Happy Halloween! If you see CDU politician Stefan Evers dressed up as Berlin’s next mayor, it may not be just a Halloween costume. It may yet become reality.
News magazine Der Spiegel this week stumbled into an internal Die Linke discussion where would-be Berlin mayor Elif Eralp (Die Linke) admitted she and her husband feel local pro-Palestinian activist Ibrahim Ibrahim and his followers, who have links to her party, could be a threat to their personal safety.
The magazine then wrote a breathless article based on the comments that is not only an affront to Eralp and Die Linke but Berlin itself.
Eralp’s fear, the magazine wrote, proves organized crime and antisemitic terrorists are in charge of parts of Berlin, not the government. And, if Eralp can’t keep her family safe, how can she protect Berlin from the roaming mobs once she’s mayor?
Adults — professional journalists — fellow Berliners wrote that. Can you imagine?
Der Spiegel is right in that there’s a systemic problem in Berlin’s government, but it’s not organized crime or antisemitism. It’s incompetence guarded by unnecessary bureaucracy. Indeed, Der Spiegel only got their hands on the conversation because of the incompetence of Die Linke’s press department in sending it to Der Spiegel. How very Berlin!
But I’m starting to wonder how long Eralp, Die Linke and their potential coalition partners (the center-left SPD and environmentalist Die Grüne) can fend off the relentless national media campaign against them. Were I Eralp, I would be on the horn to national party bigwigs asking about potential positions in Brussels.
I’m also starting to wonder if the criticism isn’t also related to the fact that Eralp is both a woman and someone whose parents weren’t born in the Black Forest (or elsewhere in Germany).
On a personal note: Thanks to everyone who came out to the comedy night Tuesday. They’re just getting better and y’all add a nice twist to the shows for me.
I especially appreciated the two 20 Percenters who tried to run interference for the South African somelier. Your whole row was a delight. And also thanks to people who came up to me after the show. The next one is November 19.
Have a good, safe weekend, despite the roaming mobs of goblins, ghouls and ghosts.
Andrew
A spooky protest?
And if you think an unusually large number of people have dressed up as Berlin police officers Saturday, those are also not costumes! An extra 1,500 cops as well as water cannons will be on duty amid a Gen Z protest against the rising cost of living, conscription plans and the underfunding of education, according to rbb24. Oh, and climate change, the burgeoning surveillance state and the gap between the rich and poor. I admire their ambition. The protest was inspired by the now-infamous demonstrations in France earlier this month that turned violent. Some stores in Charlottenburg have already boarded up their windows out of fear the protests — set for 2pm Saturday — could also take a more evil turn.
AfD ghouls kept out of top Spandau spots
Some costumes just aren’t funny, which is why Spandau isn’t giving out any candy to right-wing politicians this week. Local politicians from the New Jersey of Berlin Thursday voted on the borough’s new administration after the September elections and two right-wing AfD council members failed to get enough votes to get appointed to the governing board, according to Tagesspiegel. The six-member executive council, the local version of a cabinet, will now only be four because of the shortfall for the AfDers. The AfD had even hoped to get the deputy mayor spot but — nope! An exorcism of sorts. Nice one, Spandau.
12-years-plus for sexual assaults
A Berlin court Thursday sentenced 69-year-old Frank S. to 12 years in prison followed by protective custody for 22 rapes of 14 women between 2016 and 2022, according to RBB24. Protective custody means he’ll remain behind bars until specialists determine he is no longer a threat. Authorities are investigating an additional potential 44 sexual assaults he may have committed. The man would invite the women to his house and then drug them. The victims were unaware of the crimes, which he filmed, until they were contacted by police. Detectives working a similar case in western Germany stumbled onto chats involving Frank and then alerted Berlin authorities.
One of many positive impacts from the agreement. Photo: Madam Tussauds
65 years ago today the West German government and Turkey signed an agreement to allow Turks to work temporarily in West Germany — the Anwerbeabkommen. About 870,000 Turks (mostly men) came to Germany by the time the agreement ended in 1972, many of whom stayed in West Germany (or West Berlin). The agreement was a major factor in the country’s post-war economic boom and was based on a similar 1955 agreement with Italy, which brought Italian food to many small German towns. The workers are colloquially known as Gastarbeiter (guest workers) because their stay was supposed to be temporary. I’ve always admired the blatant racism of the agreements: “Can we borrow your men for a few years so our country can prosper? We want them to leave once things really get going.”
The Charlottenburg stores boarding up.. lol. The protests I've seen in Berlin are so tame and repressed compared to the ones I've been in in Paris and other cities.
The Charlottenburg stores boarding up.. lol. The protests I've seen in Berlin are so tame and repressed compared to the ones I've been in in Paris and other cities.