1. The federal government decides to provide 200 million euros in emergency aid for flood victims
The federal cabinet has agreed on aid for the victims of the flood disaster.
The aid of 200 million euros is to be provided quickly and unbureaucratically.
A construction fund worth billions is also planned, the exact amount of which will only be decided when the extent of the damage can be better foreseen.
"That's what people pay taxes for," said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU), "that they are helped in exceptional situations."
That's right.
Strictly speaking, a house owner can also take out insurance against natural hazards - my colleague from the economic department, Tim Bartz, spoke to the broker Jan-Oliver Thofern about whether this should become compulsory in the future.
Enlarge image
Houses and cars destroyed by the flood in the Eifel village are to blame
Photo:
SASCHA STEINBACH / EPA
"The citizens are not to blame for what has happened now," says Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD).
Climate change is to blame.
That is also correct.
Whereby the demand must be allowed, who is to blame for climate change?
I dare say: we all, we humans, we citizens.
"We have to get out of the comfort zone!" That is a quote from Markus Söder (CSU) from his government statement in the Bavarian state parliament today on the subject of climate.
Of course, in his "50 measures in 5 sectors" he did not announce any unreasonable demands on the citizens of Bavaria, after all, elections will also take place in the Free State on September 26th.
But at least he takes a lot of coal in his hand: By 2040, 22 billion euros are to make Bavaria climate-neutral.
Albert Einstein is supposed to have once said that the best things in life are not those that you get for money.
Let's hope he wasn't right.
Read the interview with the insurance broker here: "The premiums should increase by at least ten percent"
After the flood: Federal government decides to provide 200 million euros in emergency aid for flood victims
Current developments on the flood disaster can be found in our update
2. Civil protection in a crisis
The number of deaths after the storm in western Germany has risen to over 170.
Sadly, one has to slowly and without over-dramatizing the fact that the devastation of the last few days may be the greatest natural disaster in Germany since the Second World War.
One thing is clear: our country must prepare better for major crises such as corona or flash floods in the future. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) and Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) presented at a press conference at noon at noon. With the “National Health Protection Reserve”, Germany should be able to bridge six months in the future. To this end, the federal government stocks gloves, masks and protective suits, among other things.
In addition, the Bonn Office for Civil Protection should be given more responsibility for maintaining reserves in future crises.
Its boss is Armin Schuster (CDU).
My colleague Florian Gathmann describes Schuster's mighty-sounding authority as a "sleeping giant" who "prepares the country for all kinds of disasters, for example a flood of unimaginable proportions - but is not responsible when it occurs."
Enlarge image
BBK boss Schuster on Monday in the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler flood region
Photo:
imago images / Political Moments
There are also historical reasons for this, but above all it is due to the strong position of the federal states in the Federal Republic, writes Gathmann.
In the case of the current flood disaster, this means: »Schuster and his people sent 150 warning messages to the responsible authorities in the federal states and directly to citizens (around nine million recipients) via the BBK app› Nina ‹, including 16 of the highest category - and then we could only watch for the time being. «Because local authorities and district offices would have been responsible for specific evacuation measures.
Why is there actually no such thing as the “Cell Broadcast” disaster warning system in Germany?
According to SPIEGEL columnist Sascha Lobo, there were "three devastating reasons: ridiculous avarice, embarrassing party politics of the CDU and deadly know-it-all."
Disaster relief worker Schuster: Flood into the spotlight
Column: The bureaucratic mockery of the 21st century
3. Russian pipeline no longer disrupts diplomatic relations between Washington and Berlin
There has been a dispute over the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline for years.
The pipeline, which is around 1200 kilometers long, is intended to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany.
It runs on the bottom of the Baltic Sea and is operated by the Russian company Gazprom.
So much for the facts, now for the emotions.
The American government is bothered by the fact that Nord Stream 2 has made Germany too dependent on Russia.
At the same time, it has an interest in selling natural gas itself.
The German government is bothered by human rights violations in Russia, but apparently still wants to do gas deals with Russia.
That's not particularly believable.
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen, called for a construction freeze on Nord Stream 2 after the poisoning of the Russian opposition politician Alexej Navalny.
Enlarge image
Pipes for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline are stored in the port of Mukran on Rügen
Photo:
Jens Koehler / picture alliance
On the night of Wednesday, according to SPIEGEL information, Washington and Berlin apparently settled the dispute over the pipeline.
