Politics German Politics & News

[muck]

The new cabinet holds some surprises, positive and negative ones. One or two of you might be interested since the particulars are indicative of the government's future course (German ministers are more autonomous than, say, their US counterparts).

The unbearable Annalena Baerbock (who promoted a Greenpeace activist and a feminist scholar to serve as undersecretaries) is replaced as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Johann Wadephul (CDU), a lawyer and commanding officer of a reserve battalion. Wadephul is described as a skilled diplomat. He's centre-right and an outspoken opponent of Russian and Chinese influence.

Boris Pistorius (SPD) remains in office as Minister of Defence. He is Germany's most popular politician and liked by the troops (though I personally think he's given more credit than he's due for what he's actually achieved so far).

Karin Prien (CDU), new Minister of Education, is the first Jewish member of a German government and adds some Judeo-Christian values. She's a lawyer by trade, though.

The newly-created Ministry of Digitalisation and Modernisation of Government, Karsten Wildberger (CDU), was until recently the CEO of Saturn, Germany's biggest electronics retailer. Lateral entrants like him are highly unusual in German politics.

I already mentioned Alois Rainer (CSU) as Minister of Agriculture, a walking middle finger to the Green lobby.

The new Minister of Economy and Energy, Katharina Reiche (CDU), is likewise a lateral entrant recruited from one of Germany's biggest energy firms. A welcome upgrade from the incumbent Robert Habeck, a children's book author (I'm not joking).

I'm rather unhappy with Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) as Interior Minister (overseeing border security and policing). He is a staunch conservative but has been rather ineffective in leadership positions in the past.

The biggest red flags of the new government are Reem Alabali-Radovan, Minister of Cooperation (SPD), and Matthias Miersch, one of the two chief whips. They're both socialists. Alabali-Radovan, who'll administer Germany's development aid budget, was born in Russia to Iraqi parents and has found it difficult in the past to condemn Hamas in earnest. It'll be popcorn time if Merz makes good on his promise to invite Israeli premier Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC arrest warrant.

One of the disadvantages of a coalition government, this. Merz couldn't pick all of his ministers himself.

Probably not the most voiceful members of the opposition then.

Or perhaps was it part of the clauses dictating the coalition.

AfD is leading some recent polls. The left side of the aisle is scared shitless by the prospect of them winning the next election, making the country either ungovernable or enticing the Christian Democrats to ignore the cordon sanitaire and form a coalition with AfD. I'd suspect some of the Greens feared Merz could lose the scond ballot, too, and voted for him.

 

[thelistener]

Well....Trump has been called "Hitler...literally Hitler", for 10 years now. All of his supporters have been called Nazis for the same amount of time....because voting is a "threat to democracy". I personally had been called a Nazi by someone who I thought was a friend, because I wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton. Sorry, but that term has lost it's meaning already. It is literally the last refuge of the scoundrel. On to the next word.

What if more voters find AfD appealing? What should be done? Arrest, prison, concentration camps? Obviously, a large segment of the German population wants to see some course correction in their country. They voted. They are the second most popular party in Germany. They call that Democracy.

Since you now know some more information about AFD, would still vote for them if you were a German?

 

[muck]

Not a single American understands Europe, they talk in stereotypes.

The same could be said about many Europeans in reverse. I'd argue that for the past thirty-odd years, Europe and America have spent too much time trying to lecture each other. As far as I can tell, the only new facet is the genuine hatred some of the Trump administration appear to be harbouring for Europe, chief among them J.D. Vance.

 

[Musashi]

He's promised a reversal of the previous administration's liberal policies and some new restrictions.

Cool, he wants to introduce permanent border checks, while he should focus on protecting the external EU border. Poland is able to protect the border with Belarus quite well, but the guests who were invited by die Mutti get into Poland from Lithuania and Slovakia. These two are the primary entry points for illegals.

Since Germany is going to build a lot of gas power plants, I wonder where the Germans are going to get gas from to power them.

 

[muck]

Merz has already indicated he'll try to find an amicable solution with Poland. In fact, he's due to arrive in Warsaw tomorrow.

