Germany gets off to a great start with Trump 2.0

Its ambassador just caused “maximum disruption” – for Germany.

Where would Germany be without professional diplomats?

German ambassador warns of Trump plan to redefine constitutional order, document shows – Germany’s ambassador to the United States has warned that the incoming Trump administration will rob U.S. law enforcement and the media of their independence and hand big tech companies “co-governing power”, according to a confidential document seen by Reuters.

The briefing document, dated Jan. 14 and signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, describes Donald Trump’s agenda for his second White House term as one of “maximum disruption” that will bring about “a redefinition of the constitutional order – maximum concentration of power with the president at the expense of Congress and the federal states.”

“Basic democratic principles and checks and balances will be largely undermined, the legislature, law enforcement and media will be robbed of their independence and misused as a political arm, Big Tech will be given co-governing power,” it says.

With what?

Shoot them down with what?

Germany to shoot down drones near military sites – Germany’s cabinet has decided to authorise the army to shoot down suspicious drones seen near military sites or other critical infrastructure.

A statement from Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that, “especially since [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we have seen that drones are being used more and more frequently, which poses an increasing challenge for the police and their current technology”.

Russia is suspected of launching a “shadow war” against Western countries supporting Ukraine – a charge it denies.

We’re number one! We’re number one!

20 days a year, suckers. On average.

They don’t call Germany the sick man of Europe for nothing.

Germans are declared ‘world champions in sick leave’ by country’s leading insurer as it reveals workers take average of 20 days off each year…

‘The German economy won’t recover with sick employees, but on the contrary with better working conditions.’ 

German of the day: Cool bleiben

That means to stay cool.

This is very important. Especially when the last thing you are is cool.

Germany: Scholz uneasy over Musk’s support for far-right AfD – Elon Musk’s public endorsement for the far-right AfD has the country’s top leaders worried of undue influence on German democracy ahead of the February snap election.

Scholz on Musk’s attacks: ‘Stay cool’ – Musk, a top adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, has been commenting on German politics on his social media platform X for days now.

Have a Happy New Year, Berliners!

Stay home and crawl under bed at midnight.

New Year’s Eve: Around 3,000 additional police officers on duty – In order to prevent New Year’s Eve riots and attacks on the emergency services as far as possible, the Berlin police largely rely on the concept from last year.

Same procedure as every year.

Germans would never seek to influence foreign elections!

It’s just not their thing.

Musk causes uproar for backing Germany’s far-right party ahead of key elections – Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest.

Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy.