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Local Germany
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Inside Germany: Confusion surrounds end of 'turbo' citizenship and all the June changes
Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might've missed. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. End of the three year fast-track path to citizenship Germany's new black-red government had promised to bring changes to the country's immigration policies, and they have wasted very little time in getting to the point. Just over three weeks have passed since the conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) and centre-left Social Democrat parties have stepped into their new leading roles in the federal government and already the cabinet has passed two bills set to tighten the country's immigration policies. The bills, which still need to be passed by the Bundestag before becoming law, were put forward by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), who had previously pledged to bring forth a "turnaround" in migration. One of the bills would suspend family reunification for migrants with subsidiary protection status (essentially refugees that were not granted asylum but are lawfully allowed to remain in Germany). The other would end the three-year fast-track to German citizenship that was introduced last year as part of the sweeping reform of Germany's naturalisation rules. The good news is that, despite pledges we'd previously heard from conservative leaders, Germany's new federal government wont focus its efforts on scrapping the rest of the naturalisation reforms that were enacted nearly one year ago (on June 27th). So German dual-citizenship will remain an option for non-EU nationals, and the residency requirement will remain at five years as opposed to the previous eight. A person holds a German and British passport. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen The bad news is that any foreign residents who might have qualified as "highly integrated" , and who had been looking forward to naturalising after just three years in the country will now have to wait at least two more, like the rest of us. As of yet it's unclear how the rule change would affect anyone who is waiting for decision on their pending fast-track citizenship application. But as we wrote on Monday , one migration lawyer in Germany has suggested that applicants in this position might considering bringing forward an Untätigkeitsklage (a legal challenge against the failure to act), as that could force the relevant officials to make a decision on your application before the rule change is established as law. Advertisement For now, it's unclear exactly how many people have applied for citizenship via the fast-track. Germany's Statistical Office keeps count of how many people naturalise each year, but when The Local reached out for clarification they said they don't differentiate between "highly integrated" or standard naturalisations. Have you applied for citizenship through either track, or plan to do so soon? We'd love to hear about your experience in our latest survey. Any comments your willing to share may help us as we prepare future articles on the topic. Where is this? Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Willnow Advertisement Opencast mining is a big operation, and it's left its mark on various German landscapes, wherever lignite coal or others rocks and minerals have been extracted. This old mining town saw the closure of it's large mine in 1991, but the large excavator machines you can see in the background of the shot above were left on site, and they have been effectively repurposed as monuments that can be observed, and even climbed on, in a large outdoor museum. But the space does not only serve as a museum, depicted above, members of a Christian parish from the nearby village of Gräfenhainichen have gathered for a special church service on Ascension Day (or Christi Himmelfahrt ) , which was observed on Thursday this week. The photo was taken at Ferropolis, which is set in the retired open-cast mine Golpa Nord at Gremminer See. The site is about two hours southwest of Berlin by car, or about one hour north of Leipzig. Advertisement Coming changes With the sky staying light well into the evening -- and then brightening again far too early in the morning -- it's clear that Summer is just around around the corner. This weekend brings the end of May and the start of June, and also a number of interesting changes for those of us living Germany. The first notable change starts from the coming Sunday (June 1st) when maternity leave, or Mutterschutz, is to also apply to women who lose a pregnancy due to miscarriage (from the 13th week). Another notable change comes just a few days later on June 6th when rules around changing electricity providers will change. Our newest contributor, Tom Pugh unpacked what that change means for consumers this week. READ ALSO: Seven unmissable events happening around Germany in June 2025 The other June update to be aware of is that Whit Monday, on the 9th, will bring yet another three-day weekend to most regular workers. You'll want to make any travel plans now if you're going too.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Tabletop Games Gift Guide For Geeky Moms On Mother's Day
