Germany’s economy is doing just fine.
Germany’s economy is on shaky ground and glimmers of hope are few and far between – Good news has been sparse for the German economy. And the latest economic data has not done much to change this.
A few key 2023 data points, namely factory orders, exports and industrial production, were out last week and indicated a weak end to the year that saw questions about Germany being the “sick man of Europe” resurface.
But not as bad as “greatest real estate crisis since the financial crisis.”
The fun just never seems to end these days.
German bank alerts the market on exposure to commercial real estate – The troubles in the US commercial property market, which have already hit banks in New York and Japan, moved to Europe this week, elevating fears about broader contagion.
The latest victim was Germany’s Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG, which saw its bonds slump on concern about its exposure to the sector. It responded by issuing an unscheduled statement Wednesday that it had increased provisions because of the “persistent weakness of the real estate markets.”
It described the current turmoil as the “greatest real estate crisis since the financial crisis.”
I was really worried for a while there that the Berlin Film Festival was going to say it supports right-wing extremism.
But now it’s official. The Berlin Film Festival says it stands against right-wing extremism. Whew. Thank goodness. You just never know these days.
What a clown show.
“Members of the AfD were elected to the Bundestag and the Berlin House of Representatives in the last elections. Accordingly, they are also represented in political cultural committees and other bodies. That is a fact, and we have to accept it as such,” the festival said. “Both the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Berlin Senate receive invitation quotas for the Berlinale, which are allocated to the democratically elected members of all parties in the Bundestag and House of Representatives. It was against this background that the AfD representatives were invited to the Berlinale.”
Similar to the way the dirty tricks played on Donald Trump in the Banana Republic only make him more popular, German anti-AfD protests are only increasing its popularity.
Anyone paying attention here sees this for what it is: An orchestrated attempt by the established parties and their state media hacks to either 1) weaken the far-right party at the polls or 2) foster the atmosphere in which they can attempt to ban the party. You know. If you can’t beat them, ban them?
Germans Protest Far-right AfD for Third Straight Week Amid Its Spike in Popularity – After a meeting took place to discuss ‘re-migration’ of immigrants from Germany, protesters have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the rising far-right nationalism in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz applauded the demonstrations.
First, German climate activists of the “last generation” kind decided to glue themselves to the roads (and boy have those roads ever been cold these days).
Now they’ve decided to up the ante and begin organizing “disobedient assemblies.”
The next thing you know they’ll be holding hands and breath together until they turn blue in the face! This senseless escalation of violence must finally come to an end, people. I mean it.
German climate activists to stop gluing themselves to roads – Climate group the Last Generation said they will no longer glue themselves to roads as a protest method. They will now use the tactic of organizing “disobedient assemblies.”
PS: German of the day: Wütend (the guy with the sign). That means angry.
Because it’s always spotted.
Or being repaired. Or hasn’t been delivered yet. Or on fire. Or…
Ukraine Only Has a Few German Leopard Tanks Left: Lawmaker – Ukraine’s military only has a few Leopard 2A6 tanks left that are fit for combat after receiving 18 from Germany in March, according to German politician and economist Sebastian Schäfer…
However, some of the Leopard tanks reportedly sat unused in storage or needed repairs before being sent to Ukraine, sparking concerns about the vehicles’ battle-readiness. Prior to Berlin pledging to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the head of German military manufacturer Rheinmetall told German newspaper Bild that stocks of Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks “must be completely dismantled and rebuilt.”
No way. Emission certificate fraud? For fraudulent emissions?
The Chinese would never do that.
German authority probes alleged Chinese emission certificate fraud – Listed project coordinates show only desert on Google Maps.
The German Emissions Trading Authority is looking into allegations of irregularities in an undisclosed upstream emission reduction project in China, the body told Nikkei Asia.
The move comes after allegations by German biofuel producers that upstream emission reduction (UER) certificates issued by the authority, known as DEHSt, to some international fossil fuel companies for their emission curtailment projects in China were based on fraudulent information.
A Germ-man? A French-man?
Nope. A Tajik-man from Tajikistan near Afghanistan.
German police holding man in connection with a threat to Cologne Cathedral – German authorities say they have detained a man in connection with a reported threat to Cologne Cathedral over the holiday weekend.
Tajikistan is 98% Muslim, by the way, so this couldn’t have been religiously motivated.
That means those who refuse to listen shall feel the consequences.
The established, traditional political parties in Germany are still refusing to listen to the electorate. Their voters have had it. With the migrant madness, for one thing. And with crazy Green utopia (highest energy prices in Europe and climbing), for another. And if these parties won’t listen, then voters have no other choice but to vote for a party that will.
Alice Weidel’s hard-right politics is winning over Germans.
Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties.
Observing Hermann 