German bank becomes latest global lender to target staff in post-pandemic cost reductions
Deutsche Bank is to cut 3,500 jobs, making it the latest global lender to target employees as part of post-pandemic cost reductions, amid a drop in profits.
The German bank said that while it had made progress on a €2.5bn (£2.1bn) cost-cutting programme that it first announced in 2022, it still needed to save €1.6bn of that total, meaning thousands of staff had to go.
Continue reading...Single currency zone’s stagnating GDP figure will add to pressure for ECB interest rate cut
The 20-nation eurozone has narrowly avoided recession after the region’s economy flatlined at the end of 2023, official figures show.
Zero growth in the single currency zone in the final quarter of last year followed a 0.1% economic contraction in the third quarter meaning that recession – defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction – was just averted. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the eurozone’s economy to shrink by 0.1% in the fourth quarter.
Continue reading...District runoff in Thuringia closely watched to gauge whether huge protests against party have dented support
The far-right populist Alternative für Deutschland party has been narrowly beaten in its first electoral test since revelations came to light of its involvement in a plan for the mass deportation of foreigners that has sparked huge protests across Germany. Its candidate lost against a conservative rival in a district administrative election the importance of which resonated far beyond the local area.
In a tight second-round runoff in the district of Saale-Orla in the south-eastern state of Thuringia, the AfD candidate, Uwe Thrum, had victory snatched from him by his Christian Democrat (CDU) rival Christian Herrgott by 4.6 percentage points.
Continue reading...Images taken secretly some 80 years ago are being published for the first time to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day
A remarkable series of photographs of Jewish families being forced to leave their homes in Germany in the middle of the second world war has been published for the first time, following a chance discovery.
The images are a striking new testament to the sudden upheaval and terror of the Holocaust and were taken secretly by an amateur photographer. He is believed to have wanted to pass down the scenes he was witnessing, despite the risk to himself. They show groups of people gathering outside a restaurant near the railway station in the Silesian city of Breslau, now Wrocław in Poland. Jewish men, women and children of all ages were held here for a few days before deportation by train. Almost all are certain to have been killed just a few days later in a documented shooting in Lithuania. Others were killed at a later date in Poland.
Continue reading...‘Defend democracy’ events were planned for Innsbruck, Salzburg and in front of parliament building in Vienna
Thousands of Austrians have taken to the streets of the country’s three largest cities, in a spillover of protests over the rise of the far right in neighbouring Germany.
Under the slogan “defend democracy”, gatherings organised by a broad alliance of civil society organisations, NGOs, political groups, church communities and trade unions took place in Innsbruck, Salzburg, and in front of the parliament building in Vienna.
Continue reading...Impetus for change was US supreme court overturning Roe v Wade, while Germany passes law banning harassment of women at abortion clinics
The French parliament has begun debating moves for France to become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, guaranteeing women access to the means to end a pregnancy voluntarily.
The justice minister, Éric Dupond-Moretti, told the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, on Wednesday that abortion rights were not simply a liberty like any other, “because they allow women to decide their future”.
Continue reading...Interior ministry considering options against Martin Sellner after days of protests against AfD
German authorities are closely examining the possibility of an entry ban for the far-right Austrian whose master plan for the deportation of immigrants is at the heart of a storm gripping Germany over the rightwing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
Martin Sellner, the founder of the so-called Identitarian Movement, which preaches the superiority of European ethnic groups, could be banned from entering Germany if he is deemed to pose a threat to German democratic stability, according to members of the interior affairs committee of the Bundestag.
Continue reading...France, Poland and Austria among nine countries where radical rightwing parties predicted to finish first
Populist “anti-European” parties are heading for big gains in June’s European elections that could shift the parliament’s balance sharply to the right and jeopardise key pillars of the EU’s agenda including climate action, polling suggests.
Polling in all 27 EU member states, combined with modelling of how national parties performed in past European parliament elections, shows radical right parties are on course to finish first in nine countries including Austria, France and Poland.
