Germany proposes rent control extension to dampen housing costs
BERLIN, May 28 (Reuters) - The German government on Wednesday proposed a law to extend rent controls in an effort to make housing more affordable, following through on a key pledge of the new coalition government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The measure, which extends the price controls by another four years through 2029, is fiercely opposed by property industry executives.
"Housing must not become a luxury good," Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said in announcing the law proposal.
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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Germany plans rapid bunker expansion amid fears of Russian attack
Germany is drawing up plans to rapidly expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters, the government's most senior civilian protection official has said, warning the state needs to be prepared for an attack from Russia within the next four years. Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), said Europe's largest economy needed to wake up to the reality of conflict, and that in its current state Germany was inadequately prepared. 'For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe,' he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung news outlet. Tiesler called for a national effort to pinpoint and turn tunnels, metro stations, underground garages, car parks and the cellars of public buildings into protective shelters to 'quickly create space for 1 million people'. He said his agency will present a comprehensive plan later this summer. He added that the country was in a race against time, and to rely on the construction of new bunker facilities was insufficient. Such shelters would take a long time to plan and construct and be very costly, Tiesler said. As a result, existing structures needed to be closely considered more immediately. Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has caused fears in other countries, especially in Baltic states but also in Poland and Germany, that Moscow could open new fronts in Europe. Overnight, Russian forces launched missile and bomb strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, leaving three people dead and 22 injured. The mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said in a post on Telegram on Saturday that the city was 'experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war'. Of about 2,000 bunkers in Germany and protection rooms left over from the cold war, only about 580 are in working order and most need multimillion-euro revamps. They would shelter about 480,000 people, just half a percent of the German population. In comparison, the BBK said that Finland has 50,000 protection rooms, amounting to space for 4.8 million people, or 85% of its population. Tiesler said efforts also needed to be put into fine-tuning information systems, such as apps and road signs, to share with the public exactly where they could seek shelter, as well as upgrading warning sirens. Existing warning apps also needed to be better protected from hackers, he said. He urged Friedrich Merz's government to ensure funding was in place to enforce his agency's plans. It has agreed the plans are necessary but has yet to formally prescribe funds. Money is expected to be made available from the billions unleashed after parliament suspended Germany's debt brake in March, allowing large amounts of spending to take place in the military, vital infrastructure – such as bridges and roads enabling them to carry tanks and supplies – and civil defence. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Intelligence services and cybersecurity structures, which are in vital need of investment, are also competing for the funds. Tiesler estimated at least €10bn (£8.4bn) would be needed over the next four years to cover civil defence needs, and at least €30bn over the next decade. He also called for the establishment of a compulsory or voluntary civil protection service and urged citizens to contribute to making the country more resilient by stocking up on emergency supplies in the case of power and water shortages. 'Our appeal is: build up enough supplies to last you 10 days, if possible,' he told the newspaper, reflecting similar calls by other European governments. 'But even a supply for at least 72 hours would be very helpful,' Tiesler added. 'This can be used to bridge minor interruptions in everyday life.'
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Ukrainian attack damaged 10% of Russia's strategic bombers, Germany says
BERLIN, June 7 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said. "According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes," German Major General Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters ahead of its publication later on Saturday. The affected A-50s, which function similarly to NATO's AWACS planes by providing aerial situational awareness, were likely non-operational when they were hit, said the general who coordinates Berlin's military aid to Kyiv and is in close touch with the Ukrainian defence ministry. "We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist," he said. "As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment." The United States estimates that Ukraine's audacious drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, two U.S. officials told Reuters, and experts say Moscow will take years to replace the affected planes. Despite the losses, Freuding does not see any immediate reduction of Russian strikes against Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs. "But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact." Freuding said Russia had felt safe in its vast territory, which also explained why there was little protection for the aircraft. "After this successful operation, this no longer holds true. Russia will need to ramp up the security measures." According to Freuding, Ukraine attacked two air fields around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Moscow, as well as the Olenya air field in the Murmansk region and the Belaya air field, with drones trained with the help of artificial intelligence. A fifth attack on the Ukrainka air field near the Chinese border failed, he said. The bombers that were hit were part of Russia's so-called nuclear triad which enables nuclear weapons deployment by air, sea and ground, he added.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Spain could block Gibraltar's removal from EU money laundering list
Spanish conservatives are seeking to stop Gibraltar being removed from an EU list of jurisdictions with lax money laundering and terror financing controls. The centre-Right People's Party (PP) believes keeping the British Overseas Territory on the list is vital to maintaining pressure in negotiations over its future. The populist Vox party will also join an attempt to block Gibraltar's removal because of the party's long-standing support for Spain's sovereignty claim over the Rock, which was ceded by the Spanish king to Britain in 1713. A Vox source told The Telegraph: 'We will, of course, maintain the same position we have consistently held on Gibraltar in every vote. In our view, Gibraltar is a territory unlawfully colonised by the United Kingdom and does not meet the necessary conditions. 'Therefore, we firmly reject any proposal to remove it from the list of territories concerning capital movements.' Inclusion on the EU's 'grey list' comes as a reputational blow and introduces red tape that makes it less appealing to do business with. Gibraltar is on the list with countries including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Iran, North Korea and Yemen. The European Commission has proposed removing the Rock, but requires a majority vote in the European Parliament to confirm the decision. Eurocrats failed in a previous attempt to tweak the list, with conservative and socialist politicians forming an unlikely alliance to quash the move. Earlier this year, Right-wing MEPs voted against the changes because of Gibraltar's proposed removal, while their Left-wing counterparts opposed it because of a recommendation to remove the United Arab Emirates. The People's Party urged the Spanish government to intervene to prevent Gibraltar being removed from the EU list in January. It said that the Rock 'continues to be a territory that is too lax with respect to its commitments to combat money laundering and terrorist financing'. The PP also argued that under no circumstances should Gibraltar be removed before a deal was struck between Brussels and the UK on the post-Brexit relationship with the Rock. Its politicians are the second-largest national delegation in the centre-Right European People's Party (EPP) and hold powerful influence over the direction of its voting strategies. 'Sufficiently comprehensive' efforts Commission officials believe that the Spanish opposition could be overcome with a recommendation to add Russia to the list of countries. They have previously said Gibraltar's efforts to counter illicit finance and money laundering are 'sufficiently comprehensive' in order to be removed from the list. The Rock was originally included on the grey list because of concerns over regulations for its gambling industry. It was added in 2023, as negotiations between the UK, Spain and the EU were carried out over the territory's post-Brexit future. The talks have repeatedly stalled over sensitive sovereignty issues, including Madrid's wish for Spanish border police to operate security checks at Gibraltar's airport and seaport. There is strong support for Ukraine among the EU parliament's EPP, and vetoing the changes to the list because of the British overseas territory could become controversial amongst its politicians from other states. 'There is huge support for putting Russia on the list,' Markus Ferber, of the EPP, told the Financial Times. The commission's final list of recommendations is expected to be published next week, after a planned announcement was put on hold at the last minute this week. Moscow was originally listed in 2000 but taken off two years later after fulfilling a number of criteria set to reassure the EU.
