Latest from Local Germany
Local Germany
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
How thousands of teaching positions in a German state were lost to administrative error
More than 1,400 teaching positions in Baden-Württemberg have gone unfilled for years. According to a joint statement by the state's Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, the problem began in 2005 with programming errors at the education administration department – and was only spotted a week ago when the personnel software was updated. Neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Ministry of Education can explain why the mistake went unnoticed for so many years. What do we know so far? In 2005, Baden-Württemberg's education authorities migrated to a new personnel management system known as DIPSY ( Dialogisiertes, personalisiertes Personalverwaltungssystem ). According to a press release from the state's Ministry of Education, a programming error occurred during the data transfer, meaning that teaching positions which should have been marked as vacant were incorrectly logged as occupied. READ ALSO: How German schools are including more and more AI The error remained hidden for 20 years due to a mix of system complexity, procedural blind spots, and an absence of cross-checking controls. After the 2005 transition, the system simply rolled the flawed numbers forward annually, with no full recalculation or verification. Periodic payroll and staffing reviews, as well as internal audits, all failed to spot the growing discrepancy. Advertisement Estimates suggest that 'phantom' jobs accumulated at a rate of approximately 80–100 positions per year, according to reporting by Bild . The scandal was finally uncovered when the state's education administration updated its personnel software. During routine recalculations using a new program this month, officials realized that 1,440 teaching positions, purportedly filled for nearly two decades, were actually vacant. What was the effect? Baden-Württemberg's Finance Ministry claims no direct financial damage occurred as the salaries earmarked for the 'phantom' teachers were never paid. Opposition politicians and teachers' unions are disputing this assertion, arguing that the long-term costs in educational outcomes – for pupils attending schools which weren't adequately staffed – may be significant. READ ALSO: Backlash after German minister suggests cap on immigrant students in schools In addition, many newly qualified teachers across the state struggled to secure permanent jobs, while existing staff took on additional duties to cover shortages. Unions argue that the chronic lack of personnel led to missing lessons, cancelled classes, and limited support for vulnerable pupils, including those at special education and counselling centres. 'For years, teachers have had to juggle to ensure compulsory lessons, and for years, children and young people have been sent home early because lessons have been cancelled and cannot be replaced,' reads a press release issued by the GEW teachers' union. Advertisement Schools for special educational needs, primary schools, and secondary moderns are believed to have suffered most. Who is responsible? The programming error first occurred in 2005, under then-CDU Education Minister Annette Schavan, but a succession of governments, ministers from multiple parties, and senior officials all failed to notice or correct the problem. A working group has now been established to clarify causes, accountability, and enact prevention measures to make sure nothing similar happens again. In addition, Baden-Württemberg's government has pledged to fill all 1,440 positions as soon as possible – with priority for special needs, primary, and non-gymnasium secondary schools. Teachers' unions are insisting that all unspent funds should be redirected into schools to address the education deficit, with swift hires before the new school year begins.
Local Germany
13 hours ago
- Business
- Local Germany
Who works harder - the French or the Germans?
France's prime minister recently scolded his compatriots for not working enough, while the country's public accounts minister went further and said : "In France, we work 100 hours less per person than in Germany". The comments come in the context of France's fraught budget debates - the 2026 Budget aims to save €40 billion to finally get a handle on the country's spiralling budget deficit and one of the measures proposed is to axe two public holidays . But is it actually true, as minister Amélie de Montchalin says, that the Germans work harder than the French? Judging by the country's respective stereotypes, you would think it is - while Germans are clichéd as hard-working, efficient and (dare we say it?) just a touch humourless, the French are widely seen as far more interested in having a good lunch, a long holiday and perhaps a romantic encounter than they are in work. But stereotypes are not statistics, and here, the data tells an unexpected story. Advertisement De Montchalin's figures appear to be based on OECD data from 2024 which shows that France worked an average of 666 hours per capita, compared with 724 hours in Germany. Both countries are slackers by European standards - the European Union average is 776 hours. So case closed? Not quite. This data uses the crude metric of dividing the total numbers of hours worked per year by the country's population - and that's the whole people including children, pensioners, the unemployed and other people not in the workforce. This puts France at a disadvantage, because it it has a relatively high percentage of the population not in work, due to a combination of factors such as a long life expectancy which, coupled with an early retirement age, means that around a quarter of the population is retired . France also has a higher unemployment rate than Germany, but it also has a higher birth-rate meaning that there are more children who are not (yet) in the workforce. The OECD also publishes more nuanced data which looks at work hours divided by the total workforce - a more accurate measure of how hard each worker is actually working . On this metric, France wins - French workers work 1,494 hours per year, while Germans work 1,340 hours a year. Once again, both are below the EU average of 1,570 hours a year. The European champions/suckers are Greece, where people work 1,882 hours per year. Eurostat data backs up this picture, showing that on average French workers work 35.8 hours per week, while Germans work 33.9 hours per week (this data includes full time and part time workers). Advertisement Last year, France's Conseil d'analyse économique (council for economic analysis) published a study on the total number of working hours over time, comparing France, Germany, the UK and the USA. It shows a uniform decline in the number of hours worked in Europe from the 1970s, a trend that was reversed 20 years later - since the mid-1990s, the number of hours worked has been rising in France, Germany and the UK. So overall we can say that Germans are more likely to be part of the workforce than the French - but among those who do work, the French work more. It is still true that the French lunch break is widely observed, though, in fact the country's workplace code specifies that it is illegal to eat while at your desk/work station .
