Tag: germany

Free Speech Travesty: German Pensioner Who Called Green Economic Minister Habeck an ‘Idiot’ Has Been Convicted

The case of German pensioner Stefan Niehoff became a major international story after police raided his home for calling Robert Habeck an “idiot” while Habeck was serving as Germany’s economy minister at the time.

Now that Niehoff has been convicted — for sepearte offneses — it has become clear how far the German media has gone to create the perception that Niehoff is a Nazi to smear his name, when the exact opposite was true all along.

Elon Musk tweeted about the case. The Economist included the incident in a long list of items showing Germany was walking all over free speech, and Niehoff was publicly outspoken over what happened to him.

Niehoff suffered a house raid early in the morning at his home in Burgpreppach, while his disabled daughter was home, all because Habeck filed a complaint against him for Niehoff calling him an “idiot” in an internet post.

The case looked exceedingly bad, so the German establishment went into damage control.

Numerous news outlets started publishing articles that the main focus of the investigation against Niehoff — the “idiot” comment — had quietly been sidelined. Now, the courts were focusing on “unconstitutional” symbols that Niehoff shared. In other words, after the Niehoff case blew up in their faces, they needed to find an ad hoc justification after the fact to justify their witch hunt against him.

In Germany, any kind of “unconstitutional symbol” basically means you were sharing swastikas or other symbols associated with the Nazi regime. Most people suddenly thought Niehoff was some kind pro-Nazi activist.

The reality is that he was comparing the left-liberal traffic light government, which was in power at the time, to the era of National Socialism. In other words, he was criticizing the Nazis, not praising them.

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Senior Citizens Moved Out Of Housing Complex In Germany To Make Way For Refugees

The German city of Bargteheide has scrapped plans to demolish a senior citizens’ residential complex on Nelkenweg after vacating all residents, opting instead to house asylum seekers in the building.

Former residents had been told the building was uninhabitable and were forced to relocate. However, following an inspection, just five units will undergo renovation, while the remainder will be used as-is by the new arrivals.

As reported by Abendblatt, Mayor Gabriele Hettwer defended the decision, saying all cost-related issues had been resolved and that a full renovation was unnecessary. “The costs for the removal of mold and other renovation measures are manageable,” she said, noting that a preliminary building application would determine whether the entire complex could eventually be used.

The move, however, has drawn sharp criticism from members of the SPD parliamentary group, who had supported the original eviction of elderly residents on the grounds that the buildings were unfit for habitation. “I have seen for myself what a bad condition the buildings are in,” said SPD council member Andreas Bäuerle. His colleague Jörg Rehder added, “The decision has an unpleasant taste.”

He pointed out that while the city directly financed the relocations of elderly tenants, it now appeared eager to move refugees into the same housing it had deemed unsuitable.

CDU council member Sven Meding dismissed the SPD’s concerns as political posturing. “I sometimes wonder if it’s election campaign again. Should we accommodate the refugees in tents?” he asked. “The apartments on Nelkenweg are well habitable.”

It would appear that no one on the municipal council had an issue with the fact that the elderly residents were not welcomed to return to their homes following the building’s inspection, and it would now hold asylum seekers.

Many former residents had expressed their desire to remain in their homes.

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Green Party Politician Suggests AfD Supporters Should Be Refused Organ Donations

A Green Party councilor, Julia Probst from the city of Weißenhorn, publicly asked in a survey whether her followers would agree to an organ donation if the potential recipient was an Alternative for Germany (AfD) voter.

The survey, taken by nearly 4,000 users, saw about a quarter say they would not agree to an organ donation; however, the vast majority said they would, amounting to 76 percent.

Her post was met with severe criticism from many users, with some accusing her of linking organ donation to political leanings.

One user, who wrote he was an “AfD opponent,” argued that as a first responder, he “first helps a person and not a ‘party affiliation.” He noted that linking organ donation to political affiliation was “inconceivable.”

The user also said: The wording of the question is very confusing to me? Do I have left-wing or right-wing blood?”

Many users with green hearts in their profiles, indicating their support for the Green Party, also took offense at the question. The majority of posters said that organ donation should not be linked to voting intention.

Probst has since locked her X account.