"But the agreement could become a boomerang for the US president," writes Washington correspondent René Pfister.
From now on, Biden will have to be accused of being too indulgent in dealing with Russia.
Ken Weinstein, head of the conservative Hudson Institute in Washington, told SPIEGEL that in the negotiations on the pipeline, the goal of the US government should have been to strengthen Ukraine's security and pave the country's way into the EU.
"Instead, she has made feeble demands that will please two people in particular: Putin and his German puppet Gerhard Schröder." The former Chancellor sits on the supervisory board of the Russian state company Gazprom.
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline: Biden's dangerous deal
Pipeline project: This is why Nord Stream 2 is being debated
(Would you like to have the "Situation in the evening" conveniently delivered to your inbox by email?
Here you can
order the daily briefing as a newsletter.)
What else is important today
Spahn warns of an incidence of more than 800 in October:
Health Minister Spahn has called on the population not to neglect protective measures against the corona pandemic.
Otherwise, the seven-day incidence could soon rise dramatically.
London wants to reopen the Brexit agreement:
The British government continues to confront the EU.
The Northern Ireland regulations on Brexit are to be temporarily suspended, demands London.
BGH limits exchange period for VW
cheat diesel
:
For the first time in the emissions scandal surrounding Volkswagen, the Federal Court of Justice had to deal with lawsuits from diesel buyers against their car dealers.
The plaintiff's lawyers describe the decision as a shock.
"Such rains usually only happen once every 100 years":
roads turn into raging rivers, the power supply fails and people die in the flooded subway. According to the crisis management team, the situation in the Chinese region of Zhengzhou is "bleak".
The Netherlands say goodbye to Peter R. de Vries:
crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was gunned down in an attack and succumbed to his injuries a few days ago.
Now people in an Amsterdam theater are paying their respects to him.
What we recommend today at SPIEGEL +
How do you cope with such trauma?
So many dead, missing, the landscape devastated, plus all the property damage: How can those affected in the flood areas ever get over it?
Ulrike Schmidt, Vice Director of the Psychiatric University Clinic in Bonn, explains what helps - and what is fatal.
Where wages are high in Germany - and where they are low:
In Erlangen, 5000 euros are in the lower half, in Görlitz, 2450 euros are in the upper half.
What is the wage level in your district?
"More brutal than anything that has happened under Orbán so far":
In Hungary, government critics and journalists were monitored with the Israeli surveillance software Pegasus.
One of those affected, the editor Szabolcs Panyi, tells about the background to his case.
The man who turned the underdogs into giants: In
2013 Giannis Antetokounmpo from Athens joined the average team in Milwaukee.
He promised to stay until one was at the top.
He kept his word - and became a star.
"It was the worst day of my life":
77 people, including many children, died in the terrorist attacks of July 22, 2011 in Norway.
Jens Stoltenberg was Prime Minister - even ten years later, the events did not let go of him.
What is less important today (but would be more important)
Enlarge image
Photo:
Steve Zeidler / EyeEm / Getty Images
Don't buy animals from trunk!
Actually, the grand coalition wanted to take action against illegal puppy trafficking during this legislative period.
Not much has happened so far, criticizes the animal welfare organization Vier Pfoten.
At least today, Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) announced that she would want to provide more information about dubious dog sellers on the Internet in the future.
Apparently, Klöckner himself does not believe that this will bring much benefit.
Ultimately, dog owners are responsible for finding out "where the animal comes from and how it was raised".
Typo of the day
, now corrected: "In the essence of the USA, wall fires are blazing again."
Cartoon of the day:
Civil Protection
And tonight?
Off to the cinema!
One film that I really want to see is the documentary »Das Riesending«.
Do you remember the spectacular rescue operation carried out by cave explorer Johann Westhauser on Untersberg seven years ago?
As a Bayern reporter for SPIEGEL, I followed the drama on location at the time.
When I saw Westhauser in the trailer for the »giant thing« today, I felt great joy to see the man alive in action underground.
At the same time, the pictures from the secret labyrinth deep down in the mountain almost took my breath away.
Why does a person climb so deep into nowhere? Asked my colleague Stefan Kuzmany at the time?
The film does not seem to be able to answer the question with words, but with pictures (see the trailer here).
A lovely evening.
Sincerely,
Anna Clauss
Here you can order the "Lage am Abend" by email.
