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Kolja Barghoorn wrote that the EU initiated the trade war, while in Europe this is referred to with terms like protection against Chinese dumping steel, promotion of market entry for EU providers, as well as digital and AI taxes. He expected a corresponding reaction from the USA and claimed that German companies would suffer more than US companies. Furthermore, he predicted that in the broadcasts of Maischberger and Illner, Trump would be blamed; he derogatorily referred to the viewers there as clueless and stupid. #Handelskrieg #EU #Zollpolitik (translated)

Regina Laska criticized that Donald Trump had suspended the Russia sanctions that he himself signed in mid-September and which were supposed to come into effect automatically the next day. She wrote that tariffs of up to 100 percent on large consumers of Russian oil and gas, levies of up to 500 percent on Russian goods, and measures against the shadow fleet and banks were planned. Two days before the deadline, Trump resorted to an exception that allowed for a waiver in the national interest; according to Laska, he did not provide a justification. As a possible background, Laska mentioned a diesel deal announced by Trump with Vladimir Putin. The U.S. Treasury Department had granted a license to Russian energy producers for that until April; furthermore, a U.S. government representative said that easing penalties against the shadow fleet was being considered. Laska connected this with the upcoming U.S. elections in two and a half weeks and high fuel prices. However, Trump blamed Ukraine for the prices, claiming they had attacked Russian refineries, she wrote. According to Laska, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's representative for business with the U.S., was already talking about joint data centers and small nuclear power plants. Dmitriev reportedly said, "the ice is beginning to break." She also pointed out that Congress passed the sanctions by a large majority and that the law was named after Lindsey Graham, who had died in July. She wrote that seven Republican senators had urged Trump to reverse the diesel deal. Regarding Volodymyr Zelensky's reaction to the question in Brussels about whether Trump was making him a scapegoat, Laska wrote that he had remained silent for 15 seconds, grinned, and said, "That is my answer." Laska stated that she concurred with his reaction but refrained from grinning. #Trump #Ukraine #Sanktionen (translated)

Donald Trump has suspended the tariffs against Russia that were about to take effect, justifying this with the "national interest" of the USA, despite extensive sanctions from the US Congress to exert pressure on the Kremlin in the Ukraine war. #Trump #Russland #Ukrainekrieg (translated)

Bernd Kaiser accused Fritz-Kola of double standards. He wrote that the company had presented itself as left-wing and anti-capitalist for years, but was now criticizing the planned sugar tax, which would particularly impact the company due to its sugar content of 10.5 grams per 100 milliliters. Kaiser estimated Fritz-Kola's annual revenue at 116 million euros and said the company complained about bureaucracy and hundreds of additional customs officers. At the same time, he criticized that Fritz-Kola was acting as a sponsor of the CDU party conference. The tax, according to Kaiser, would burden local medium-sized businesses while large corporations like Coca-Cola would be less affected. #Zuckersteuer #Doppelmoral https://t.co/vNlj5kf4H6 #Doppelmoral #Sozialismus #Wirtschaft (translated)

Winand von Petersdorff-Campen's comment argues that the world economy would be better off without Donald Trump, as his political decisions such as tariffs and reckless military actions have had negative impacts on global markets and successful development aid. #DonaldTrump #Weltwirtschaft #GlobaleUnsicherheit (translated)

there was no other possibility for Mr. Berek to take the oath, since he was not invited by the president. In an interview with "Fact," Prof. Andrzej Zoll, a lawyer and former president of the Constitutional Tribunal, emphasized that "there was no other possibility for Mr. Berek to take the oath, since he was not invited by the president." #TrybunałKonstytucyjny #MaciejBerek #KomisjaWenecka (translated)

The former president of the Constitutional Tribunal, Prof. Andrzej Zoll, criticized Bogdan Święczkowski for violating the constitution in the context of the dispute regarding the oath-taking by the new judge Maciej Berek, who was elected by the Sejm but could not take office due to doubts concerning his election. #TrybunałKonstytucyjny #MaciejBerek #KomisjaWenecka (translated)

The export limit of 350,000 hybrid cars is better for China's exporters than the threatened tariffs. Wifo and WU foreign trade economist Harald Oberhofer says to KURIER: "The export limit of 350,000 hybrid cars is better for China's exporters than the threatened tariffs." #EUHandelskrieg #China #Waffenstillstand (translated)

Apollo News reported that an initial carnival parade in Cologne had to be canceled due to high security costs. The chairman of the association behind the Zollstock Tuesday parade described the situation as a "financial catastrophe" and stated that the requirements were unmanageable. https://t.co/KNP4sSzw2Y #Karneval #Köln #Sicherheit (translated)

Emanuel Boeminghaus wrote that the custom measuring stick service will be canceled in 2027 after around 65 years. In the record year 2024, about 1,500 people participated. He cited rising security costs, stricter regulations, and economic difficulties as reasons. According to Boeminghaus, the annual costs amounted to around 13,000 euros. About 80 club members paid a contribution of 20 euros each. Two schools and the club Fidele Fortuna had already canceled for economic reasons; moreover, there were a lack of sponsors, and voluntary support was declining. Boeminghaus cited the Kölnische Stadt-Anzeiger as a source. https://t.co/Sb8Fx4VJ2O #Köln #Karneval #Tradition (translated)

Volker Ketzer compared the customs calculation he described to shopping at Aldi: Five packages of pasta would cost an additional fee of three euros, shampoo another three euros, and batteries three more euros. The critical factor is not the number of products but the number of different product groups. Ketzer wrote that the EU has been charging three euros per customs tariff group for small online orders from non-EU countries with a value of up to 150 euros since July. Thus, five identical items would amount to three euros, while three different product groups would total nine euros, he explained. In his opinion, people would be annoyed by such a regulation in the supermarket, but at customs, it is enshrined in a regulation. #EU #Zoll #OnlineShopping (translated)

Emanuel Boeminghaus wrote that Audi delivered 314,905 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, which is a 19.7 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. In the second quarter, the decline was still around 8 percent. In the first nine months, sales dropped by 11.4 percent to 1.04 million vehicles. The declines were particularly strong in China, with nearly 25 percent, and in the USA, with around 17 percent. Boeminghaus cited high competitive pressure, US tariffs, and model changes as burdens. In Germany and Europe, however, Audi recorded slight increases. Boeminghaus described the development as a significant slump and wrote that the first German car manufacturer is experiencing a "flow separation." He cited t-online and dpa-AFX from October 12, 2026, as sources. https://t.co/BspP4hRPpM #Automobilindustrie #Absatzkrise #Audi (translated)

"We don't want windmills. (...) Show me a country with green energy, and I will show you a bankrupt country. You know, Germany tried it. They were about two days away from extinction." President Donald Trump claimed at a campaign event that the energy transition had brought Germany to the brink of disaster. "I will impose a 250 percent tariff on your damn wine and all the crap you send us. I will impose a 250 percent tariff on your wine, your champagne, and everything you send us, Emmanuel." At the same time, he threatened him, according to his own account in a phone call, with additional tariffs of 250 percent if French pharmaceutical companies did not offer their medications in the United States at lower prices. "I call him Muhammad. Someone said his name is not Muhammad, but Abdul. (...) I am the president. I can call him whatever the hell I want. To me, he is Muhammad. And he is a radical jihadist." Furthermore, Trump made derogatory remarks about the Muslim politician Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Senate for the Democrats. #Trump #Russland #Energiepolitik (translated)