News

[Stewart Meadows]

German ammunition supplies would last just a few days if war broke out


Germany’s ammunition problem is not only related to Ukraine, but also has to do with a lack of supplies from China, writes Czech commentator Robert Schuster

November 29, 2022
editor: REMIX NEWS author: ROBERT SCHUSTER via: LIDOVKY.CZ



How many rounds of ammunition each European national army has at its disposal is a matter of state secrecy; however, the situation is believed to be particularly critical for the German Bundeswehr, which has suffered from a lack of funding for years if not decades.

It is speculated that, for some categories, there are so few artillery shells and ammunition rounds that these stocks would only last for a few hours, in other cases a few days, if Germany needed to defend itself.

“We have to admit that we don’t have a reasonable arms industry,” said Wolfgang Schmidt, who heads the Cabinet Office and serves as a key adviser to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
(...)
According to the newspaper Die Welt, armories are mainly struggling with a lack of fiber residues created during the processing of raw cotton. These fiber residues react with nitric acid and sulfuric acid to produce nitrocellulose, which is used to produce gunpowder. China is the most important supplier of cotton residues, with virtually all major European arms manufacturers importing them from the Asian country.

However, deliveries from China have recently slowed significantly, after supplies had already been disrupted due to issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. From placing an order to delivery, it can now take up to nine months, while in the past, it took a maximum of three months.

According to some analysts quoted by Die Welt, however, the Chinese have started to significantly limit their supplies also because they consider them part of a “systemic competition” between the West and China.

https://rmx.news/commentary/german-a...war-broke-out/

[Stewart Meadows]

Germany's Scholz says world faces 'epochal' shift in op ed


12/05/2022

After a year when Germany's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine drew plenty of criticism, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has published an essay in English setting out the "epochal" changes the country has undergone.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the world faced a "Zeitenwende" or "an epochal tectonic shift" in an open editorial published on Monday by US international relations magazine, Foreign Affairs.

This follows Germany facing fairly considerable criticism from allies like Ukraine, Poland and the US on an array of defense-related issues in 2022 — from its domestic defense spending, to its reticence to send offensive weapons to a hot war in Ukraine, to infrastructure projects like the now-frozen Nord Stream 2 pipeline, all the way to German industry's close connections to the Russian marketplace.

Scholz said that Germany was "doing everything it can to defend and foster an international order based on the principles of the UN Charter."

"My country's history gives it a special responsibility to fight the forces of fascism, authoritarianism, and imperialism," Scholz wrote. "At the same time, our experience of being split in half during an ideological and geopolitical contest gives us a particular appreciation of the risks of a new cold war."

The German chancellor said that Germans were "intent on becoming the guarantor of European security that our allies expect us to be."

Scholz first used the "Zeitenwende" phrase in the Bundestag on February 27, when he spoke about the €100 billion ($105 billion) defense spending package announced in light of Russia's invasion just a few days before.

Russia's return to imperialism

Scholz highlighted the three decades since the fall of the Iron Curtain as a time of "relative peace and prosperity," and spoke of how "courageous citizens all over the world," had rid themselves of dictatorial regimes and one-party rule.

"Two devastating world wars and a great deal of suffering — much of it caused by my country — were followed by more than four decades of tension and confrontation," Scholz wrote, which happened under the shroud of a nuclear apocalypse.

Scholz said that following the fall of the Berlin Wall, there was hope that Russia would "become a partner to the West rather than the adversary that the Soviet Union had been."

He said that was why European states reduced their defense spending, reasoning that a large military wasn't necessary when "neighbors appeared to be friends." He also said it explained why German businesses looked to deepen relations with Russia "with its vast resources of energy and other raw materials," not least given that the Soviet Union had been "a reliable supplier during the Cold War."

Scholz highlighted how rather than seeing the fall of communist rule "as an opportunity for more freedom and democracy," Russia's President Vladimir Putin labeled it "the biggest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century."
(...)
Scholz did not share the view that there was a new cold war on the horizon that would see the US pitted against China. "China's rise does not warrant isolating Beijing or curbing cooperation," the chancellor said, countering that this growth in power also didn't "justify claims for hegemony in Asia and beyond."

Read the rest here:

https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-schol...ial/a-63984667

[Stewart Meadows]

Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup


9 hours ago



Among the 25 detained was a minor aristocrat called Heinrich XIII

By Paul Kirby
BBC News

Twenty-five people have been arrested in raids across Germany on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government.

The group of far-right and ex-military figures are said to have prepared for a "Day X" to storm the Reichstag parliament building and seize power.

