Today we are investigating Donald Trump in Washington. In addition, we look at the preparations of the Greens on a cuddly party congress - and the problems with the euphorically celebrated ground rent.
The self-cleaning power of US democracy
Liu Jie / Xinhua / DPA
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Issue 46/2019
When saving makes you poor
The zero interest eats up the assets of the Germans. What you have to do now for your moneyDigital Edition | Printed Edition | Apps | SUBSCRIPTION
Notorious enemies of the USA surpassed last with steep theses. According to the motto: The country is on its way to autocracy, if not in the dictatorship. What a mump!
Regardless of what the current president may wish for a form of government, yesterday was another testimony that the United States is a vibrant democracy . The first three witnesses for possible impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump were publicly heard by the Congressional Intelligence Committee.
The deputies acted as committed as conscientious. And the witnesses provided further evidence that Trump may have abused his office in dealing with Ukraine in order to harm his political rivals in his own country. Whatever the outcome of this process, the self-cleansing forces of American democracy are intact.
- Impeachment Hearings: Shockwaves into the White House
The cuddly seminar of the Greens
JENS SCHLUETER / EPA-EFE / REX
Tomorrow, the Greens in Bielefeld come together for their next cuddly seminar. Previously, these meetings were called party congress - and often there was controversial. Fundis and Realos fought for the course of the party. At particularly hearty meetings, sometimes one's own foreign minister was also pelted with paint bags.
Since Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck are at the head of the party, eternal peace seems to have begun. For such quirks as wing fights and power games, one is now too fine. All but Cem Özdemir seem to have arrived in the new mode.
The only remaining conflict is described by my colleague Valerie Höhne. It's about the attitude to science . A few months ago, the party was struggling to win a position on vaccination, and over the past few weeks there has been a dispute over whether or not homeopathic funds should remain on the payroll. Now the dispute over the green genetic engineering pushes into the width of the party.
In times when the grassroots grassroots movement "Fridays for Future" requires politicians to listen to scientists, the Greens have to question old-fashioned positions. But supporters and members are divided - and anti-Enlightenment tendencies still felt. On the other hand, the Greens also want to be progressive.
Sufficient time to cuddle will stay in Bielefeld nevertheless.
- Controversy over homeopathy and genetic engineering: Greens from the past
Rubble heap pension
Marijan Murat / DPA
The leaders of Union and SPD are damned proud of their new ground rent. There is talk of a "milestone in social policy". Unfortunately, the senior lobby group GroKo failed to put the new service into a viable overall pension plan, as my colleague Michael Sauga analyzes. Currently, the half-life of their pension policy is exactly five years.
When asked how things go with the largest branch of the German welfare state after 2025, the GroKo denies to this day any answer. Either the contributions rise to astronomical heights or the level of old-age benefits falls for broad circles of the population at basic pension level . The acclaimed coalition concept, says Sauga, is therefore just another "part of a pile of rubble".
- Pension crisis: How GroKo fuels the generational war
Agenda of madness
Jörg Carstensen / DPA
The agenda of today's 127th session of the German Bundestag is pickepackevoll. It's getting late again. At 22:55, for example, the government proposal "intensify satellite Earth Observation, Europe's role in space" will be discussed, immediately after the FDP application "expand horizons - pace for the European space flight." Then it's about "Sustainable Mobility Research" (23.40), "30 Years of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child" (0.25) and finally the "Federal Youth Recognition Program". The end of the session is scheduled for 1:40. Last Thursday, two members of Parliament were folded in plenary on a similarly long day of sitting.
Do not get me wrong. I think all the above topics are important. (Ok, the pace of European space travel has not been high on my list of priorities so far, but that can still happen.) But debates around these times are utter madness. The people then sleep long ago. And his representatives should do it too.
- Weakness in the plenary hall: "Since the AfD sits in the Bundestag, the burden has become higher"
Winners of the day ...
DPA
... is the German armaments industry. In the first ten months of this year alone, the federal government approved arms exports valued at 7.42 billion euros. This emerges from an answer from the Ministry of Economy to a request from the left. The previous record year of 2015 is likely to be surpassed - even though exports to the armor-hungry rogue state of Saudi Arabia have been temporarily suspended since the beastly murder of regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.
By the way, personally, I could do without such success stories. No German export good is more uncomfortable. But maybe I'm a bit too romantic.
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I wish you a merry Thursday.
Your Markus Feldenkirchen