 

[Mike1976]

Boris Pistorius (SPD) remains in office as Minister of Defence. He is Germany's most popular politician and liked by the troops (though I personally think he's given more credit than he's due for what he's actually achieved so far).

I've read an interview with the head of the general staff of the Belgian armed forces who said regarding their new government that he is happy with the previous Minister of Defence remaining in place as he's already versed on the matters at hand, which is more important right now than having a potentially more qualified person on the job in a year.

 

[muck]

That's fair.

 

[Mike1976]

Since Germany is going to build a lot of gas power plants, I wonder where the Germans are going to get gas from to power them.

The European Commission is moving to ban gas and oil imports from russia altogether by 2027. The import of coal has already stopped and oil has declined severely.

 

[Fluff]

The new cabinet holds some surprises, positive and negative ones. One or two of you might be interested since the particulars are indicative of the government's future course (German ministers are more autonomous than, say, their US counterparts).

The unbearable Annalena Baerbock (who promoted a Greenpeace activist and a feminist scholar to serve as undersecretaries) is replaced as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Johann Wadephul (CDU), a lawyer and commanding officer of a reserve battalion. Wadephul is described as a skilled diplomat. He's centre-right and an outspoken opponent of Russian and Chinese influence.

Boris Pistorius (SPD) remains in office as Minister of Defence. He is Germany's most popular politician and liked by the troops (though I personally think he's given more credit than he's due for what he's actually achieved so far).

Karin Prien (CDU), new Minister of Education, is the first Jewish member of a German government and adds some Judeo-Christian values. She's a lawyer by trade, though.

The newly-created Ministry of Digitalisation and Modernisation of Government, Karsten Wildberger (CDU), was until recently the CEO of Saturn, Germany's biggest electronics retailer. Lateral entrants like him are highly unusual in German politics.

I already mentioned Alois Rainer (CSU) as Minister of Agriculture, a walking middle finger to the Green lobby.

The new Minister of Economy and Energy, Katharina Reiche (CDU), is likewise a lateral entrant recruited from one of Germany's biggest energy firms. A welcome upgrade from the incumbent Robert Habeck, a children's book author (I'm not joking).

I'm rather unhappy with Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) as Interior Minister (overseeing border security and policing). He is a staunch conservative but has been rather ineffective in leadership positions in the past.

The biggest red flags of the new government are Reem Alabali-Radovan, Minister of Cooperation (SPD), and Matthias Miersch, one of the two chief whips. They're both socialists. Alabali-Radovan, who'll administer Germany's development aid budget, was born in Russia to Iraqi parents and has found it difficult in the past to condemn Hamas in earnest. It'll be popcorn time if Merz makes good on his promise to invite Israeli premier Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC arrest warrant.

One of the disadvantages of a coalition government, this. Merz couldn't pick all of his ministers himself.
AfD is leading some recent polls. The left side of the aisle is scared shitless by the prospect of them winning the next election, making the country either ungovernable or enticing the Christian Democrats to ignore the cordon sanitaire and form a coalition with AfD. I'd suspect some of the Greens feared Merz could lose the scond ballot, too, and voted for him.

So overall a little more right of centre, and some people maybe know a bit about their areas of responsibility? Doesn't sound so bad.

On the AFD, and same for Farage in UK, some of the point the people make, is to push all parties in a direction, at the moment the push is to the right. Either the centre right moves a bit or a lot to the right, or yes people will vote for the harder right party. How hard of hearing are the politicians?

 

[Mike1976]

So overall a little more right of centre, and some people maybe know a bit about their areas of responsibility? Doesn't sound so bad.

On the AFD, and same for Farage in UK, some of the point the people make, is to push all parties in a direction, at the moment the push is to the right. Either the centre right moves a bit or a lot to the right, or yes people will vote for the harder right party. How hard of hearing are the politicians?

Imo it's general disappointment in the political system of old, not necessarily any problems with the ideology of any particular side of the political spectrum.

 

[Musashi]

The European Commission is moving to ban gas and oil imports from russia altogether by 2027. The import of coal has already stopped and oil has declined severely.

It was not my question. Is it going to be imported from Qatar or the U.S.A.?

BTW
The EU has imported energy worth €200 bn from RuZZia since the 24th of February 2022.