Local Germany
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Does having a baby in Germany make it easier for parents to become citizens?
If you're a foreigner – and not an EU citizen – in Germany and see it as your home for the foreseeable future, you might have thought about becoming a German citizen to guarantee your residency rights and gain some new ones in the process. The naturalisation process in Germany is complicated. Generally, you need to have been legally resident in the country for five years, be financially self-sufficient, and able to demonstrate a reasonable command of the German language, as well as German laws and norms. Will having a German born child could in your favour? Not necessarily. Having a German child won't fast track or guarantee your naturalisation process per se, but there are a few indirect advantages. Long-term residence, integration, and family ties (such as raising a child in Germany) can strengthen the parents' case for permanent residence or naturalisation over time. One thing that will definitely speed things up - effectively allowing you to apply for naturalisation after three years of residence (instead of five) - is being married to a German mother or father of the child. That's provided you've been married for at least two years. This is because marriage to a German citizen is considered an integration factor and shortens the minimum residence time. READ ALSO: How to become a German citizen through marriage Regarding your child's citizenship status, if they are born in Germany to at least one German parent they will automatically be considered German themselves. Alternatively, if they are born in the country and at least one parent has been legally resident in Germany for at least five years , then they may also automatically gain German citizenship. If not, they can apply for citizenship after they've been resident in the country for five years themselves - so from their fifth birthday if they stay in the country. Does having a child in Germany change my residency rights? Having a child born in Germany does not automatically change your rights to residency. You will have the same permit you did before, and if it was linked to employment, for example, you could still lose it if you lose your job. Any extensions will still be subject to the same conditions as before you had a child . A growing number of children are being born to international families in Germany. Photo: Kliimkin / Pixabay However, having a German child can improve your residence rights if you are not German yourself. Residence permits based on "family reunification" are granted for spouses, registered partners or unmarried minor children. And, as a non-German parent of a German citizen, you may be entitled to a residence permit to care for the child (under §28 Aufenthaltsgesetz – German Residence Act). READ ALSO: Reader question - Can you naturalise as German while on parental leave? Advertisement What about permits for the newborn? If at least one of the parents has legal residency in Germany, then a residence permit for the newborn will usually be issued automatically. However, if this doesn't happen, parents are responsible for applying for a permit for their babies before they turn six months old. If you're EU citizens, then you just need an Anmeldebescheinigung , which you'll get when you register the baby's birth. You need to do this at the Standesamt (registry office) within one week of their birth. READ ALSO: Who's exempt from taking a citizenship test for naturalisation? A matter of human rights Real-life cases and jurisprudence, along with international laws, make a big difference regarding children's rights. The respect for the child's best interests is enshrined in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which deals with the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. This can be argued when not granting a permit to a third-country national parent would endanger a child's welfare due to loss of contact. If a non-German child or their parent were at risk of expulsion from Germany, Article 8 could be invoked in a case arguing that residence should be granted because the child was already enrolled in school in the country, for example. Advertisement One notable case in 2015 involved a German minor who had been born to a foreign parent who did not have an independent residence permit initially. The court ruled in favour of the parent. The Berlin-Brandenburg Administrative Court ruled the parent's deportation unlawful on the grounds that it would effectively force their minor German child to leave Germany, thereby violating the child's right to reside in their home country and undermine their access to education, healthcare, and social services. This case is widely cited as a strong precedent in German administrative law protecting family unity and the residence rights of parents of German children.
