1.
The demand by Russian politicians for Putin's dismissal as head of state will remain unsuccessful - and yet it is a courageous gesture of resistance to the Ukraine war
Are we war-weary Germans fooling ourselves when we talk these days that the recent successes of Ukrainian soldiers could be a possible turning point in a criminal war?
Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the area where fighting was still going on at the weekend.
In the city of Izyum, which is largely destroyed, Zelenskyi had his picture taken with soldiers from his armed forces.
While Zelenskyy repeatedly asserts his confidence in victory, Western politicians seem to be quite contentious about what the recapture of the Ukrainian troops could mean for the further course of the war.
When asked yesterday whether Ukraine had achieved a turning point in the war, US President Joe Biden admitted his own helplessness: »The question cannot be answered.
It's hard to say.” It is clear, however, that the Ukrainians have made some significant progress.
"But I think there's still a long way to go."
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Nikita Yuferev: "Acted within the limits of our powers as MPs"
Photo: private
In Russia, some local deputies are now calling for Vladimir Putin to be voted out of office as head of state because of the Ukraine war.
My Moscow based colleague Christina Hebe did a remarkable interview with one of them.
Nikita Yuferev, deputy for the Smolninskoye district of Saint Petersburg, is an economist.
He, along with other deputies, wrote to the State Duma demanding that Vladimir Putin be impeached because of the war.
State propaganda is trying to give the impression that all of Russia is pro-Putin and pro-the so-called military operation in Ukraine, says Yuferev.
"But that is not the case.
There are many of us – people who are against it.” Actions like the letter to the Duma are an attempt “to show that we are there and are not falling into despair and discouragement”.
I admire the courage of people like Yuferev, who is in his mid-thirties and has two sons.
There is no doubt that in Putin's Russia it is dangerous to openly oppose the warlord at the head of state.
And yet it is "constitutional proceedings" that he and his comrades-in-arms want to initiate against Putin, says Yuferev.
"We believe that what Putin has done has thrown everyone into an abyss, including our country Russia."
My colleague Christina asks how risky it would be for her to vote out of office like that of the Saint Petersburg politicians.
"Of course there are risks," said Yuferev. In Russia, any member of the opposition could suddenly be "caught" on the street with drugs and end up in prison for a very long time.
"For this reason, we can never predict which of our actions will lead to imprisonment and which will not." Many members of the opposition have fled the country, but those who remain are afraid to speak out publicly against the war.
"But the people who stayed are finding their way to protest the military operation."
Read the full interview here: "What Putin did sent everyone into an abyss"
And here is more news and background information on the war in Ukraine:
This is how the Ukrainian counter-offensive went at Kharkiv:
Kiev's troops overran the Russians in the north-east of the country and recaptured strategically important areas.
How do the Ukrainians do this?
And what do you think will doom Putin's soldiers?
District association warns of conditions like in 2015/2016:
The capacities are exhausted in many places: The German district association sees massive problems in the care of Ukrainian refugees - and calls for a summit on the problem.
"Putin will fail, Europe will win":
In her speech on the state of the EU, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen found clear words for Russia.
She also praised the courage of Ukrainians and the solidarity of Europeans with them.
Find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine here: The News Update
2.
A federal bailout for municipal utilities due to rising gas and electricity prices could make sense - also in order not to sabotage the energy transition
How threatening the energy crisis will really be for many private gas and electricity customers and industrial companies in the coming months is still completely unclear.
The energy suppliers already seem to be very concerned.
Today, the industry association of German municipal utilities warned that the sharp rise in electricity and gas costs and the insolvency of many customers could lead to the insolvency of individual municipal utilities.
"We need an understanding between the federal and state governments regarding the liquidity problems of the municipal utilities and the development of a rescue package," says Ingbert Liebing, the general manager of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU).
The association represents the interests of more than 1,500 companies, most notably municipal utilities.
The energy industry is in turmoil.
