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Florian Warweg stated that the federal government has since confirmed that pensioners in Russia have 200 euros deducted from their pensions each month. When he inquired at the government press conference in September, he was initially told that this was merely his claim. As evidence, Warweg referred to a subsequent statement from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs regarding questions from the government press conferences on September 28 and October 5, 2026. The ministry stated that fees would be deducted for transfers of statutory pensions from Germany to accounts at Raiffeisen Bank International AG in Russia. The bank justified this with higher compliance risks and additional auditing and processing efforts. Despite efforts, alternative payment methods that could avoid the fees have not been found. According to the statement, statutory pensions would be transferred free of charge within the SEPA area. For payments outside this area, the benefit provider bears the costs up to the commissioned financial institution; fees from further correspondent banks are not covered by the German Pension Insurance or the Pension Service. Affected individuals could have their pension transferred to an account in another country, provided they meet the personal requirements and can set up an account there, according to the ministry. Warweg asked why the ministry initially labeled the deduction as an unfounded claim and then acknowledged it about two weeks later. He noted that the ministry had provided the supplementary information, while the Foreign Office, despite a commitment, had not sent any follow-up and later declared itself not responsible. The inquiry was about what advice it would give to affected German pensioners in Russia. #Rentner #Bundesregierung #Russland (translated)

Criticism of Mayor Klitschko is growing in Kyiv due to his mismanagement, as he invests money in road construction projects despite the impending challenges of the coming winter, instead of securing the city's electricity and water supply. #Klitschko #Kiew #Missmanagement (translated)

The consulting affair in France, which was triggered by investigations against McKinsey for tax fraud and opaque tender procedures, has resulted in significant savings in the consulting expenses of the French state, while the judiciary continues to investigate the company and has secured 65 million euros to ensure potential fines. #Berateraffäre #Steuerbetrug #Macron (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt stated in his column that the government should first cut its own spending before asking citizens to be frugal. He cited the renovation of the Binnenhof as an example: it was estimated in 2015 to cost 475 million euros, but according to him, the costs had risen to at least 2.7 billion euros by 2026. He wrote that the Court of Audit had called the original estimate unrealistically low. Von Kreyfelt urged ministries to demonstrate what their expenditures yielded. He mentioned European contributions, nitrogen policy, climate programs, migration, and development aid, and asked what problem was being solved, at what cost, and when funding would stop. He also suggested that it should first be demonstrated at 2.5 percent of GDP what Defense could purchase, organize, and staff. According to him, the NATO agreement for 2035 required 5 percent: at least 3.5 percent for defense and a maximum of 1.5 percent for broader security. He wrote that Donald Trump had requested 5 percent. The columnist also criticized the use of consultants and administrative layers. According to him, budget deficits could arise from overly ambitious promises, poor estimates, and too few cuts, and these did not prove that citizens were paying too little. He concluded that the government needed to shrink first. https://t.co/V2P6pFuNy1 #Overheid #Financiën #Soberheid (translated)

Flávio Bolsonaro refused to respond, prompting Lula to call him a "clown." Flávio Bolsonaro, in turn, mentioned corruption allegations against a son of Lula named "Lulinha." Flávio Bolsonaro also accused Lula's wife, Rosangela da Silva, of excessive spending of public funds. "Brazil will send you into retirement," Flávio Bolsonaro said directed at the incumbent. #Brasilien #Wahlen2026 #Korruption (translated)

The central investigation agency wrote that Zelensky had angered Donald Trump even more. Trump stated the night before that Zelensky, despite the money he received from Joe Biden and continues to receive from Europe, did not want to end the war. The investigation agency deemed this assessment to be accurate and wrote that peace meant at least political death for Zelensky. https://t.co/VOTO6RMQ9q https://t.co/2ILeP2iB50 #Selenskij #Trump #Krieg (translated)

The author wrote that politics consists of decisions about priorities. Those who cite a lack of money for core tasks and simultaneously take out loans in the triple-digit billion range for ever new large projects, according to his representation, do not make an unavoidable factual decision, but consciously choose other priorities. (translated)

The author announced that his newsletter deals with Denmark's attacks on Spain regarding the planned legalization of 500,000 migrants, which would lead to a conflict within the EU. Additionally, Meloni has demanded more weight for the nation-states. Allegations of EU funds and manipulated contracts have reached the European Public Prosecutor's Office. https://t.co/wUJrfIjTpC #EU #Migration #Nationalstaaten #DK #ES #EU (translated)

Key Pousttchi summarized a contribution in DLF where a German teacher from Paris held the police responsible for the riots and accused them of very brutal tactics. However, the teacher attributed too few police forces to the looting; the number of demonstrators was underestimated. According to Pousttchi, the teacher experiences the students as confident, hopeful, supportive, and determined. Their demands included smaller classes, more school psychologists, the abolition of entrance exams, and better preparation of school buildings for climate change. According to him, this should be financed through contributions from very wealthy people. #ÖRR #Bildung #Schule #Ungerechtigkeit (translated)

Ulrich Vosgerau wrote that Stefan Homburg rightly criticized that politics distorts the concept of investment. According to his observation, in political language, "investment" has long been used no longer in the economic sense, but generally denotes an expenditure that is desirable from the politicians' perspective. Whether value is preserved or a return can be expected does not matter. According to Vosgerau, expenditures are often considered politically sensible if they contribute to maintaining power. #Investition #Politik #Ökonomie (translated)

JA21 wrote that the purchasing power of the Dutch weakened while the government spent more than it received. The party said it advocated for a smaller government, less development aid, and a EU that limited itself to its core tasks. Michiel Hoogeveen discussed this according to JA21 on Business Class. https://t.co/xfXAZyM4Hu #Nederland #Overheid #Economie (translated)

The author wrote that France demonstrates what happens when the left governs unchecked, does not control migration, and keeps printing more money. France is ten to fifteen years ahead of Germany, and the development will not end well, he stated. #Frankreich #Migration #Politik #FR (translated)