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Baha wrote that double standards are once again being displayed in the political capital, which hardly interests anyone anymore. He described the events as customary, contentless, and staged behavior. Because the Union does not learn from this, he believes that everyone will fail together – at least with what he perceives to be the correct attitude. #Politik #Doppelmoral #Berlin (translated)

The account BrennpunktUA wrote that parts of the German government have recently taken to the streets against their own population. They ironically asked whether it wouldn't be easier for the government to dissolve the people and elect another one. #Deutschland #Regierung #Volksmeinung (translated)

In France, student protests continue, with nationwide demonstrations where participants demand better educational conditions and more funding, while violence and riots have increased, and classes have been suspended in hundreds of schools. #ProtesteFrankreich #Bildung #Schülerbewegung (translated)

Simon Betschinger referred to a BILD headline which stated that the government requires 1,000 officials for two new taxes. He estimated the annual costs of the civil service for taxpayers in Germany to be around 242 to 250 billion euros. According to him, over 117 to 130 billion euros are spent annually on salaries, wages, and allowances, as well as around 65.9 to 67 billion euros on retirement benefits. Betschinger described the state as a bureaucratic monster that constantly requires more resources and stated that the extent has long since become unreasonable. #Bürokratie #Steuern #Deutschland (translated)

Markus Haintz said that there is some truth to the statement that for every member of the AfD, someone from the CDU must leave. At the same time, he added, addressing Ulrich Siegmund, that one must ensure that AfD representatives, like those of any other party, do not make politics primarily in the interest of their own mandate, but for the country. #Politik #AfD #CDU (translated)

Manaf Hassan criticized the closeness of Federal Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth to the political leadership. A photo from the weekend in Bremen shows Harbarth at the state ceremony for the Day of German Unity directly next to leading politicians, he wrote. The court president must stand for the separation of powers, but had previously served as a CDU member of the Bundestag, a member of the CDU federal executive, and as deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag. Harbarth had switched from the faction leadership to the Federal Constitutional Court in November 2018 and was elected vice president the day after his election as a judge. About a year and a half later, he became president. Hassan described it as unusual that Harbarth reached the head of the court without prior judicial activity in Karlsruhe. Before that, Harbarth had worked as a partner in a law firm that split from Shearman & Sterling in 2008, becoming SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz. Until 2004, Hanno Berger also worked there in Frankfurt on tax law. Berger is considered a central developer of the Cum-Ex transactions, in which banks and investors received refunds for capital gains tax that they had never paid. Experts estimate the damage, according to Hassan, at a double-digit billion amount. Berger later advised, among others, the Hamburg Warburg Bank and has since been legally convicted. Harbarth worked during those years in the Mannheim office of the law firm; what he knew about Berger's activities remains unclear, Hassan wrote. Additionally, Hassan referred to decisions and proceedings at the Federal Constitutional Court: The First Senate under Harbarth's chairmanship had examined and largely approved central Corona measures in 2021. In the Second Senate, there has been a complaint regarding the election review from BSW for almost two years, which wants to achieve a recount of the federal election and entry into the Bundestag. If BSW were to enter Parliament retroactively, the black-red coalition would lose its own majority, according to Hassan. He asked how Harbarth could be at the head of the court while also publicly standing next to the government, whose actions the court should control. #Bremen #Bundesverfassungsgericht #Politik (translated)

Nico Lange wrote that Russia currently poses an immediate, comprehensive, and concrete threat to Germany. Against this backdrop, some should reconsider, according to him, whether they want to support those from whom this threat arises. https://t.co/kv70zoDM3H #Russland #Deutschland #Sicherheit (translated)

Bernhard Heinzlmaier wrote that a person he sharply criticized had prevailed against Ludwig, Katzian, Winkler, and Fellner. Nine state party leaders had allowed themselves to be maneuvered by a provincial mayor who had used a statute that they themselves had approved. Heinzlmaier asked why those affected did not resign together. He predicted a short term for Fellner and expected Winkler to achieve 16 percent. According to his assessment, the FPÖ would triumph, while the SPÖ and ÖVP would leave the countries and the federal government to them. He described one of the mentioned parties as politically lifeless and referred to the process as unprecedented. #Politik #Wahlen #Österreich (translated)

Dr. David Lütke said that 200 billion have disappeared in Ukraine and Merz does not know why; nonetheless, Germany should continue to pay. He claimed that corruption and incompetence are causing trillions to flow away, and termed this another disaster for Merz. #MerzRücktritt https://t.co/i1Qu2pzXOI #Ukraine #Korruption #Deutschland (translated)

The author wrote that in Steyr, Upper Austria, people took to the streets for the 300th time; the walks have been taking place without interruption for 300 weeks. What started as a resistance against the Corona regime has now become a walk for peace and against war. He also described the system as corrupt. https://t.co/x5hfCFF1gS #Widerstand #Frieden #Spaziergang #AT (translated)

