The dysfunctional coalition
My goodness, that took a while.
After much back and forth, Chancellor
Olaf Scholz
ended the
tough coalition dispute over the lifespan of German nuclear power plants
.
He has spoken a word of power, as it is now so beautifully called.
Scholz ordered by letter and by reference to his authority as Chancellor that the last three active German reactors should continue to run beyond the end of the year, but then be finally switched off by April 15, 2023 at the latest.
Even if it doesn't look like it at first glance, it's probably
to be understood as a compromise
.
All opponents, especially Robert Habeck from the Greens and FDP leader Christian Lindner, somehow saved themselves from the affair.
The Greens get their final nuclear phase-out next year.
The FDP can point out that it was possible to keep three power plants on the grid for a little longer than the Greens wanted.
And Scholz can feel very powerful because he can finally decide something ex cathedra like the infallible.
Still, it doesn't feel all that good.
Because the average electricity customer will ask themselves why it is actually so difficult for politicians to do the obvious thing and let three power plants run longer without much ado during the biggest energy crisis in decades.
The question is legitimate.
And when the chancellor first has to refer to his policy competence in order to resolve a coalition dispute, that's not really reassuring either.
There is clearly something wrong with a coalition in which the head of government resorts to this ultimate means to move things forward.
She is dysfunctional.
From this point of view, Scholz's word of power is more of a word of impotence, so there is no reason for great celebration.
Chancellor's word of power in the nuclear dispute: the shepherd spoke, the sheep followed
Iran's foul game
Are the Europeans - and especially the Germans - just too naive for this world?
Sometimes it seems so.
First the gas czar Vladimir Putin made fun of us, and now the next evil trap is looming.
This time
, the Europeans run the risk of being fooled by the Iranians
.
Iran's security services mow down protesters in their own country.
At the same time, Tehran is apparently supplying Russia with kamikaze drones for the war against Ukraine.
Rocket deliveries could soon be added.
What is the EU doing?
She continues to act extremely cautiously in dealings with Tehran.
The
regime's brutal actions against the demonstrators
are officially condemned, but the
alleged rocket deliveries
are also criticized.
The EU foreign ministers have also imposed some tentative sanctions on the security apparatus.
That's it!
Otherwise , there
is elegant diplomatic restraint
.
The EU is caught in a dilemma that Iran is exploiting.
Above all, the Europeans are concerned that Iran could cause the current negotiations on the revival of the JCPOA nuclear agreement to fail.
If the new nuclear agreement does not materialize, Iran could soon become a nuclear power.
On the other hand, if the agreement succeeds and the West drops sanctions in return, this would in turn strengthen those in power in Tehran – and weaken the protests.
So what to do?
In the end, only consistency and a clear message will probably help: If Iran does not change its behavior, the EU and the USA will not be able to avoid at least suspending the nuclear negotiations and continuing to clearly ban Tehran with tough sanctions.
Anything else would be a sign of weakness – and naivety.
Iran's Missiles for Putin: Alliance of the Outcasts
You can find more news and background information on the war in Ukraine here:
That happened at night:
The Ukrainian military should take more prisoners – that's what President Zelenskyy wants.
Four Russians have been arrested in Norway for suspicious photos.
Again drones over Kyiv.
The overview.
"Putin wants to show that his arm can reach into the capital":
The kamikaze drone attack on Kiev is not only aimed at the energy supply.
Is this how Putin manages to intimidate the people of Ukraine?
Impressions from SPIEGEL reporter Christian Esch from Kyiv.
"The children miss him":
The Ukrainian President's wife Olena Selenska spoke in an interview about the life and everyday life of her family during the war - and defended her controversial "Vogue" photo shoot.
The chancellor and the tanks:
For one morning, Olaf Scholz attended a sharp Bundeswehr exercise.
He carefully omits the thorny issue of supplying tanks to Ukraine and doesn't ask many questions.
Another faux pas causes a stir.
Nervous US Democrats
US President
Joe Biden
will again intervene in the
election campaign for the forthcoming congressional elections
today at a party event in the traditional Howard Theater in the US capital Washington .
The president is expected to deliver a passionate speech, primarily on the subject of abortion.
Biden's Democrats are becoming increasingly nervous about the
midterms on November 8
: according to a new poll commissioned by the New York Times, they are falling behind the Republicans.
Accordingly, 49 percent of voters want to vote for Republican candidates, only 45 percent want to make their cross with the Democrats.
It is true that surveys in the USA should always be treated with caution.
But if those numbers are even remotely accurate, the chances of a Republican victory on November 8th would increase.
Biden and his Democrats are hoping the Constitutional Court's recent decision to overturn existing abortion laws will drive voters their way.
But as things stand, most Americans are most interested in the outlook for the economy and high inflation, both of which Biden gets a bad mark on.
The entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate are elected in the congressional elections.
If Republicans can secure a majority in both chambers of Congress, they could stall and block Biden's political agenda at will for the next two years.
Oil price and US elections: why Biden's success depends on the whims of the Saudis
Here's the current quiz of the day
The starting question today: Who was the last emperor of the Roman Empire before it was divided into a western and an eastern half in 395?
loser of the day...
... is the former US President Donald Trump
.
According to a congressional report, Trump and his family are said to have misused the state treasury to improve the balance sheets of their hotels of the same name.
Whenever President Trump or his children checked into one of their own luxury hotels, their guards also used rooms in the hotels – for which taxpayers then had to pay hefty bills.
The accommodation of the bodyguards of the Trump family is said to have been billed at up to 1185 US dollars per night and room.
So it was certainly no coincidence that Trump and members of his family often and happily stayed in their own hotels when traveling within the United States or abroad.
According to the lists, there is talk of several hundred visits.
The Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and the Trump hotel in the capital Washington, DC, were visited particularly frequently.
In total, the Secret Service is said to have paid at least 669 bills from Trump companies.
The latest news from the night
Liz Truss apologizes for mistakes - and clings to office:
The British government is experiencing chaos days, the focus is on the Prime Minister: For the first time she has now admitted misjudgments.
But she rules out resigning: "I'm staying here."
Mario Cipollini sentenced to three years in prison:
the former cycling star
had to answer to a former partner in court for his behavior.
Now the verdict has come.
Ballon d'Or goes to Karim Benzema, Alexia Putellas wins for women:
Karim Benzema receives the »Golden Ball« for the first time.
Sadio Mané from FC Bayern Munich receives an award for his social commitment.
And the Spanish striker Putellas triumphs in the women's category.
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
Electoral help for Netanyahu?
The bloody clashes between the Israeli army and militants could affect the Israeli elections on November 1st.
The ex-prime minister has already benefited from Palestinian violence once before.
How war twists feelings:
while a state of emergency prevails in their homeland, Ukraine's best-known writers fight with words for their country.
On the way with the three homeless Serhij Zhadan, Andrej Kurkow, Oksana Sabushko.
Two grams a day:
Doctors in Germany have been prescribing cannabis since 2017.
Scientists say it could help with a lot, but little is certain.
But there are patients whose life is made easier.
Here two report on their experiences.
My friend the biting machine:
Although surfers are the most common victims of sharks, water sports enthusiasts want to protect the aggressive predatory fish better.
Is the image of the enemy crumbling?
I wish you a good start into the day.
Yours, Roland Nelles