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Legalization turns Germany into a cannabis hotspot: Mary Jane becomes the world’s largest cannabis trade fair for the first time

About a year after partial legalization by the “traffic light” government coalition, Germany has become the key meeting point for the global cannabis scene. With 60,000 expected visitors, over 500 exhibitors, and an expanded festival area, Mary Jane Berlin will – for the first time since its founding in 2016 – be the largest cannabis trade fair in the world, taking place from June 19 to 22, 2025. On more than 70,000 square meters of exhibition space, industry icons like former world boxing champion Mike Tyson will present the latest products, top acts such as Samy Deluxe will perform on the festival stage, and experts will discuss home cultivation, the booming demand for medical cannabis, and the growing telemedicine market at the professional conference. Cannabis-related sales in Germany are expected to reach around one billion euros in 2025.

“We started as a small scene gathering and are now the largest cannabis trade fair in the world. When it came to cannabis, the world used to look to the U.S. – now it looks to Germany, and Mary Jane is the highlight of the industry,” says Nhung Nguyen, organizer and co-founder of the fair. A record 40,000 tickets were sold in advance. For the first-ever B2B day on June 19, 5,000 industry representatives from 50 countries have registered. The professional conference, organized in cooperation with the Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW), will host 90 high-profile speakers from business, science, and politics. “We want to showcase all facets and the many positive qualities of cannabis – and why legalization is the only right way forward,” says Nguyen.

The effects of legalization are also reflected in the numbers: Germany has around 4.5 million cannabis users, and that number has roughly doubled over the past 15 years. According to Statista, cannabis market revenues in Germany are expected to reach around one billion euros in 2025. Special focus is being placed on medical cannabis. Thanks to the new legal situation, the market is booming like never before. The import of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes has significantly increased over the course of 2024, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The quantity rose from 8.1 tons in Q1 to 11.6 tons in Q2, 20.7 tons in Q3, and 31.7 tons in Q4.

Numerous medical cannabis distributors will showcase their product ranges and services at the fair. In addition, telemedicine is playing an increasingly important role. More and more people are using the option to order cannabis with a prescription online and receive it via a pharmacy. Delivery services bring the products directly to customers. “The medical community is increasingly recognizing the plant’s value in treating illnesses and relieving pain. Initial hesitations from doctors and pharmacies are slowly dissolving,” says Nguyen.

In addition to medical cannabis, visitors will also find the latest industry trends at the fair: digitalized balcony greenhouses for home growing, edibles from brownies to granola bars, and a wide selection of non-intoxicating CBD products ranging from massage oils to meditation teas. “Mary Jane offers something for everyone. We’ve tailored the entire fair concept to attract new audiences as well. Smoking is prohibited in the halls out of consideration for all guests, and there will be various chill-out areas, international food trucks, and awareness teams. Everyone should feel comfortable and have fun,” says Nguyen.

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Germany’s Merz: Israel Is ‘Doing Dirty Work for Us’ In Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has strongly backed Israel’s war on Iran and said on Tuesday that Israel was “doing dirty work” for the West by launching the assault.

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz said.

The German leader also said that Iran’s nuclear program must be destroyed and suggested that the US should do it since it has heavy bunker-busting bombs that the Israeli military doesn’t possess. “The Israeli army is obviously unable to accomplish that. It lacks the necessary weapons. But the Americans have them,” he said.

When Israel first launched its aggressive war against Iran on Friday, Germany’s Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the Iranian counterattack. “We strongly condemn the indiscriminate Iranian attack on Israeli territory,” the ministry said.

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German politician strips naked, calls on ‘open-minded citizens’ to join him on swingers trip in France

A local German politician has copped backlash from fellow councillors after he stripped naked and called on residents to join him on a swingers trip in France.

Julien Ferrat, a councillor at Mannheim City, in southwest Germany, and representative of local political party ‘Die Mannheime’, said the eight-day trip to swinger hotspot, Cap d’Agde, in the south of France, is to investigate how it became a global hub in nudist and sex tourism – and how this can help boost Mannheim’s local economy.

He gained plenty of attention – and pushback from fellow councillors – when a story of his unconventional idea appeared in the local Mannheim Official Gazette in May.

It was accompanied by a naked photo of Ferrat on the beach with just a sign covering his genitals.

The headline read – ‘Political Education Trip to Cap d’Agde’, translating to – Political education trip to Cap d’Agde.

“The naturist village in Cap d’Agde is considered a mecca for nudists and swingers,” the 33-year-old said in the article.

“What few people know: Without government support for tourism (…) this place would never have been created.”

He has called for “curious and open-minded citizens” to accompany him on the trip which will involve a training camp, to ensure no participant heads into the resort ‘unprepared’.

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U.S. Intervention Halts Germany’s Attempt to Suppress AfD Opposition.

