Verdi kicks off two-day public transport strike in Berlin
Despite agreeing to head to mediation to settle their ongoing dispute with BVG, services union Verdi commenced a two-day strike on Berlin's public transport network on Wednesday.
As in previous strikes by Berlin's transport company (BVG), U-Bahn trains and trams won't run at all during the industrial action, and the vast majority of the city's buses will be stopped as well.
The 48-hour strike kicked off at 3am on Wednesday morning and is set to run until 3am on Friday.
READ ALSO: How Berlin's two-day BVG strike will impact passengers
So far, BVG and Verdi have been unable to come to an agreement on wage increases over the coming years. The union is demanding €750 more in monthly wages for BVG employees, a driving service or alternating shift bonus of €300, and a 13th month's salary.
BVG says it has made offers moving in the direction of Verdi's demands and pointed out that its last offer amount to a 13.6 percent wage increase over two years. However, Verdi says the offer is "far removed" from its demands.
According to Verdi, exploratory talks on a mediation process went "positively" on Tuesday and details are set to be clarified this week.
However, the union is also holding a ballot on unlimited strikes in parallel with the talks, which will run until April 4th. If more than 75 percent of members reject BVG's most recent offer and a solution isn't found, this could result in much longer and more disruptive action from Saturday, April 5th.
Former agriculture minister elected president of Bundestag
Following the formation of Germany's new parliament on Tuesday, CDU politician Julia Klöckner has been elected president of the Bundestag. This role, which traditionally goes to an MP from the largest party, involves keeping order in the parliament during debates and other procedures.
With the far-right AfD massively growing their share of seats in parliament to 150 this term, the former Agriculture Minister may have a fight on her hands in the coming years.
As the new main opposition in the Bundestag, with almost a quarter of the seats, the far-right party will receive a greater share of state financing for parties, be allocated more staff and get more speaking time.
READ ALSO: Five surprising faces in Germany's new parliament
In her inaugural speech, 52-year-old Klöcker called on parliament to show "decency" and "proper behaviour towards one another".
"We must lead, endure and bear controversial discourse. According to clear rules and procedures and majorities," Klöckner said. "I will make sure that we maintain civilised interaction. Style is what matters when arguing. Respect in our dealings with each other."
In the election for President of the Bundestag, Klöckner received 382 votes in favour and 204 against, with 31 abstentions and 5 invalid votes. She is the fourth woman to be elected head of the German parliament.
Meanwhile, the AfD failed to win any top positions in the Bundestag after the other parties refused to vote members of the far-right faction into leading roles.
READ ALSO: Germany's far right targets greater influence in new parliament
€15,000 found on ICE train to Munich
A wallet containing thousands of euros that was left on a high-speed train on Monday has found its way back to its original owner.
According to the federal police, a 34-year-old from Schleswig-Holstein filed a report in Hamburg on Sunday because she assumed that her wallet containing the cash had been stolen.
In fact, a fellow traveller had discovered the bag containing €15,000 on the ICE train from Hanover to Munich on Sunday and handed it into the Federal Police.
After the extraordinary find was reported in the national media, the owner made contact with the police to reclaim her money.
She gave a detailed description of the purse - a pink breast pouch featuring princesses - and was identified as the rightful owner.
The cash, which she had intended to use to buy a car, will now be handed over to her. Meanwhile, the honest passenger who found the purse will receive a finder's reward.
German business morale perks up in March
German business confidence rose in March, a key survey showed Tuesday, as massive government spending plans promised to get the economy rolling once again.
The Ifo institute's confidence barometer was 86.7 in March, up from a seasonally adjusted value of 85.3 points the previous month.
The closely watched indicator plunged as Germany's economy toiled through a prolonged slump, registering two consecutive years in recession in 2023 and 2024.
READ ALSO: What's in Germany's giant spending package?
December's reading of the Ifo barometer was its lowest since May 2020, when businesses were facing up to the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
But sentiment has ticked up in the new year with companies more satisfied with current business conditions and "noticeably" more optimistic for the future.
"German businesses are hoping for a recovery," Ifo president Clemens Fuest said in a statement.
The improvement was seen across the board, with manufacturing, services, trade and construction all registering increases in the survey.
Economics says plans to relax Germany's tough debt rules and invest billions in infrastructure and the military could outweight global headwinds, such as the imposition of tariffs by US President Donald Trump.
Tesla sales sink by nearly half in Europe
Tesla sales plunged in the European Union in the first two months of the year, according to official industry figures, as Elon Musk's politics and ageing models may be turning consumers away.
New Tesla registrations sank 49 percent to 19,046 in January and February compared with the same two-month period last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).
The drop came despite a 28 percent increase in overall electric car sales in the EU over the same two-month period.
Musk sparked anger in Germany after he vocally supported the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the recent general election.
Tesla sales fell by 76 percent in Germany in February after dropping by almost 60 percent in the previous month, according to official figures.
While electric car sales in Germany have suffered over the past year after the government withdrew its subsidy programme, the recent Tesla slump contrasted with a recovery in the broader sector.
There have also been several incidents targeting Teslas in recent months, with at least eight cars set ablaze in German cities since the start of the year.
READ ALSO: How Tesla is battling against German workers' sick pay claims
Expected minister pulls out after protest on his family farm
The politician in line to become the next agriculture minister has announced his withdrawal after animal rights campaigners protested at his family farm in Bavaria.
Gunther Felssner said his wife and an employee at his farmstead "feared for their lives" when activists from the group Animal Rebellion climbed onto the roof of his barn and lit flares.
Police said they had responded to the incident on Monday, where 12 protestors had scaled Felssner's property and unfurled a banner saying "No animal exploiters as agriculture minister".
Felssner, the head of the Bavarian farmers' association, was expected to be put forward as agriculture minister by the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, the winners of last month's national elections.
"It does something to you when the home of your wife, your three children and your father is no longer safe," Felssner told reporters on Tuesday.
Markus Söder, the regional leader of Bavaria and the head of the CSU, who touted Felssner for the cabinet post, said he "regretted" the withdrawal.
The protest qualified as "criminal behaviour" and needed to be fully investigated, said Söder.
Animal Rebellion charged in a statement that Felssner was "completely unsuitable" to be agriculture minister, describing him as an industry "lobbyist".
Germany's outgoing agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir responded to the protest with an appeal to keep "intimidation and threats" out of politics.
"This applies to everyone," Ozdemir, a senior figure in Germany's Greens party, said in a post on social media.
With additional reporting by AFP and DPA
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