A man named as Heinrich XIII, from an old aristocratic family, is alleged to have been central to their plans.

According to federal prosecutors, he is one of two alleged ringleaders among those arrested across 11 German states.

The plotters are said to include members of the extremist Reichsbürger [Citizens of the Reich] movement, which has long been in the sights of German police over violent attacks and racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

They also refuse to recognise the modern German state.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63885028

[Stewart Meadows]

7 Dec, 2022 19:35 Home World News

Ukraine conflict ‘transformed’ Germany – ambassador


A remilitarized country with better ties to the US is worth the economic hardship, according to Berlin’s envoy in Washington

The conflict in Ukraine has fundamentally transformed Germany for the better, Berlin’s envoy to Washington has argued, while acknowledging her country has been far more affected by the economic backlash from anti-Russia sanctions than the US.

Emily Haber opened an op-ed, published in the Washington Post on Monday, with a description of “dimly lit” German airports and streets, cold homes and public buildings, rising gas prices and inflation running at 10%. The country also has to deal with over a million displaced Ukrainians, who are entitled to full health insurance, social benefits, housing and education at the government's expense.

https://www.rt.com/news/567855-ambas...kraine-change/

The State of Antisemitism in Germany Today with Ambassador Emily Haber and Robert Siegel


October 9, 2022 BY MOMENT



German Ambassador to the U.S. Emily Haber: Fighting Antisemitism is a German Obligation

Emily Haber, Germany’s ambassador to the U.S. says the recent rise in anti-Semitism in her home country has alarmed her. “The amount of hatred and agitation against Jews during the days of the attacks from Gaza on Israel were terrible,”she said in a recent Moment online interview with Robert Siegel. You have two things. The first one is we’ve seen over the past years a steady rise of anti-Semitism, especially in the extremist fringes of the society. The other thing is there is a correlation in times of violence in the Middle East with anti-Semitic demonstrations.”

In Germany, it is a federal crime to use Nazi symbols or to deny the Holocaust, laws that are continuely updated, including a recent measure against agitation and hatred in the internet.

Haber says the aggressive push against anti-Semitism “grew out of activism in the 1960s and 70s, with young people forcing their parents to confront the past and come to terms with it, to come to terms with the responsibility that emanates from the past.”

“What we want to be, the values that we want to stand for, that we want to defend and fight for, all of that comes from the most terrible of histories and our experience with it and the legacy that it has left.”

https://momentmag.com/antisemitism-in-germany/

[Stewart Meadows]

11 Dec, 2022 16:01 Home Russia & FSU

Ukraine pressures Germany over aid


Kiev cannot wait any longer for new arms shipments, the new envoy in Berlin says

The Ukrainian envoy to Germany has urged the country to speed up its weapons deliveries to Kiev. In an interview with Die Welt newspaper on Sunday, the newly appointed ambassador, Aleksey Makeev, said he wants Berlin to do more to help amid the conflict with Russia.

“I don’t want to put diplomatic pressure on the federal government, I want to get Germany to deliver what it has faster. Because we don’t have time to wait for weapons any longer,” Makeev stated.

Although Die Welt touted him as a “more diplomatic” and “cooperative” person than his scandal-plagued predecessor, Andrey Melnik, the new envoy said he plans to deal with the issue of arms deliveries in a straightforward manner. Melnik was known for repeatedly blasting Berlin over its supposed reluctance to send more weapons to Kiev, as well as insulting German officials, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

https://www.rt.com/russia/568056-ukr...-military-aid/

[Stewart Meadows]

Germany cannot handle massive migration wave, says anti-Orbán EPP leader Weber


The politician who pushed Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán out of the EPP is now complaining that Germany can’t handle its migrant influx

December 05, 2022
editor: REMIX NEWS author: DENES ALBERT

Germany could face another migration crisis, and the government is not prepared to deal with it, said Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt on Sunday.

Weber, who played a pivotal role in driving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party out of the European Parliament’s largest political grouping, now says reception centers in Germany are overcrowded and local authorities responsible for housing people seeking asylum are working under heavy pressure.

Orbán has been warning about Europe’s migration crisis for years and has taken a hardline stance on the issue, while politicians such as Weber have piled on against the Hungarian PM. Now, Weber is claiming that Germany cannot handle its most recent migration wave.