Baha wrote that, in his assessment, the SPD and the Greens would cooperate with the Left without hesitation if it meant gaining a majority. If necessary, they would form a minority government and exert pressure through a joint opposition with the AfD. He added that this representation was simplified. https://t.co/Y3Fu1nqSWt #Politik #Bundestag #Deutschland (translated)

Christian Miele listed twelve challenges that Germany must overcome, in his opinion. Electricity and labor are expensive for companies: employers pay an average of around 45 euros per work hour, about 29 percent more than in the EU. In addition, high network fees and levies have increased energy costs; Germany exited nuclear power before sufficiently cheap and reliable alternatives were available. Long approval processes, according to Miele, also deter companies from investing. He named demographic change, rising contributions, and immigration that often does not lead to employment quickly enough as further problems. The shortage of skilled workers is real, he wrote, but uncontrolled immigration burdens households and municipalities. The Bundeswehr is also still inadequately equipped after decades of underfunding: the NATO target of 2 percent has long been missed, and there is still a lack of personnel, ammunition, and operational equipment. Miele wrote that Germany’s economy is hardly growing on its own: it shrank in 2023 and 2024 and only grew by 0.2 percent in 2025. Industry is producing less than it did a few years ago. In addition to taxes, levies, and energy costs, he pointed to weak demand, competition from China, and a lack of new products. In education, about one in three 15-year-olds does not reach the basic level in mathematics and reading; the gap between children from poor and rich families is as large as it has been since the beginning of the PISA tests. At the same time, there is a shortage of teachers and many school buildings are dilapidated. Among the further challenges, Miele listed the need for renovation of roads, bridges, railways, and schools. The municipal investment backlog is over 200 billion euros, about 55 billion of which is for schools alone. In his view, excessively high rents, low construction activity, and long approval processes also make it difficult to move to cities with open positions. The state is slow in digitization; many applications are still on paper, and internet coverage in rural areas is patchy. Finally, Miele warned that government spending is increasing without the economy growing correspondingly. Pensions, social services, and interest compete with defense and infrastructure for the same funds. If debt grows faster than economic output, there will be less room for investment later on, he wrote. Ultimately, the working people would bear the consequences, Miele explained, and he asked for his readers' assessments. #Herausforderungen #Wirtschaft #Deutschland (translated)

Emanuel Boeminghaus asked why more and more young, ambitious Germans are moving abroad and what is going wrong in Germany when it is precisely those who want to build something who are leaving. According to Boeminghaus, a total of 288,579 German nationals would have left Germany by 2025, compared to 269,986 in 2024. An example of this represents a larger trend, he wrote. https://t.co/6rsodTbvWj #Auswandern #JungeMenschen #Karriere (translated)

Regina Laska wrote that the Russian Foreign Ministry warned against a stay in Kyiv on Saturday and announced further massive attacks. Just a few hours later, the train of Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived unexpectedly at the main train station in Kyiv, accompanied by Minister of Economy Katherina Reiche and representatives from the defense and energy industries. Laska called Merz's trip a bold and important sign in light of the situation. Russia has been attacking the Dnipro bridges connecting East and West Kyiv for days, wrote Laska. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian intelligence service has seen documents indicating that Vladimir Putin has issued a new doctrine foreseeing attacks on roads, logistics, schools, and hospitals to drive people out of Kyiv and other cities. The documents are not public, and Moscow has denied the allegations, she added. Laska wrote that people might flee from cities that are becoming increasingly uninhabitable in winter to Poland, the Czech Republic, or Germany. The provision for Ukrainian refugees has cost Germany around 32.4 billion euros since the start of the war, she cited an overview from the Ministry of Finance quoted by Spiegel. She criticized that these costs are being used in Germany as an argument against supporting Ukraine, including against arms deliveries. Merz wrote from Kyiv that Germany is helping out of self-interest because its own security depends on the outcome of the war, Laska stated. He announced one billion euros in military aid, 350 million euros for the energy system, thousands of interception drones, and closer German-Ukrainian defense cooperation. Officially, Taurus cruise missiles are still missing, she wrote. In October 2024, Merz said Germany must deliver Taurus to hit Russian supply routes if Putin does not end the bombardment of the Ukrainian civilian population within 24 hours. Although Moscow has since openly announced further massive attacks, Taurus still has not arrived, wrote Laska. #Ukraine #Russland #Politik (translated)

A Tirolian ÖVP official caused a racism scandal during the Oktoberfest by racially insulting an influencer and telling him to go home, after which he later apologized for his statements and received sharp criticism from politicians and associations. #Rassismus #Tirol #Oktoberfest (translated)