Continue reading...Court rules in favour of pulling funding for Die Heimat because it sets out to undermine Germany democracy
A court decision to cut state funding to a minor far-right political party in Germany has sparked calls for similar rules to be applied to the much more significant rightwing populist AfD, which is at the centre of a storm over immigration policy.
The constitutional court ruled in favour of stopping public funding to the party Die Heimat (the homeland), successor to the National Democratic Party, NPD from 2023.
Continue reading...Films include a sci-fi about a man who rents out his dead wife’s body and a documentary about a hippo owned by Pablo Escobar
Colombian cocaine hippos, a Star Wars parody set in northern France and an unlikely father-daughter pairing of Stephen Fry and Lena Dunham all feature in an eclectic lineup at this year’s Berlin film festival, which was unveiled on Monday.
The 74th edition of the 10-day Berlinale will open on 15 February with the world premiere of Small Things Like These, based on Irish author Clare Keegan’s bestselling historical novel. Adapted to the big screen by Enda Walsh, the film sees Cillian Murphy reuniting with Belgian director Tim Mielants, who directed the third series of Peaky Blinders.
Continue reading...In today’s newsletter: Politicians from Germany’s rightwing AfD party have been exposed for plotting with extremists – but will they be banned, or could it see support rise?
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Good morning. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party now polls above 20% in Germany – and it is showing no signs of going away. Earlier this month, a story emerged that you might have expected to deal a hammer blow to its popularity: AfD politicians met with rightwing extremists and neo-Nazi activists to discuss a “masterplan” for mass deportations.
Mainstream political leaders condemned the AfD, and tens of thousands marched in protest across Germany for seven nights in a row. Yesterday, Philip Oltermann and Kate Connolly reported for the Observer that theatregoers attending a staged reading of the original report in Berlin chanted “Everyone, together, against fascism” for 10 minutes when it ended. Despite all of this the AfD’s support appears to be unaffected. The party is on track to win three major state elections in the east of Germany during 2024.
Israel-Gaza war | Hamas has said Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of its conditions means there is “no chance for the return of the [Israeli] captives”, estimated to be 130 in number. The Israeli PM dismissed the militant group’s conditions, which he said included leaving Hamas in power and Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza.
US news | Ron DeSantis, the hard-right governor of Florida, has ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed Donald Trump. DeSantis’s withdrawal in the days ahead of the New Hampshire primary followed a disappointing result in the Iowa caucus, where he finished second place but well behind Donald Trump.
Health | A national campaign to boost uptake of a vaccine that protects against measles has been launched in England after a rise in cases of the potentially deadly disease. Measles outbreaks have occurred around the country, including in London, with the West Midlands experiencing cases at their highest level since the mid-1990s.
Weather | Storm warnings have been issued across parts of Britain as Storm Isha takes hold, with potentially life-threatening gusts and travel disruption expected into Monday.
Brexit | The UK’s fruit and flower growers face an “existential threat” from new post-Brexit border checks that could damage business and affect next year’s crops, the country’s biggest farming body has said.
Continue reading...Protests held at about 100 locations over party’s meeting with neo-Nazis to discuss deporting those it deems have failed to integrate, including German citizens
More than 100,000 people turned out across Germany on Saturday in protest against the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which sparked an outcry after it emerged that the party’s members discussed mass deportation plans at a meeting of extremists.
In Frankfurt, about 35,000 people joined a call under the banner “Defend democracy – Frankfurt against the AfD”, marching in the financial heart of Germany. A similar number, some carrying posters like “Nazis out”, turned up in the northern city of Hanover.
Continue reading...Three-year €2.1m fund will prioritise former colonies of the two countries and could lead to return of items
Germany and France will jointly spend €2.1m (£1.8m) to further research the provenance of African heritage objects in their national museums’ collections, which could prepare the ground for their eventual return.