In addition, there is likely to be a resurgence of large numbers of Ukrainian refugees arriving in the European Union, including many in Germany, in the winter, as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “terrorist regime continues to destroy the energy infrastructure in Ukraine,” said the politician from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), which is in the opposition in Germany.

https://rmx.news/germany/germany-can...-leader-weber/

[alex revision]

German government steps up funding for anti-racism initiatives

Government introduces act aimed at providing long-term financial support for civil society initiatives fighting violence, racism

14.12.2022

The German government on Wednesday introduced the Democracy Promotion Act aimed at providing long-term financial support for civil society initiatives fighting violence and racism.

“We cannot and will not watch how populists and extremists polarize our society and attack the basic political order of our state. We must support those who, every day, oppose the inhuman ideology of the perpetrators with all our strength and conviction,” Family Minister Lisa Paus said at a news conference in Berlin joined by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

The bill, which was approved during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, came less than a week after German authorities uncovered plans for an alleged coup by an obscure far-right group.

Pointing to the coup plot, Faeser reiterated that right-wing extremism is “the greatest threat” to German democracy.

She vowed “to resolutely fight right-wing extremism” in a bid “to actively protect democracy.”

According to the previous regulation, democracy promotion projects financed by the government were always limited in time which made it harder for non-governmental organizations to plan long-term when it came to implementing their programs.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition government announced a new “action plan” in March to combat racism and pledged stronger measures to counter the growing threat posed by far-right groups.

The country has witnessed growing racism and xenophobia in recent years fueled by the propaganda of far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim groups, including the main opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Far-right terror in Germany has claimed the lives of at least 218 innocent people since 1989, according to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

Human rights groups have long criticized authorities for underestimating the threat and not seriously investigating crimes committed by neo-Nazis.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germ...atives/2763886

[Stewart Meadows]

German states oppose construction of Poland’s nuclear plant


Three German states filed objections against the proposed nuclear power plant on the Baltic Sea shore

December 16, 2022
editor: GRZEGORZ ADAMCZYK author: BIZNESALERT.PL via: DORZECZY.PL



The German states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have objected to the planned construction of a new nuclear power plant in Poland, it has emerged.

Warsaw plans to start the construction of the plant in 2026 with the first reactor estimated to be up and running in 2033. The Polish government selected U.S. firm Westinghouse as its technology partner.

However, formal objections have been sent to Warsaw by multiple German states just before the deadline of Dec. 13 for mandatory consultations required by law prior to construction of the nuclear power plant.

A statement on the website of Brandenburg’s Ministry of Consumer Protection read: “Due to nuclear incidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima, further plans of using nuclear energy should be dropped for the good of inhabitants and environment of Baltic region countries.”

https://rmx.news/poland/german-state...nuclear-plant/

[Stewart Meadows]

December 16, 2022 5:05 PM GMT+1

Exclusive: Germany set to assume $230 billion in Uniper derivatives


By John O'Donnell and Christoph Steitz

FRANKFURT, Dec 16 (Reuters) - After setting aside almost half a trillion dollars to date tackling its energy crisis, Germany is also poised to take on the risks associated with 216 billion euros ($229 billion) of derivatives built up by energy giant Uniper.

Germany is nationalising Uniper in what is the biggest corporate bailout in the country's history, after Russia's move to choke off gas threw Europe's biggest economy into chaos.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...es-2022-12-16/

[Stewart Meadows]

28 Dec, 2022 09:34 Home World News

Berlin pledges to ramp up sanctions against Moscow


For now, “normal relations” with Russia are out of the question, Germany’s foreign minister has said

Any business as usual with Russia is impossible in the near future due to the Ukraine conflict, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday. She also vowed that Berlin and its allies would intensify sanctions pressure on Moscow.

Speaking to Romania’s Digi 24 TV Channel, the minister emphasized that “there can be no normal relations with this Russia” amid the fighting between Moscow and Kiev’s forces and the stand-off with the West.

EU would prefer “a peaceful and democratic Russia that does not pose a threat to its neighbors,” Baerbock stated, adding that she harbors “no illusions” on the matter. “We are living in a different reality right now.”

Against this backdrop, the minister noted that the West should be engaged in the “permanent strengthening of our common security in the face of Russia.”

https://www.rt.com/news/569042-germa...sia-sanctions/

[Stewart Meadows]

28 Dec, 2022 18:54 Home World News

Nazi concentration camp secretary appeals conviction


Irmgard Furchner was found guilty last week of being an accessory to the murder of more than 10,000 people

A 97-year-old German woman who worked as a secretary at a Nazi concentration camp has appealed her recent conviction. Irmgard Furchner, who was a teenager when she worked at the Stutthof camp, was given a two-year suspended sentence for aiding in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.

