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You'll never talk alone, Mr. Chancellor

2022-08-18T15:36:09.365Z


Does Olaf Scholz start a new verse of his relief classic? Which vaccinations remain mandatory? And why is it not a good idea to bring the Olympic Rings of Power to Munich? This is the situation on Thursday evening.


1.

Walk on, talk on

You'll never walk alone.

Hardly any song has been covered as often, few have been roared as often as this one.

The most well-known versions include those by Frank Sinatra and by Gerry & the Pacemakers.

But Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey and Chris de Burgh have also sung it, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Plácido Domingo, Aretha Franklin, Judy Garland, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Chris Thompson, the Kelly Family and the Dead Pants.

Wikipedia lists other performers, but no joker has written Olaf Scholz.

The Chancellor quoted the song line again today when he announced that his government wanted to lower the VAT rate on natural gas from 19 to 7 percent, limited to 2024. This would relieve gas customers overall to a much greater extent than they would be burdened by the state gas levy.

He expects companies to pass the tax cut on to consumers one-to-one, said Scholz.

(Here the video.)

Enlarge image

Photo: Lisi Niesner / REUTERS

Not a good idea, says my colleague Claus Hecking from our economics department (and some economists agree).

He wonders why the government first raises a new gas procurement levy - and less than 72 hours after its announcement tries to neutralize it again or even overcompensate: »Then they could have saved themselves this levy straight away.«

Above all, it is questionable why Scholz and his cabinet artificially fuel the consumption of natural gas by making the substance more affordable.

"For months they have been preaching to people in Germany to save gas so that there is no emergency in winter and that Putin's power games hit us less hard," Claus comments.

"But the most convincing argument for millions of consumers to turn down the heating and stove is the high cost." And as with the fuel rebate, those who consume the most will benefit most from the tax reduction - now, for example, owners of large private residential buildings, i.e. mostly the wealthy .

Of course, the poor and low-income people need protection from skyrocketing gas costs, Claus agrees, but there are other ways of doing this: "For example, a discount on the basic price, a specific energy allowance, a new heating cost subsidy for low earners." , average or high earners, you can find out with the SPIEGEL income calculator.)

Today the Chancellor announced further relief without being specific.

"We'll discuss in confidence what the package looks like in the government," he said.

Whether it is internally consistent - or whether each coalition partner pushes through a bit (or even both)?

Still completely unclear.

Because the traffic light and its chancellor have proven one thing several times: You'll never talk alone.

  • Read the whole comment here: The botch with the VAT

2.

speak rightly, stab with righteousness

As is well known, the compulsory vaccination against Corona did not work, but at least the compulsory vaccination against measles in daycare centers and schools remains: The Federal Constitutional Court today declared it to be constitutional - and rejected several lawsuits from families who did not or not yet protect their children against the highly contagious wanted to be vaccinated against the disease.

(Here's everything you need to know about it.)

Pediatricians are already calling for us to think again about how to deal with Covid: "The corona vaccination requirement would be suitable for sparing us the current debates about the poorly-crafted Infection Protection Act with confusing exceptions to the mask requirement," said Thomas Fischbach, President of the professional association of paediatricians, the »Rheinische Post«.

The Standing Vaccination Commission, in turn, expanded its recommendation today: Everyone over 60 should have a second booster (more on this here).

Enlarge image

Corona vaccinations: Stiko has updated its vaccination recommendations

Photo: Beautiful Sports / IMAGO

Sometimes you have a groundhog feeling when it comes to Corona topics.

This was also the case for my colleague Miriam Olbrisch, who was now again pursuing the question: What about the air filters in schools?

At the height of the pandemic, the debate boiled up with great regularity.

In conversations, she and her colleagues from our education team always heard the same questions and complaints: What use are the devices?

Who should pay them?

And why aren't they still there?

School administrators complained about the bureaucracy, school boards complained about the costs and parents complained about why everything was taking so long.

That's over now - the federal government let the funding program for mobile air purifiers expire.

Also because many municipalities have not called up the money provided.

There's a lot of hot air for that right now.

  • Read more about this here: No more money for mobile air filters in schools and daycare centers

3.

Five rings of power for Munich?

At some point in the frenzy of reunification, my hometown Berlin came up with the idea of ​​applying for the Olympics - and was even less successful with it than later with the construction of a new airport.

As a teenager, I didn't fully understand the historical dimension of the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification.

Struck in my mind was the monstrosity that sometimes the television was on in the morning, which my parents used to turn down no matter how many times I suggested it.

I also seem to remember details of the Olympic bid: a pinched bear's face on a yellow background as a logo, a terrible song with the line "We are for Berlin and Olympiaaaaa".

Berlin's Governing Mayor Diepgen with an Olympic poster (1992)

Photo: Carsten_Rehder/ picture alliance / dpa/dpaweb

But maybe my memory is deceiving me, I can't find a recording of it on the internet (if you have one, please write to lageamabend@spiegel.de ).

In any case, in my parents' circle of friends and acquaintances there were no two opinions: they were against it, supported the counter-campaign "NOlympia" when in doubt, and celebrated when Sydney was awarded the contract.