30 April 2020, Berlin: Tim Overkamp shows the game "Settlers of Catan" in the Ludothek "Spielwiese". ... More In the "Spielwiese" he and his team lend out about 1,500 games. Photo: Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB (Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images) Mother's Day is often depicted as a holiday where moms can take a moment to finally relax and do something for themselves. It's good to take a moment to celebrate the important people in our lives. Many aspire to give them something meaningful, be it a card, a lovely brunch or a gift from the heart. While traditional gifts like flowers and chocolate are common, remember that many moms come from a nerdy background. They've written fan fiction, played Dungeons & Dragons and obsess over the latest episode of Andor. He're a selection of great tabletop games to give as gifts on Mother's Day, though as a bonus we recommend clearing out some time to play them with Mom, too. Settlers of Catan is one of the game that changed the current landscape in board games. It showed audiences worldwide the joys of Euro games, a type of board game played over a specific number of turns to avoid experiences that drag on forever. The game, now simply CATAN, offers an unclaimed island where players compete to build their own settlement through trade and exploration. A new edition printed this year upgrades the components, clarifies the rules and is ready to show a new generation the quiet joys of this classic game. The base game is for four players but there are expansions that allow five and six players to join in. There are also add-ons that expand the world of the game, such as the shipbuilding of Seafarers and the urban planning of Cities & Knights. Not every mom wants to quietly trade sheep and wool with each other. Sometimes they want to kick down the door of a dungeon and slay a dragon. They might have lost their old school D&D stuff along the way, however. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Luckily, Necrotic Gnome created Old School Essentials to keep those classic rules a live even as original copies balloon in cost on the secondary market. The game uses the classic Basic/Expert rules of D&D with a modern eye to better organization and clarity. Classic materials are easily compatible for those moms who still have old modules kicking around the house. The rules are available as hardcover books but for extra giftability, check out the boxed sets that are available. Classic Fantasy includes everything to run the original rules liked classes, monsters, magic, treasure and more. Advanced Fantasy takes things even further with more character classes, magic and monsters. Moms who love the classic books by J.R.R. Tolkien have an excellent game to play them in. The One Ring captures the essence of characters battling a world filling with shadow. Its sister game, Lord of the Rings Roleplaying adapts the best concepts for Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons. The most recent release for the game deals with the Elves role in Middle-Earth. There are two books, one for each version of the game. Both Realm Of The Three Rings and Keeper Of The Three Rings have new character options, story ideas and rules mechanics for the long lived. Plenty of moms love media that features supernatural intrigue and a bit of romance such as True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Interview With The Vampire. The world is full of hot monsters. Sometimes you have to fight them, other times you have to kiss them. The second edition of Urban Shadows puts players in a modern city where magic and monsters secretly rule. They are the movers and shakers in the setting whether they are mortal, witch, werewolf or worse. The game does an excellent job creating drama for the players as they forge alliances, battle rivals and reveal their feelings to one another. For moms looking to play games with their kids, Heroscape remains one of the mot satisfying gateways into wargaming. Not only does everyone build their armies but they create the battlefield thanks to a collection of clever locking hex pieces. The game recently returned with a new core set and has been releasing expansions. The latest wave spreads out over many genres with add-ons ranging from alien queens to a sky marshal flying over the battle in a homemade balloon. The game offers additional terrain sets which are useful for any miniatures games. The choice between pre-painted and unpainted miniatures provides an opportunity for a family paint night to those who want one. These games are available online and through Friendly Local Game Stores. To make sure they'll be in hand for Mother's Day on Sunday, shop locally if possible.