The appeal to Germany’s Federal Court of Justice was filed by Furchner’s lawyer and backed by another attorney, according to a statement by the Itzehoe state court on Wednesday.

Furchner was found guilty last week of being an accessory to the killing of 10,505 people and the attempted murder of five others during her time working as a civilian typist at the Stutthof concentration camp from 1943 to 1945, while she was 18-19 years old.

https://www.rt.com/news/569077-nazi-...ls-conviction/

[Stewart Meadows]

Entire battalion of German Puma tanks fail to pass latest drill in embarrassing blow to its military capabilities


German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday the country would not be purchasing any more Puma tanks until they prove their reliability

December 19, 2022
editor: REMIX NEWS author: THOMAS BROOKE



A German S Pz Puma equipped with an effective vision concept and a 30mm Mauser canon is on display at the Eurosatory arms show, in Villepinte, outside Paris, Wednesday, June 14, 2006. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

Not a single one of Germany’s 18 modernized Puma tanks intended for the NATO Rapid Reaction Force (NRF) were deemed fit for action during a recent military drill, according to reports by German news outlet Der Spiegel.

The Puma infantry fighting vehicles were expected to be used by NATO’s NRF, however their operation problems are the latest in a long line of failures affecting Germany’s military capabilities.

According to Army Inspector General Alfons Mais, “there was an unexpectedly high number of failures in the demanding exercise conditions. So far, the Puma combat vehicle has proven to be increasingly reliable in terms of operational readiness.”

General Ruprecht von Butler, commander of the 10th Armored Division, described the operational readiness of the Puma tanks as a lottery bet.

“Unfortunately, I have to express myself so harshly. It cannot be compared with the usual reliability of German ground vehicles,” he told the German publication.

https://rmx.news/crime/entire-battal...-capabilities/

[Stewart Meadows]

December 31, 2022 4:14 PM GMT+1

German leaders mourn death of former Pope Benedict


Reuters



Head of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Baetzing gives a statement after the death of former Pope Benedict in Limburg, Germany, December 31, 2022. REUTERS/Timm Reichert

LIMBURG, Germany, Dec 31 (Reuters) - German politicians and church leaders mourned the death of former Pope Benedict on Saturday, hailing his importance to his homeland as Germany's first pontiff in 1,000 years.

"Today is a day of mourning, of farewell, but for me personally even more one of gratitude and respect for a great man of the Church," said Georg Baetzing, who is bishop of Limburg and head of the German Bishops' Conference.

Describing him as a brilliant theologian, Baetzing said Benedict was nonetheless humble and cautious - not born to take the stage but rather to reflect on the considerations of faith.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ct-2022-12-31/

[Stewart Meadows]

December 30, 2022 10:31 AM GMT+1

High inflation here to stay for coming months, says German industry


Reuters

BERLIN, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Germany's inflation rate is unlikely to decline rapidly at present and the European Central Bank's target of 2% will only become feasible by the middle of the decade, the BDI industry association said in a survey for Reuters published on Friday.

Inflation, which slowed slightly to 11.3% in November from a high of 11.6% the month prior, is no longer driven primarily by energy costs but by a host of factors, BDI President Siegfried Russwurm said in a survey of several industry associations.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/euro...ry-2022-12-30/

[Stewart Meadows]

Germans’ trust in politicians hits new low


In some areas of the country, just 20 percent trust EU institutions

January 05, 2023
editor: REMIX NEWS author: THOMAS BROOKE



Two-thirds of Germans no longer retain any trust in their political representatives, as the disconnect between the public and elected officials has become even greater, the latest polling reported by German news outlet Junge Freiheit revealed.

According to a Forsa survey, “Institutions Trust Ranking,” trust in all political institutions at the European, federal, and local levels has fallen to a new low.

Just 33 percent of respondents revealed they still trust the position of the federal chancellor, currently occupied by Olaf Scholz (SDP), down by 24 percentage points from the previous year. Similarly, only 34 percent say they trust the federal government in general, a decrease of 22 percentage points.

https://rmx.news/crime/germans-trust...-hits-new-low/

[Stewart Meadows]

Overwhelming majority of Germans want defense minister sacked, poll finds


77 percent of respondents to a recent poll want to see the back of Christine Lambrecht

January 06, 2023
editor: REMIX NEWS author: THOMAS BROOKE



More than three-quarters of Germans want current Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht out, after a series of recent gaffes have called into question her credibility and competence, new polling has found.