Local Germany
16 hours ago
- Local Germany
'Messerverbot': Berlin introduces knife ban on public transport
Starting Thursday, members of the public are no longer permitted to carry weapons on public transport in Berlin, including all S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains, buses and trams. This comes as a new ordinance passed by the Berlin Senate in an effort to curb violent crime and increase safety. The measures introduce broad new restrictions for public transport passengers in the capital, as well as significantly increasing the powers of the police. Their introduction has also sparked debate in the city about whether the new rules are necessary, how they can be enforced, and whether the police can be trusted to employ them responsibly. What's banned? The new restrictions are comprehensive: folding knives, switchblades, and other blades are explicitly banned, along with alarm guns, irritant weapons, other cutting and stabbing weapons, electric shock devices like tasers, batons and crossbows. Even people who possess a permit for small weapons are subject to the ban. But pepper spray, often carried by women for self-defence, is exempt. Police officers and firefighters are of course excluded from the ban. Also certain groups of people may still be allowed to carry knives with them, such as chefs, delivery drivers, other professionals who need knives for their work, and anyone transporting a knife that is still in its packaging. The ban does not extend to bus and tram stops. Nor does it extend to knives which people are carrying somewhere they can't easily access. The rule appears to be that if a knife is in a backpack, and requires at least three separate steps to reach, the carrier is not in violation of the new ordinance. What happens if you're caught with a knife? Despite a relatively muted roll-out – not extending further than brochures handed out in transit areas – the penalties for violation can be severe. Reportedly, fines as steep as €10,000 could be given to offenders in serious cases. Information on the official Berlin website suggests repeat offenders could also lose their driver's license. It adds that there will be "no special signs" to announce the ban. Advertisement What new powers have the police been given? To help them enforce the ban, the new ordinance grants Berlin police and federal transport police the right to conduct random stop-and-search checks. Within the designated areas, officers can now stop and search any passenger, regardless of their appearance or behaviour, and confiscate any prohibited items they find. This represents a marked shift from previous rules, which only allowed searches based on specific grounds for suspicion. READ ALSO: What are the rules around carrying a knife in Germany? A memorial decorated with flowers and candles in Sophie-Charlotte-Platz underground station after man was killed there in April. Photo: picture alliance/dpa / Hannes P Albert Why ban knives? The crackdown follows a surge in knife-related violent crimes in Berlin and across Germany, including a lethal knife attack on the U-Bahn in April. Berlin police recorded 3,412 knife attacks in the city in 2024, an average of nearly ten per day, and more than half occurring in public spaces. READ ALSO: Far-right attacks on migrants doubled in Berlin last year What are people saying? The reaction the the announcement of the weapons ban has been mixed. The regulation was agreed upon by the CDU and SPD in the Berlin Senate, and is seen as a centrepiece of the city's evolving strategy on public safety. Advertisement It follows the introduction of similar knife bans in Hesse and Hamburg. According to reporting by the DPA, other states including Baden-Württemberg are likely to follow suit soon. The police appear less enthusiastic than politicians, however. Benjamin Jendro, spokesperson for the GdP police union, described the new law as 'a very piecemeal approach, which suggests a level of security that can't be guaranteed.' According to media reports, Jendro argues that the new measures will tie up valuable police resources without necessarily having the desired deterrent effect. Responses from the German press and civil society organisations, on the other hand, have focused more closely on the implications of giving police in Berlin the power to carry out searches without grounds for suspicion. A report by TAZ , for example, raised concerns about the encroachment on basic rights, the risk of racial profiling, and the effectiveness of the ban as a crime-fighting tool. Berlin's state parliament is currently considering further reforms to the city's General Security and Public Order Act (ASOG), which would grant police greatly expanded surveillance powers and broader access to encrypted communications media such as WhatsApp. READ ALSO: The extensive new powers to be given to Berlin police These reforms are controversial and being debated in parliament, with some opposition politicians warning against excessive surveillance and further erosion of civil freedoms.
Local Germany
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
Merz makes first trip to London to make 'friendship' pact
They will also discuss continued support for Ukraine, with both London and Berlin expected to play a role in US President Donald Trump's plan to send weapons to Kyiv with financing from other NATO countries. The visit is Merz's first to the UK as chancellor, although he has already met Starmer several times, including on a trip to Ukraine just days after he took office in early May. Merz's trip comes a week after a state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron, the first by an EU head of state since the UK left the bloc five years ago. The wide-ranging new treaty between Germany and Britain will refer to the turbulent security situation that both countries face and include a mutual defence pact. "There is no strategic threat to one which would not be a strategic threat to the other," the text is expected to say, alongside a pledge that the two countries "shall assist one another, including by military means, in case of an armed attack". While Britain and Germany already have a commitment to mutual defence as NATO members, the treaty is expected to pave the way for greater defence cooperation, including in weapons development and operations on NATO's eastern flank. The two countries already signed a landmark defence agreement in October and in May said they would begin developing strike missiles with a range of 2,000-plus kilometres (1,250 miles). Merz and Starmer are set to announce Thursday that this system will be delivered within the next decade, and they will unveil a new agreement on boosting UK defence exports to Germany such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets. Overcoming Brexit 'trauma' German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will accompany Merz on the visit and is expected to meet his British counterpart David Lammy. A German government source said of the visit that "we shouldn't underestimate" how much relations with the UK had improved since the "traumatic" experience of Brexit. READ ALSO: Majority of Germans would support the UK re-joining the EU The treaty will include measures to improve citizens' contacts between the two countries, for example by simplifying border procedures for school trips. The two leaders are also set to commit to doing more to tackle irregular migration, a key domestic priority for both Merz and Starmer. Advertisement Merz's government is expected to make a commitment to modify German law by the end of the year to criminalise the facilitation of "illegal migration". This will include action against storage facilities used by migrant smugglers to conceal small boats intended for Channel crossings. The text will also include sections on science and technology, with more cooperation promised in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence. Advertisement It will also establish a new UK-Germany Business Forum, with several German companies poised to announce new investment in Britain on Thursday. On the topic of transport, the two countries will commit to improving train connections. Last month Eurostar said it planned to launch a new route from London to Frankfurt in the early 2030s, which would be the first such direct connection between the UK and Germany.