Newsweek
22-04-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
What a Forced Google Sale of Chrome Would Mean for 3.45B Users
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google faced off in court on Monday in a hearing to determine what penalties the tech giant should face for breaching antitrust laws. Lawyers for the DOJ argued that Google's monopoly over internet search should be broken up by forcing it to sell its Chrome web browser. Newsweek has reached out to Google via email for comment on Monday. The Context The DOJ and several dozen state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google in 2020, accusing the company of paying billions of dollars to Apple, Samsung and other companies to make Google the default search provider on smartphones and web browsers. In August, Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Google had violated U.S. antitrust laws, writing, "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly." The logo of U.S. tech giant Google in pictured in Berlin on September 22, 2015. The logo of U.S. tech giant Google in pictured in Berlin on September 22, 2015. Britta Pedersen/AP What To Know On Monday, a three-week hearing began at E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in Washington, D.C., to decide how to address Google's monopoly. In an opening statement, David Dahlquist, DOJ lawyer, said he wanted the punishment for Google to serve as a warning to others, The New York Times reports. He told the court that the government was "not here for a Pyrrhic victory." The DOJ wants Google to divest Chrome, to open its search data to competitors and stop paying other tech companies and smartphone makers to make Google the default search provider. It even suggested that the Silicon Valley company should be forced to sell off Android if the changes do not effectively break up the monopoly. Google argued that the court should only focus on the deals the company made with others such as Apple to be the default browser on its smartphones and other tech, rather than the DOJ's broader suggestions. It believes that it should still be allowed to pay for prime placement for Google, but said that the deals should be renegotiated every year. Companies would also be allowed to choose different browsers for other products, like private browsing. Lawyers for both sides said that whatever ruling the judge made on the hearing, it would likely have a huge impact on Google's artificial intelligence Gemini, and the global spread of AI. If Mehta accepts the DOJ's recommendations, the breakup could significantly alter the technology industry's landscape. It would likely damage Google's integrated services, potentially affecting user experience and the company's revenue model, which heavily relies on advertising. It could also be challenging to find a buyer for Chrome as a stand-alone product without the support of the rest of Google's ecosystem. Around 3.45 billion people around the world use Google and could be affected by a change. What People Are Saying Dahlquist told the court: "This is the time for the court to tell Google and all other monopolists who are out there listening, and they are listening, that there are consequences when you break the antitrust laws." Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google vice president of regulatory affairs, wrote in a blog post Monday that the DOJ's proposal would "hamstring how we develop AI, and have a government-appointed committee regulate the design and development of our products. That would hold back American innovation at a critical juncture. We're in a fiercely competitive global race with China for the next generation of technology leadership, and Google is at the forefront of American companies making scientific and technological breakthroughs." John Gruber, author of tech blog Daring Fireball, said: "Chrome is not a stand-alone business. They're both just appendages of Google that serve only as distribution channels for the advertising Google shows in search results." What Happens Next Mehta is expected to order Google to take certain measures or "remedies" to address its monopoly by summer's end.
Local Germany
28-03-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Pensions to taxation: Where Germany's incoming government still disagree
It has been just over a month since Germany went to polls in the February 23rd elections, but events have been unfolding at a whirlwind pace. Within days of his electoral victory, CDU leader Friedrich Merz set about thrashing out a coalition deal with the centre-left SPD, with the aim of building a brand new 'Grand Coalition' by Easter. So far, the CDU/CSU alliance and the SPD have passed joint legislation to loosen Germany's debt rules for military spending and set up a whopping €500 billion infrastructure fund . They have put together an exploratory paper setting out some key plans, and working groups have tried to iron out the finer points of policy. On Friday afternoon, the final, decisive phase of talks will begin. An executive committee comprised of party leaders and senior MPs will aim to clear up disagreements. If all goes well, the parties will be able to finalise their coalition agreement in the coming weeks. TIMELINE: How soon will Germany get a new government? While things have run according to schedule so far, some of the trickiest issues have been put on the backburner. Here are the key problems party leaders will have to solve as they kick off the final phase of talks on Friday. Taxation Many financial questions have been clarified, but there are apparently a number of major disagreements when it comes to taxation. The first relates to taxation on top earners. While the parties have agreed to increase the income threshold for the top rate of tax to €80,000 per year in steps, the SPD wants to hike this tax rate from 42 to 47 percent, which the Union is vehemently against. Advertisement The centre-left party also wants to close loopholes in inheritance tax for people who inherit businesses. In contrast, the centre-right Union parties are keen to increase tax-free allowances for inheriting family members. In possibly the most contentious question, the SPD is pushing once again for the introduction of a wealth tax. It also wants capital gains tax on property investments to apply after the current 10-year period. Citizenship To the relief of many foreigners, the future coalition partners have pledged to keep Germany's reformed citizenship law in place, allowing dual nationality and shorter residence requirements. However, there is still some disagreement when it comes to the treatment of dual nationals. Staying true to their electoral promises, the CDU and CSU want to make it easier to strip dual nationals of their German citizenship in certain cases. A person holds a German and British passport. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen Under a draft paper produced by the working group for the interior, the parties say they want to examine if "terror supporters, anti-Semites and extremists who call for the abolition of the free and democratic basic order", can have their citizenship withdrawn. The SPD is apparently strongly opposed to the move, and experts have warned that de-naturalising citizens could open up "pandora's box" in the future. READ ALSO: Germany's next government could make it easier to strip citizenship from dual nationals Cars When it comes to the future of combustion engines, the Union and SPD have taken diametrically opposed positions so far. While the SPD are in favour of phasing out fossil-fuel cars by 2035 according to EU law, the CDU and CSU say this must be reversed. While the parties have pledged to incentivise the purchase of e-cars, there hasn't been any agreement so far on how this would look. REVEALED: Where SUVs are most - and least - popular in Germany The transport working group also bashed heads over the introduction of a 130km-per-hour speed limit on the Autobahn. The SPD are in favour, while the CDU/CSU are against. Advertisement Rent controls In good news for renters, the parties are united on extending current rent controls for a further two years after 2025. Currently, rents in areas with overheated housing markets are subject to the Mietpreisbremse , or rent brake. This dictates that rents should be no higher than 10 percent above average rents in the area and caps increases at a maximum of 20 percent over three years. While the parties want to extend the brake and make it more enforceable, the SPD is apparently pushing for even tighter controls to ease the housing crisis. Instead of a 20 percent cap, the party says the cap should be set at six percent in regions with a tight housing market and 15 percent in all other areas. The Union rejects tightening the restrictions. READ ALSO: Germany's incoming government 'to extend rent brake for two years' Advertisement Migration According to a policy paper obtained by Welt, the incoming government wants to introduce the aim of "restricting" migration in the country's Residence Act. So far, this appears to be targeted primarily at "irregular migration": in other words, to people who cross the border without explicit permission, usually to seek asylum. As well as ending family reunification for refugees for two years, the CDU/CSU and SPD say they will turn more people away at the border. However, there are fervent disagreements about whether Germany should get the green light from neighbouring countries first. Police check for illegal crossings on the German-Polish border. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Patrick Pleul In terms of other types of migration, there appears to be more agreement. "We want to remain an immigration-friendly country and make qualified immigration into our labour market more attractive," the parties' exploratory paper read. To this end, the Union and SPD want to simplify immigration processes for skilled workers. Pensions In their initial plans for government, the Union and SPD agreed to safeguard the pensions level - but didn't say what level of pension would be safeguarded. The SPD are determined to keep the level at 48 percent - which equates to 48 percent of average earnings over 45 years. The Union believes this would lead to even higher contributions and are reluctant to agree. As a compromise, they've proposed that this level would be based on 47 years of contributions, instead of 45. Tough negotiations are likely to be ahead. READ ALSO: What Germany's CDU and SPD have agreed so far Military service In light of increasing global uncertainty, the Union has spoken out in favour of reintroducing compulsory military service for young people. The previous conscription law was scrapped by Angela Merkel's government back in 2011. Though the SPD also want to expand the number of military recruits, the centre-left party has set its sights on a voluntary system and say they want a wider social discussion around military service. Advertisement Energy policy Robert Habeck's Heating Law, which aims to phase out fossil-fuel heaters and offer subsidies for green alternatives, is still a bone of contention in talks. Though the Union pledged to scrap it in their election manifesto, there is still no consensus on how the law should be reformed or what should replace it. READ ALSO: What will Germany's likely new government do about the Deutschlandticket ? Similarly, the subject of nuclear energy is proving tricky to resolve. The CDU and CSU would like to retain a "significant role" for nuclear energy to help meet climate goals, while the SPD has taken a more sceptical stance. Another difficult issue is the subject of Klimageld , or climate money, which the former traffic-light coalition pledged but failed to introduce. While the parties say they want to redistribute money from the CO2 tax to the population, it's unclear if this would be transferred to households individually, as the Klimageld concept dictates.