A survey conducted by Berlin-based research firm, Civey, commissioned by news outlet t-online, revealed that 77 percent of respondents support the removal of Lambrecht, who has been in her role since December 2021.

Just 13 percent believe the Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician should remain in office, while 10 percent hold no clear view either way.
(...)
The German defense minister has more recently incurred the wrath of Ukrainian officials and German opposition parties for a bizarre New Year’s Eve video posted on her Instagram account in which she claimed the Ukraine conflict had led to “a lot of special experiences” and the chance for “many encounters with great and interesting people,” all with a backdrop of Berlin’s celebratory fireworks.

The video was labeled as “inappropriate and embarrassing” by German news outlet Der Spiegel, while the deputy parliamentary leader of the conservative CDU opposition party, Johann Wadephul, called it “disturbing.”

Lambrecht has overseen numerous failures in the German military’s procurement contracts, as well as major malfunctions to military equipment, not least the 18 modernized Puma tanks intended for the NATO Response Force (NRF) that were deemed unfit for action during a recent military drill in December.

https://rmx.news/germany/overwhelmin...ed-poll-finds/

[Stewart Meadows]

Germany: Integration debate following New Year's violence


By Benjamin Bathke Published on : 2023/01/05

After the New Year's Eve attacks on police and rescue workers in several German cities, the political debate about the causes of the violence and Germany's integration policy continues to gain momentum. In Berlin, 145 people, most of whom were under the age of 25, were arrested by police in connection with the riots.

Flying bottles and firecrackers, injured first responders and videos of violence -- the New Year's Eve riots in Berlin and other cities across Germany has prompted a heated debate not only about a possible ban on fireworks, but also the root causes of the riots, Germany's allegedly failed integration policy, racist stereotypes and punishments of the rioters.

"We have a big problem in major German cities with certain young men with an immigrant background who despise our state, commit acts of violence and are hardly reached by education and integration programs," federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the Funke Mediengruppe (Funke media group) on Wednesday (January 4),

Young perpetrators would have to face swift and clear consequences under criminal law, the politician said. However, Faeser warned against stirring up racist resentment, saying "those who exploit the necessary debate in order to exclude do not solve the problem, but intensify it."

http://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/...years-violence

[George Witzgall]

Originally Posted by Stewart Meadows

However, Faeser warned against stirring up racist resentment,

Yeah, it's not racist for German Aryans to stand up for their blood and soul. Indeed, the raison d'etre of our race is the preservation and advancement of our blood and soul.

[Stewart Meadows]

AfD politician suffers brutal assault on Hamburg bus in suspected politically motivated attack


Marc-Manuel Kunstmann, son of prominent German actress Doris Kunstmann, suffered a cut lip, facial bruises, and several cracked teeth during the attack

January 13, 2023
editor: REMIX NEWS author: THOMAS BROOKE



Marc-Manuel Kunstmann was attacked on a bus on his way home last Friday.

A local politician for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was viciously attacked by two men last Friday as he rode the bus home in the port city of Hamburg.

The incident occurred in the Billstedt district of the city as Marc-Manuel Kunstmann, son of prominent German actress, was traveling home on a bus. The victim claims to have been recognized by two men and was savagely beaten on public transport.

“They must have recognized me as an AfD’er,” 45-year-old Kunstmann, who is chairman of the AfD district group in Hamburg-Mitte, claimed in a Facebook post detailing the attack.

He described how he had his headphones in his ears when he was “suddenly hit by a blow.”

“I immediately went to the driver and asked him for help,” Kunstmann said. However, it is understood that instead of intervening or providing assistance, the bus driver ordered the politician off the bus onto the sidewalk. He was followed by the two assailants, and the attack continued on the street.

“I curled up on the floor in the fetal position and tried to dial emergency services,” Kunstmann revealed, posting graphic photos of his injuries, which included a cut lip, facial bruises, and several cracked teeth.

The AfD politician described his attackers as “definitely southerners” or foreigners.

A police patrol vehicle was fortunately close by to intervene and arrest the two men.

https://rmx.news/crime/afd-politicia...ivated-attack/

[Stewart Meadows]

January 17, 2023 9:13 PM GMT+1

Ukraine pushes for tanks as holdout Germany says new minister to decide


By Herbert Villarraga and Tom Balmforth

DNIPRO, Ukraine/KYIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine came a step closer on Tuesday in its bid to win a fleet of modern battle tanks it hopes could turn the course of the war with Russia, after the West's big holdout Germany said this would be the first item on its new defence minister's agenda.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...re-2023-01-17/