Tag Archives: Corruption

One-sided demonstrations directed against one party?

March 3, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

And funded by a government under the control of the opposing party?

This somehow sounds vaguely familiar.

Germany’s conservatives scrutinize state support for NGOs – Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc is questioning the political neutrality of some NGOs. That could weigh on relations with its potential Social Democrat coalition partners…

In its inquiry, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group refers to an article in the conservative-leaning German daily Welt in which several experts on constitutional law expressed very critical views about the demonstrations.

“Associations that helped organize ‘firewall’ demonstrations did not act on a charitable basis,” argued Volker Boehme-Nessler from Oldenburg University. “The demonstrations were one-sidedly political. They were directed concretely against one party, the CDU.”

Corruption?

December 20, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

In Germany? At the highest levels of government?

Yawn. Been there, done that. On a near daily basis even. Just look at the Banana Republic of Amerika if you need a role model.

German banker’s diaries add to Olaf Scholz’s political woes – Chancellor is facing questions over his term as Hamburg mayor, when city wrote off bank’s tax bill.

“It is pretty clear that a wealthy banker successfully influenced public decision making in his favour,” said Gerhard Schick, a former Green MP and head of Finanzwende, a financial reform lobby group, adding that policymakers later also tried to derail inquiries into the matter.

“What is at stake here is a very fundamental principle: the rule of law in a democratic society.” Scholz’s vast memory gaps were “implausible”, he added.

German Of The Day: Vetternwirtschaft

May 21, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means cronyism, nepotism.

Those two are as thick as Green thieves. Or they were, at least.

Germany’s star Robert Habeck brought down to earth by cronyism and boilers – Vice-chancellor’s unpopularity contrasts with the adulation he enjoyed for many years.

The Green economy minister and vice-chancellor faced the darkest day in his 17 months in office on Wednesday when he was forced to sack one of his closest aides over a widening nepotism scandal.

German Companies Leaving Hungary Almost As Fast As They’re Leaving Germany

April 3, 2023 By in Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

In Germany they can’t afford to stay (energy costs).

In Hungary they can’t afford to pay (baksheesh). Or so they say.

Viktor Orbán Ups the Pressure on German Companies to Leave Hungary – German companies have long been active in Hungary. But now, Viktor Orbán is trying to force some of them to leave. And when they do, his closest allies stand to profit.

US-Amerika Isn’t The Only Place In Need Of Foreign Observers To Monitor Elections

February 9, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Helections, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Germans have their problems too, the German capital in particular. But in contrast to us Americans, Berliners actually have the courage to them in.

Berlin is peanuts compared to The Banana Republic itself, I know, but its sure got pluck.

‘Dysfunctional’ Berlin holds rerun after election chaos – German capital has been governed by centre-left coalitions for more than two decades.

It’s not every day that foreign observers are needed to monitor an election in Germany, one of the west’s richest and most stable democracies. But then again, Berlin is no ordinary city.

Fourteen officials from the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body, will arrive in the capital this week to observe Sunday’s rerun of its 2021 election, an event so chaotic its results were nullified: Berliners had to queue for hours at polling stations, which ran out of voting papers and ballot boxes. Some stayed open late to cope with the crowds, when broadcasters were already calling the result.

EU Can Do

December 23, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Humor, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

What does it matter that the EU can’t even control its own borders, create a common defense, organise vaccines, agree on a data protection law, control money laundering, unite properly over practically all major issues, agree on one location to seat its government, sanction its own misbehaving members, actually get rid of daylight savings time after having announced it got rid of daylight savings time many years ago… And so very, very much more?

Its bureaucrats, technocrats, kleptocrats and all the other crats mean well and have their hearts in the right place. So, sure, who could be better qualified to place Twitter under direct supervision? Other than Big Brother himself. I mean herself. You know what I mean. Whatever kind of self Big Brother might have these days.

EU should put Twitter under direct supervision after missteps: German official – A senior German official said on Thursday Twitter should join other tech firms in being directly monitored by the European Commission, saying the company’s erratic behaviour under new owner Elon Musk posed a threat to free speech.

“The power of the big platforms over public discourse needs necessary safeguards so that fundamental rights are effectively protected.”

Eva K.

December 11, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Beautiful corrupt EU socialist technocrat of the week.

Because somebody has to admire them.

European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili has been arrested in an investigation into suspected bribery by a Gulf state…

Cash worth about €600,000 ($632,000; £515,000) was seized by Belgian police in 16 searches in Brussels on Friday. Computers and mobile phones were also taken by police in order to examine their contents.

Scam? What Scam? Me?

August 12, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Helections, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

How could I have played a role? I don’t remember anything. I know nothing, nothing!

And German state media does its duty and doesn’t know anything either. Scholz is one of the good guys, you see (SPD).

Germany: Pressure grows on Scholz over tax scam ties – Germany’s main opposition party has called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explain his role in a large-scale tax evasion scam while he was mayor of Hamburg.

Germany’s main opposition party has called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explain his role in a large-scale tax evasion scam while he was mayor of Hamburg.

Scholz has been dogged by questions about meetings he had with private bank M.M. Warburg in 2016 and 2017. Hamburg officials later dropped demands for the bank to repay millions of euros in tax refunds it had wrongly claimed for share trades.

German Of The Day: Stiftung

May 17, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means foundation. You know, like the “climate protection foundation” SPD Prime Minister (Governor) of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Manuela Schwesig created to get around American sanctions to help Russia finish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline – which never went into operation although completed, for some strange reason.

Now that she got caught the “foundation’s” chairman of the board has stepped down so it can quietly be liquidated.

The foundation had been the subject of criticism since its establishment in January 2021 because, in addition to climate protection, its main purpose was to secure the completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea. Companies involved in the construction had in fact been threatened by US sanctions.

Nord Stream 2 AG paid 20 million euros into the foundation’s coffers. Nord Stream 2 was completed – with the foundation’s support. However, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has not received an operating permit from the German authorities. Schwesig has come under criticism for her long adherence to Nord Stream 2. Accusations have been made that Russian forces pulled the strings in key areas of the foundation. Schwesig had played a key role in promoting the establishment of the foundation in 2021.

The Sustainability Bubble

September 3, 2021 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ain’t never gonna burst. “Sustainable, climate-friendly equity funds” are where the money’s at, people. Jump on board today! While you still can.

“The Sustainability Propaganda Got Completely Out of Control” – The case has the makings of the next big financial scandal, and it casts a dark shadow over the booming business with green investments. It involves DWS, the Deutsche Bank subsidiary that is Germany’s largest asset manager and a self-proclaimed pioneer in sustainable, climate-friendly equity funds…

The company, says Fixler, has massively overinflated its public image and presented itself as far “greener” than was appropriate for its investment policy.