A three-year fund, with contributions of €360,000 a year by each country, was launched in Berlin on Friday. It has been designated to fund research on objects from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, though priority is expected to be given to countries that were colonised by France and Germany, such as Togo and Cameroon.
Continue reading...Lars Klingbeil warns far-right party’s discussions of mass deportation sparked fear for millions across country
The co-leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD), the largest party in the Bundestag, has accused the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) of being a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” as he warned that plans for mass deportation discussed at a secret meeting attended by its members had sparked fears for millions across the country.
In an extraordinary parliamentary debate on “fortifying democracy” in reaction to the far-right gathering that took place in November in Potsdam, Lars Klingbeil described the AfD as “rightwing extremist”. He accused the party leader and parliamentary head, Alice Weidel, of being a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” over her “teary-eyed” description of what she said was a “smear campaign” against the party. “Your facade is beginning to crumble,” he said. “The true face of the AfD is clearly coming to light.”
Continue reading...Customs officials reportedly charge actor €35,000 after alleged failure to declare item intended for climate charity auction
Arnold Schwarzenegger was briefly held by customs officers at Munich airport on Wednesday after allegedly failing to declare a €26,000 (£22,000) Audemars Piguet watch the Terminator star was planning to sell at an auction in aid of his climate crisis charity.
The Austrian-born actor and former governor of California, 76, was stopped at the airport for about three hours upon arrival from Los Angeles, according to the German tabloid Bild, which quoted customs officials.
Continue reading...Robert Habeck tacitly backs calls to ban far-right party after it participated in meeting to discuss mass deportations
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is planning to transform Germany into an authoritarian state similar to Russia, the country’s vice-chancellor and economics minister, has warned, tacitly backing calls to ban the party.
Speaking a week after it emerged that party members had participated in a meeting to discuss mass deportations, allegedly including German citizens, Robert Habeck said the danger the party posed to democracy had been gravely underestimated.
Continue reading...Finance minister Christian Lindner met with jeers as he says he cannot promise more money at demonstration in Berlin
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Farmers are demonstrating in Berlin today after a week of nationwide protests over planned cuts to agricultural sector subsidies.
Continue reading...For some farmers already struggling, paying for more of their pollution is a step too far. Germany is the latest country to see anger boil over
The columns of tractors that have blocked roads in Germany, causing chaos in cities and headaches for commuters, are the latest wave in a growing tide of anger against efforts to protect Europe’s nature from the pollution pumped out by its farms.
In recent years, farmers in western Europe have fought with increasing ferocity against policies to protect the planet that they say cost too much. In the Netherlands, where the backlash has been strongest, a court ruling on nitrogen emissions in 2019 triggered furious and recurring protests over government efforts to close farms and cut the number of animals on them. In Belgium, similar fights led to convoys of tractors clogging the EU quarter of Brussels in March last year. In Ireland, which has seen smaller protests, dairy farmers angry at nitrogen restrictions marched with their cows to the offices of three government ministers last month.
Continue reading...Delays in delivery of parts result in suspension of manufacturing at factory near Berlin for two weeks
The electric car manufacturer Tesla is to halt most production at its factory near Berlin for two weeks because of delays in deliveries of parts because of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Shipping delays in the Red Sea, caused by attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants, has caused Tesla to suspend most production at its German factory from 29 January to 11 February.
Continue reading...The Australian conductor will also be the first woman to perform the Ring cycle at the annual celebration of Wagner since it began in 1876
Simone Young will become the first woman to conduct Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle in the Bayreuth opera festival’s 147-year history, and the first Australian conductor to perform at Germany’s annual celebration of the composer.
Young, 62, is one of three female conductors who will be taking part in this year’s festival, which has been held in Bavaria since 1876. The Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv became the first woman ever to open the festival in 2021, after 145 years. She will return this year, along with the French conductor Nathalie Stutzmann, who was the second female conductor in Bayreuth’s history in 2023.
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