaked to the German publication Der Spiegel suggest that one of the country's top generals Eberhard Zorn ordered the country's army to put itself on a war footing in the face of "existential" threats.

The 68-page policy paper produced in late September is titled "Operational Guidelines for the Armed Forces".

In it, General Zorn called for the complete overhaul of the German military, and to prepare itself for war.

He wrote: "Attacks on Germany can potentially occur without warning and with great, possibly even existential, damage."

Although the modern German army has been involved in foreign conflicts such as Afghanistan, Zorn calls for the Bundeswehr to prepare itself "for an enforced war" on its own territory.

Germany's armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, has 183,638 active personnel as of February this year, and 949,000 reserve personnel.

He warned that a war in a NATO member nation in Eastern Europe has "become more likely again," and called on Germany to play a leading role in the continent's defence, and create a more "robust" armed forces.

He demanded for large units that are ready at times to fight for NATO.

He said: "Alliance defence, including the ability to provide visible and credible deterrence, will dominate Germany's military action."

The paper says that in the event of Russian aggression on NATO's eastern border, Germany would have to provide "reactive and combative forces" and couldn't wait for support from the US.

Mr Zorn warns that neither the EU nor NATO can afford "to start planning and generating forces only after the attack has taken place".

He goes on: "If we don't jump fast, no army will move in Europe."

However, the leaking of the report may be a sign that German military chiefs have grown frustrated at what they see as a sluggish response by their government to earlier pledges of money.

A defence manager told Reuters: "There is a war raging in Ukraine but procedures here are still running in peace-time mode, while inflation is eating up the money."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...800a3509e0e1cd

Oh, it's all a subterfuge to lull the Poles into safety before we surprise them and bring them home to our new empire.

[Skybird]

Deutsche Welle (German edition):
----------------------------
The election for the Berlin House of Representatives must be completely repeated. The vote of September 2021 is invalid, the Berlin Constitutional Court declared on Wednesday. The result is ultimately no longer surprising - but the consequences are far-reaching.

The election to the Berlin House of Representatives, which was marked by numerous mishaps, must be completely repeated. This has announced the Berlin Constitutional Court on Wednesday. The vote of September 2021 was invalid. The judges thus stuck to their initial assessment, which Court President Ludgera Selting had already explained in the oral hearing at the end of September.

A rerun of the election must now take place within 90 days. According to the current assessment of the new state election director Stephan Bröchler, the probable date is February 12. His predecessor had resigned after the Berlin election chaos last fall.
Missing ballots and too few ballot boxes in Berlin election debacle

On September 26, 2021 - in the midst of the Corona pandemic - the Bundestag and the twelve district parliaments were also newly elected in Berlin. In addition, there was a referendum on the expropriation of large housing corporations. At the same time, the Berlin Marathon was taking place.

The result of this concentration and poor preparation was massive problems, such as incorrect or missing ballots, too few ballot boxes, the temporary closure of polling stations and long queues in front of them. In some cases, voters were still voting after 6 p.m. or on hastily copied ballots because supplies were not available.

Because of the numerous breakdowns, Berlin's highest court had to review the validity of the elections to the House of Representatives and the twelve district assemblies. A total of 35 appeals against the results were submitted to the court, four of which were initially heard. The appeals concerned the state election administration, the interior administration and the parties of AfD and Die Partei .
(...)
"It is a low point for Berlin's reputation in Germany and the world," Stefan Evers, the secretary general of the opposition CDU party, announced Wednesday after the Berlin Constitutional Court handed down its verdict. "Never in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany has an election had to be repeated because a state government was unable to organize a vote."

---------------------------------




Berlin. Who knows it, knows that all explanation lies in just this mentioning of its name. Else Berlin would not be Berlin.


Some seat and office holders who benefit from the chaos last time and now risk to being voted out of their priviliges and financial revenues, have threatened already weeks ago to push the thing before the national constitutional high court - and if needed even before the highest European court, delaying any verdict until the term is over. Criminal scum I would call these.

Maybe they get rid of this Piepsdings trying to serve as mayor currently. But then, I mind myself: its Berlin, man! So probably more Gepiepse in Berlin, no matter what.