Now the idea of ​​bringing the Olympics back to Germany, to Munich, is circulating again.

Because the European Championships there, where there is gymnastics, jumping and rowing, inspire many people: "They have become a happening, a ratings bringer for ARD and ZDF, a summer fairy tale," as my colleague Peter Ahrens from our sports department writes.

"And so it can't be any other way than that people are now shouting: if it works so wonderfully here - why not the Olympic Games in Germany again soon?"

Enlarge image

Sport as a happening: Oh, how beautiful Munich is

Photo:

LUKAS BARTH / REUTERS

Peter thinks this is just as good an idea as my parents did for Berlin, but for different reasons.

"Munich 2022 is so successful because it has a clear, compact, one might say: friendly format," he says.

On the other hand, the Olympic Games have become so big, new, easily marketable sports are constantly being added, while the old disciplines are fighting to stay in the program – “this is how the event continues to grow”.

He finds that the format is simply no longer up-to-date.

Munich should therefore not become a ring bearer again.

  • Read the whole comment here: Munich shows why the Olympics are no longer possible  

(Would you like to receive the "Situation in the evening" conveniently by e-mail in your inbox? Here you can order the daily briefing as a newsletter.)

What else is important today

  • Weather service warns of flooding in parts of Germany:

    The longed-for rain is coming - but in some cases in far too large quantities: Heavy precipitation is expected in eastern Germany.

    The West, on the other hand, gets almost nothing.

  • Like a Colonial Lord:

    The roaring performance of the CSU politician Christian Schmidt in Bosnia and Herzegovina shows that the office of High Representative should be abolished.

    The EU should urgently make offers to the Balkan states.

    Otherwise Moscow will benefit.

    A comment.

  • Scholz phoned Israel's head of government:

    Olaf Scholz was silent at the Eklat press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    In a telephone conversation with Israel's head of government, Jair Lapid, the chancellor once again made clear statements about the Holocaust.

News and background to the war in Ukraine

  • "What happened to us?"

    Poorly equipped, underfed, disillusioned and disappointed in Putin: In a diary, a former Russian soldier reports on his mission in Ukraine and why he couldn't keep quiet.

  • Delegation led by Linkenchefin Wissler cancels trip to Ukraine:

    Actually, a group of prominent leftists should go to Kiev and other places in Ukraine.

    The trip has now been canceled at short notice – due to a leak from the party.

  • Why India isn't moving away from Putin:

    India is buying more Russian oil than ever before, and business is booming.

    New Delhi finds it hypocritical that the West is irritated.

    The greatest threat is not Putin - but China.

  • Donor countries are becoming increasingly reluctant to pledge aid:

    Ukraine is hardly receiving any new pledges of aid from the West.

    The large EU countries such as Germany, France and Italy in particular did not announce any significant military or financial aid in July.

  • Find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine here: The News Update

What we recommend today at SPIEGEL+

  • The dream of a self-sufficient house:

    Gas is scarce, electricity prices are rising.

    Many owners therefore flirt with supplying themselves with most of their own energy.

    How expensive is such a conversion? 

  • When Germany's economy runs dry:

    The Rhine is considered an important lifeline for the domestic economy.

    The long drought has caused water levels to drop so low that the already looming crisis could turn out to be even worse.

    Can the train help? 

  • The climate researcher whose house went up in flames:

    Heat and fire are destroying Greece's nature - and are expensive for the state.

    Leading climate expert Christos Zerefos has long been calling for a radical rethink.

    Now his house in Athens also fell victim to the fires.

  • Nobody should get behind the wheel stoned, but everyone agrees on this:

    The cannabis community looks to Goslar: The traffic court day wants to propose a new THC limit for driving on the road.

    What drug level is still compatible with safe driving? 

Which is less important today

Enlarge image

Photo: Twitter/Visegard24

Partying Sanna:

Finnish Prime Minister

Sanna Marin

, 36, has said she was "slightly annoyed" that a newspaper published a private video of her partying with friends.

She is quoted as saying: »I myself have consumed neither drugs nor anything other than alcohol.

I danced, sang, partied, did totally legal things.”

Typo of the day

, now corrected: "CDU chairman in the Cux-Ex investigative committee" 

Cartoon of the day:

River level distress: With a little good will...

And tonight?

Enlarge image

Vincent Kartheiser and Alexis Bledel in January 2013 in Los Angeles

Photo: Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic

Could you be inspired by the gossip that Alexis Bledel, who once played Rory on Gilmore Girls, and her husband Vincent Kartheiser, who once starred in Mad Men, are getting divorced?

Not by ending your own marriage, but by watching all the Gilmore Girls episodes where Rory's relationships with her three friends Dean, Jess and Logan fail.

Although in some marriages this suggestion alone could lead to a partner running away.

Fortunately not in all.

To paraphrase Rory: That's not crazy, it just sounds like it.

A lovely evening.

Tomorrow the fur alarm clock will purr again.

Yours sincerely,


Oliver Trenkamp

Here you can order the »Situation in the Evening« by e-mail.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-08-18

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