Germany’s bid to marginalize its largest opposition party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), through intelligence agency tactics has been derailed, thanks to intense pressure from U.S. political figures.

As German establishment parties and authorities orchestrated a campaign to discredit the AfD, Republican leaders in the U.S. intervened, condemning the move as a threat to democracy.

On May 2, Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) labeled the AfD a “proven right-wing extremist” group, triggering a media onslaught aimed at delegitimizing the party and potentially laying the groundwork for a ban. This aggressive move against parliamentary democracy quickly drew international backlash.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was among the first to respond, posting on X: “Germany has empowered its intelligence service to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s disguised tyranny.”

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Germany threatens steps against Israel as tone shifts over Gaza

Germany’s foreign minister threatened unspecified measures against Israel on Tuesday and said Berlin would not export weapons used to break humanitarian law, as he and Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered their most severe rebuke yet over Gaza.

Germany, along with the United States, had long remained in support of Israel’s conduct since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, even as Israel became increasingly isolated internationally. Its about-turn comes as the European Union is reviewing its Israel policy and Britain, France and Canada also threatened “concrete actions” over Gaza.

Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Germany’s historic support for Israel must not be instrumentalised, as massive air strikes and shortages of food and medicines had made the situation in Gaza “unbearable”.

Earlier, Merz criticised air strikes on Gaza as no longer justified by the need to fight Hamas and “no longer comprehensible”, in comments at a press conference in Finland.

While not a complete rupture, the shift in tone is significant in a country whose leadership follows a policy of special responsibility for Israel, known as the Staatsraeson, due to the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust.

It also reflects a broader shift in German public opinion.

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Germany Deploys Permanent Troops To Lithuania As Russian Offensive Builds

Germany has deployed a permanent military brigade beyond its borders for the first time since the end of World War II, with troops dispatched to the capital of Lithuania.  The event was inaugurated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said during a military ceremony in Vilnius that “the security of our Baltic allies is also our security.” 

The decision is part of a series of actions in recent months by European nations to “bolster defenses” on NATO’s eastern flank amid claims that Russia intends to invade greater Europe if they defeat Ukraine.  The “domino theory” remains unfounded and the Kremlin has never threatened to attack any country outside of Ukraine.  The move to shift troops to Lithuania places them near the border of Belarus (a Russian ally) and within striking distance of Ukraine or the Russian border. 

European governments have been threatening an escalation by eventually moving NATO troops into Ukraine in direct confrontation with Russian forces.  Vladimir Putin has previously warned that NATO troops in Ukraine represent a red line which could result in nuclear conflict. 

Putin asserted that if Ukraine’s Western backers deepened their involvement in the war, such as sending troops, the consequences for the “invaders” would be “tragic”. 

“They must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory,” Putin said, in apparent reference to increasingly lethal Western weapons provided to Kyiv. “What they are now suggesting and scaring the world with — all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization.”

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German chief of defence orders swift expansion of warfare capabilities

Germany’s Chief of Defence, Carsten Breuer, has ordered the German military to be fully equipped with weapons and other material by 2029, a document seen by Reuters on Sunday shows.

By 2029, Russia may have reconstituted its forces sufficiently to attack NATO territory, according to estimates by Breuer and other senior military officials at NATO.

The latest document, entitled “Directive Priorities for the Bolstering of Readiness”, which Breuer signed on May 19, said Germany will meet the goal with the help of funds made available by the loosening of the country’s debt brake in March.

The defence ministry in Berlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In the directive, Breuer sets priorities for the weapons that should be acquired or developed most urgently, reflecting in part priorities NATO has previously laid out.

Among them, Breuer lists the strengthening of Germany’s depleted air defences, in particular with a view to intercepting drones.

Last year, sources told Reuters that NATO will request Berlin to at least quadruple its air defences, ranging from systems with a longer range, such as the Patriot, to short-range systems.

Another priority is a capability to launch deep precision strikes, according to the document, effectively hitting targets at a distance of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles) and far behind enemy lines.

In addition to pushing for Germany’s ammunition stocks to be replenished, Breuer also orders Germany to raise its stockpiling targets for all types of ammunition.

Other priorities listed in the document are the swift expansion of Germany’s capabilities in electronic warfare and the establishment of a resilient system of “offensive and defensive capabilities” in space.

In a speech in mid-May, Army Chief Alfons Mais said a large-scale social and industrial mobilisation meant Russian forces were rapidly gaining firepower.

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