Berlin bashing
What I actually can't hear any more are these
muddled Berlin clichés
, like: everything is dirty, everything stinks, nothing works, the administration is too stupid to spill a bucket of water.
That's what you hear preferably from Munich residents who consider themselves to be something better than their place of birth.
As someone who has experienced Berlin as a resident for almost two decades, I can say that
hardly any clichés are true (yet).
For example, I find the streets of Berlin much cleaner than those of, say, Cologne, Hamburg or Munich.
And in administration, too, many things are now running more smoothly than just a few years ago.
Just now, when I thought Berlin was on the right track, the Federal Returning Officer is demanding that the federal election be repeated in half of Berlin's constituencies.
Because of organizational failure.
"We're in the German capital of a civilized country and yet it's not working," said Georg Thiel yesterday at a hearing by the Bundestag's Election Review Committee.
And spoke of a “complete systematic failure of the election management”.
As someone who lives in one of those districts where new elections are to be held and who has seen the long queues in front of the polling stations myself, I unfortunately have to say: the man is right.
In many places ballots were missing, at least the right ones.
In some cases, elections continued until 9 p.m., when the longest winner was announced on television.
However, it remains to be seen whether the election will actually be repeated.
The Election Review Committee will vote on it secretly and make a proposal to Parliament.
This is only expected after the summer break.
But even if all Berliners voted for the CDU in a new election, I dare to make a prediction here: Armin Laschet will still no longer be chancellor.
Chaotic capital: choose it again, Berlin
Stiko ol
é!
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has once again made a recommendation.
She has been happy to do that since the beginning of the pandemic and almost always advocates what scientific knowledge has long suggested and what has long been practiced in other countries around the world.
Following this pattern, yesterday the Stiko finally recommended vaccination of all five to eleven year old children.
While fellow citizens inclined towards lateral thinking now fear the systematic poisoning of the people's youth, the more scientifically oriented part of society is wondering why this recommendation was only made now.
The Stiko could soon declare circumnavigations of the world safe because it has been proven that the globe is not flat and the risk of falling is therefore low.
What is irritating about the current decision, however, is that the Stiko
initially only recommends
one
vaccination dose for all healthy children
.
Such a vaccination scheme is at the very least highly unusual.
What evidence it is based on is another Stiko conundrum.
Just for comparison: The American FDA recommends boosters, i.e. three vaccinations, for the same age group.
It is high time to professionalize this leisure body.
His decisions are just too relevant.
Corona balance: These are the three biggest mistakes in fighting the pandemic
Downsizing of NATO?
Delegations from Finland and Sweden want to negotiate their countries' accession to NATO today in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The fact that these negotiations are not taking place in Brussels but on the Bosporus is due to the announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan
that he would
veto the accession
request.
Supposedly because Finland and Sweden are "guest houses for terrorist organizations."
Specifically, Erdoğan is demanding tougher action against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish-Syrian YPG, as well as the extradition of Kurds who have found protection in Finland and Sweden.
Erdoğan advised the two delegations not to travel to Ankara.
You shouldn't get your hopes up on successfully persuading the Turkish side to back down.
'Will they come to convince us?
If so, no offense, they shouldn't bother," Erdoğan said.
It is obvious that Erdoğan wants to exploit the two countries' desire for accession for his own benefit.
For example, to seek to lift restrictions on arms deliveries that some NATO members such as Germany have imposed because of Turkey's actions against the Kurds in Syria.
Erdoğan on Greek Prime Minister: "For me, Mitsotakis no longer exists"
Winner of the day...
…is
1. FC Kaiserslautern
.
Since yesterday evening, the German champions from 1998 are back in the second division after falling into the lowlands of the third division.
In a hard-fought relegation, the team from the Palatinate won the second leg 2-0 at Dynamo Dresden.
The first leg ended 0-0.
The passion that both teams and especially both fan bases showed in the second leg was simply phenomenal (yes, despite some flares)!
If you needed proof of what distinguishes traditional clubs from soulless constructs (also in East Germany), yesterday evening delivered it again.
I wish the Dresdeners a speedy recovery.
The latest news from the night
North Korea fires missiles - a few hours after Joe Biden's departure:
The timing should not have been a coincidence: Shortly after US President Biden left Japan, North Korea tested several ballistic missiles.
The Coast Guard confirmed the process
Many dead in the attack on an elementary school in Texas:
At least 19 minors and several adults died in a school shooting.
The alleged attacker was apparently shot dead by police officers
Britain demands answers from China:
The Xinjiang Police Files cause outrage in the West.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss calls for China to be held accountable.
Beijing, on the other hand, sees "anti-Chinese forces" at work
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
How Germany can get new raw materials:
Nickel, platinum, cobalt: For decades, Russia was a raw material chamber for German industry.
Now there are first glimmers of hope in the search for other sources - where?
This is how Bezos, Buffett and Co. count themselves poor - and make more and more money:
One euro salary - that's not do-gooderism, but tax optimization.
What other tricks the global dollar oligarchs use to circumvent the tax authorities, and how Jeff Bezos was even able to collect a €4,000 child bonus.
“I felt sick when the verdict was announced”:
She won major titles with Steffi Graf, and Boris Becker also experienced Claudia Kohde-Kilsch up close.
Here she talks about Becker's crash - and her own.
You may only leave this café when the work is done:
In the »Manuscript Writing Cafe« in Tokyo, guests pay to be monitored.
Owner Takuya Kawai explains what happens if you don't meet the closing time - and how to be more productive.
The right car at the wrong time:
What bad timing: With the new T-Class, Mercedes is finally bringing a sensible family car, soon even electric as the EQT.
And says goodbye to the principle of affordability now of all times.
I wish you a happy Wednesday
Your Markus Feldenkirchen