The reduction in gas supplies by Russia has caused prices to rise sharply in recent months.
Large gas importers such as Uniper or Leipzig-based VNG are already being supported with billions because they have to cover Russia's defaults with high losses on the expensive spot market.
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Gas storage facility of Stadtwerke Kiel: »Of course we want to prevent a wave of insolvencies«
Photo: Axel Heimken / dpa
The company Uniper announced today that they are talking to the federal government about a direct capital increase.
This means that the federal government is apparently considering nationalizing Uniper.
In a so-called mandatory notification for the stock exchange, it is said that the federal government, the Finnish parent company Fortum and Uniper are considering “a direct capital increase that would lead to a significant majority stake by the federal government in Uniper” due to the increased uncertainties.
However, no decisions have been made yet.
According to their association spokesman, some municipal utilities now have to pay twelve times what was usual in the past for gas purchases.
And if the public utilities now need huge sums for trading, there is no longer any scope for investments in the energy transition.
For once, the heavily overused word “rescue package” seems to me to be really justified in connection with the problems of the energy supply – in the end, it is actually a matter of saving the planet.
Read more here: Stadtwerke call for a rescue package
3.
Luisa Neubauer had money seized from an Internet hater's account - proving that the legal defense against hatred on the Internet works
My SPIEGEL colleague Max Hoppenstedt reported today that climate activist Luisa Neubauer had around 10,000 euros seized from the account of right-wing populist author Akif Pirinçci.
Pirinçci was sentenced to pay the money by the district court in Frankfurt am Main because he had attacked Neubauer with a sexist, demeaning comment on Facebook.
After Pirinçci apparently did not want to pay the money voluntarily, Neubauer's lawyers decided to obtain the amount by garnishing an account.
“Mr. Pirinçci may have thought that foreclosure would be too much trouble for us, but we are persistent,” explained attorney Severin Riemenschneider from Media Kanzlei, who represented Neubauer in court.
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Luisa Neubauer
Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / REUTERS
The seized amount included, among other things, the procedural costs, as well as 6,000 euros, which the court had determined as compensation in its judgment.
According to the lawyer, this sum would go directly to the organization Hate Aid to support their work.
I think the consistency with which Neubauer and her lawyer are taking action against a prominent spreader of hate is exemplary.
"This case shows that it is quite possible to defend oneself against sexism, misogyny and other forms of hate speech online," Neubauer said to colleague Max in a SPIEGEL interview on the verdict against Pirinçci.
It's not just about showing what's going on online.
"But above all to show how and that one can defend oneself."
Part of the problem is that women are often asked, "Oh, what are you doing with it and what is this hate doing to you?" Far too seldom is the question asked, "Where does this hate come from?" It's not about a conflict between her and a hater, according to Neubauer, »but about structural hatred of women, sexism and misogyny, which are being expressed everywhere and in an increasingly radical way«.
My colleague Max says that the organization for those affected, Hate Aid, has repeatedly succeeded in winning compensation payments for the victims of insults and hate speech through civil law shows again.« It is more important for those who were attacked online that the law enforcement authorities investigate more consistently and that courts and police officers are also trained in online investigations outside of specialized agencies.
A new central office at the Federal Criminal Police Office has been working on this since February, but because the tech companies are not playing along, the BKA is only operating with a reduced “alternative scenario”.
(Read more about this here .)
Max believes that high-profile proceedings such as the one brought by Neubauer against Pirinçci still make a difference. »First, Neubauer donates the money to Hate Aid, which uses it to finance their work for those affected.
And secondly, it draws attention to a topic that is part of everyday life for too many people online and, in the worst case, can escalate into violence or disinhibition on the street.«
Read the whole story here: Luisa Neubauer has the right-wing author Pirinçci's account seized
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What else is important today
This is how the new citizen's income works:
Hartz IV should be a thing of the past - the new citizen's income is coming instead: the federal cabinet now wants to get the reform project off the ground.