 

[Musashi]

I'm guessing you're OK with the Norsdtream bombing act of sabotage?

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[Chazman]

Since you now know some more information about AFD, would still vote for them if you were a German?

The honest answer is, I don't know. The entire spectrum of political parties in Germany, if not Europe, might do well to be pushed to the right. If I were German, I'd be concerned about some things. Unsecured borders for one. An immigrant community which both hates and targets the local population. Free speech, obviously.

I don't accept labels like "Alt-Right". What is that? What does that mean? Is that the new word which replaces "Nazi" since every last drop of juice has been squeezed out of that by over use?

Here's what I do know. If a large swath of the population is voting for a party, I'd want to know what these people want and why. Something has struck a chord with them. Maybe publicly announcing that the party and it's voters are extremists and will by spied on by German Intelligence is counterproductive.

 

[muck]

Maybe publicly announcing that the party and it's voters are extremists and will by spied on by German Intelligence is counterproductive.

That is most definitely the case.

Though it doesn't change the fact that parts of AfD, as well as of their voter base, are dangerous extremists.

 

[muck]

Germany's new Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has just repealed the following Merkel-era decree:

Foreign nationals without documents legitimising their residence must be permitted to enter the country if they wish to apply for asylum.

Additionally, he has dispatched a total of 14,000 officers to the border with an order to deny entry to all non-EU nationals without a permanent residence permit or valid visa. This includes asylum seekers who failed to apply for asylum at their original point of entering the European Union. (Source) Good! Guess I have to eat my words now about Dobrindt being ineffective.

 

[thelistener]

The honest answer is, I don't know. The entire spectrum of political parties in Germany, if not Europe, might do well to be pushed to the right. If I were German, I'd be concerned about some things. Unsecured borders for one. An immigrant community which both hates and targets the local population. Free speech, obviously.

I don't accept labels like "Alt-Right". What is that? What does that mean? Is that the new word which replaces "Nazi" since every last drop of juice has been squeezed out of that by over use?

Here's what I do know. If a large swath of the population is voting for a party, I'd want to know what these people want and why. Something has struck a chord with them. Maybe publicly announcing that the party and it's voters are extremists and will by spied on by German Intelligence is counterproductive.

Thanks
From personal experience we had over here. A "far-right" party did successfully push the pendulum so now more parties have picked up large parts of their immigration policy. Even the leader of said party said many years ago that he did not care if his party becomes the biggest or not, but he just wants their policy views to be adopted by mainstream parties, which i respect.

 

[Mike1976]

It was not my question. Is it going to be imported from Qatar or the U.S.A.?

BTW
The EU has imported energy worth €200 bn from RuZZia since the 24th of February 2022.

That is for individual countries to decide, for example Germany has been expanding it's import from Qatar. There is about 100b m3 of gas left in the Dutch part of the North Sea. This needs to be a transitional period anyway until more NPPs can be built and nuclear energy technology advanced to a cleaner state.

 

[muck]

@Chazman, @Musashi, @thelistener

AfD has just successfully obtained a temporary injunction against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Until further notice, the agency is no longer allowed to declare the party is an extremist organisation.

 

[Ivan le Fou]

So... after spying and collecting any data on any member they turn it back so they can't be held legally liable and so it's not possible to find how much spying was done during discovery?

That's it?

 

[muck]

So... after spying and collecting any data on any member they turn it back so they can't be held legally liable and so it's not possible to find how much spying was done during discovery?

That's it?

The matter will go to trial.

And you're overly optimistic to think a lot of spying could've been done by a German government agency over the course of five days. An agency that isn't even a "spy agency" to begin with, despite being labelled as such. BfV collects information mostly through open-source intelligence and informers willing to talk to them.

The advisory report on which the labelling as extremist was predicated has not been released yet, but going by what's been leaked so far, seems to be entirely based on statements made by AfD politicians in public (including social media).

The Scholz administration releasing only the tenor of that report is unacceptable and weird (it's counter-productive even from their point of view). If you care for my opinion, I think the Social Democrats released that report the day before the elevation of Merz to Chancellorship to ensure he couldn't cooperate with them in parliament. The timing was conspicuous.