The overview of the most important innovations.
Billionaire Kühne buys Lufthansa shares from the state:
The state is getting out, Klaus-Michael Kühne is buying more: With the withdrawal of the federal government, the logistics company has increased its stake in Lufthansa and is now by far the largest shareholder.
Nurse sentenced after death of corona patient:
She wanted to shorten his suffering: A nurse had halved the dose of medication for a corona patient, and he died a few hours later.
She has now been convicted of attempted murder.
Everything that is to change in tax law:
VAT on gas is falling, child benefit is increasing, cold progression is being slowed down: the cabinet has decided on a whole series of changes in tax law.
The overview.
Kai Gniffke becomes the new ARD chairman:
Because RBB boss Patricia Schlesinger had retired, her predecessor Tom Buhrow took over the office of ARD chairman.
Now it is certain: From 2023 onwards, SWR director Kai Gniffke will lead the station network.
My favorite video today: The King and the Dripping Pen
The new British King Charles III.
appears to have a short temper.
Because of a leaking fountain pen, the nobleman, who had been used to public appearances for many years, lost his composure when he signed a guest book.
His facial expression and his curses seem more worthy of a fairytale character like Rumpelstiltskin than a British royal.
What we recommend at SPIEGEL+ today
Germany has a water problem – we could solve it like this:
Hamburg is 39 percent sealed, Munich 47 percent: rain cannot seep away, there is a risk of flooding – and there is no groundwater in summer.
There are surprisingly simple answers.
How Azerbaijan's autocrat exploits Moscow's weakness:
In the middle of peace negotiations with Armenia, Azerbaijan has caused a bloodbath - even though soldiers from the protecting power Russia are on site.
Couldn't or shouldn't peacekeeping forces prevent the escalation?
What employees and employers need to know about working time decisions:
The Federal Labor Court ruled that working hours must be meticulously recorded in the future - even in jobs where this seems difficult to imagine.
What applies now, says employment lawyer Michael Fuhlrott.
Chronic condolences:
is that still sadness?
The late Queen's ubiquitous public farewell seems like a mix of selfish hysteria, nostalgic terror and gold-leaf infotainment.
Now everything seems possible:
They scored and scored: With a historic performance, the German basketball players moved into the semi-finals of the European Championship against Greece.
They are now rid of the underdog status.
Which is less important today
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Drew Barrymore on Jimmy Fallon: "We've both been through a lot, we have some parallels"
Photo: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Counselor in need:
Drew Barrymore, 47-year-old US actress, has given information about her friendship with pop singer Britney Spears.
"We've both been through a lot, we have some parallels," she said on a talk show.
While Spears freed herself from her father's guardianship with legal means last year, she contacted the singer and shared with her about her own difficult family experiences.
Of Spears and partner Sam Asghari's wedding, which Barrymore attended, she said, "It was intimate, it was fairytale, it was very sweet."
Typo of the day
, now corrected: "An open letter from three East German left-wing politicians entitled 'It's enough' criticized that Wagenknecht had played into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin and 'wasted speaking time on right-wing populist platitudes'."
Cartoon of the day:
Germany in autumn
And tonight?
Could you watch a film by Jean-Luc Godard, the grand master of cinema who died yesterday?
In his works, he presented himself as an "avant-gardist, provocateur, nuisance," as the title of the Godard film tips that my colleagues and I have put together suggests.
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Jean-Paul Belmondo as Godard's alter ego in Pierrot le fou
Photo:
ddp images / ddp
I really want to see the 1965 film »Pierrot le fou« for myself, which my colleague Andreas Borcholte writes about as a »pop art work of art painted in bright Mondrian colors with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina« and a milestone in Godard's work.
I wish you a nice evening.
Yours sincerely,
Wolfgang Hoebel
Here you can order the »Situation in the Evening« by e-mail.
