Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Two German airports see bulk of airport strike flight cancellations, large job cuts planned at appliance maker Miele, and other news from around Germany on Wednesday.
Munich and Frankfurt airports most affected by strikes
Lufthansa has massively scaled back its flight program for this Wednesday amid a 27-hour warning strike by ground staff which started at 4 am.
At Lufthansa's Frankfurt and Munich hubs, a large number of long-haul flights and European connections have been cancelled.
According to the company, only 10 to 20 percent of the originally planned program will be offered and more than than 100,000 passengers will have to reschedule. Lufthansa subsidiaries and external airlines, on the other hand, are hardly affected - or not at all.
At other airports in Germany, it is mainly the flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich that will be canceled. Passengers can keep themselves informed on Lufthansa's website for up-to-date information.
German appliance maker Miele plans up to 2,700 job cuts
German household appliance manufacturer Miele said Tuesday that it was considering axing up to 2,700 jobs, as low demand and rising costs forced the group to make cuts.
The step was part of a plan to create "additional financial flexibility of around €500 million" by 2026, the group said in a statement.
Two-thirds of the savings would be made through "improvements on the sales side or reductions in material costs", Miele said.
But the need for belt-tightening meant a "substantial reduction in personnel costs is also inevitable".
Globally, up to 2,700 of the roughly 23,000 people employed by Miele could see their jobs cut or relocated, the group said. A full 700 of those could come from its headquarters in Gütersloh.
"The global collapse in demand for household appliances and the drastic price increases" had caught up with Miele.
German family minister hails new EU law against gender violence
German Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) described the new EU legal framework to fight against sexual and domestic violence as an "important success".
"I welcome the political agreement on the EU directive against violence against women," Paus told DPA.
"The directive will significantly strengthen the rights of victims of gender-specific and domestic violence and their access to justice - throughout Europe."
These Europe-wide improvements provide concrete and effective protection for women, she added.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed on a law in Strasbourg on Tuesday evening that regulates certain criminal offenses in the same way in all countries.
Cyber-stalking, forced marriage, female genital mutilation or the forwarding of intimate images without consent will be punishable throughout the EU in future.
More Germans travelling again
Despite the economic downturn, inflation, wars and crises, people in Germany are reportedly in the mood to travel.
According to a tourism analysis published on Tuesday by the BAT Foundation for Future Studies, 63 percent have already planned a holiday lasting at least five days. Last year, the figure was three percentage points lower - and only two points higher before the pandemic.
But not everyone can or has the means to travel: in the analysis, 18 percent of respondents (down from 20 percent the previous year) stated that they did not want to head on a holiday this year, and 19 percent were unsure.
For the representative study, the GfK Institute surveyed 3,000 men and women aged 18 and over in December and January.
Germans 'not prepared' for a Trump return
According to most Germans, their government is well enough prepared for for Donald Trump's possible comeback as US president.
In a survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of DPS, 52 percent held this view. Only 10 percent consider the government's precautions for Trump's return to the White House to be sufficient, whereas 15 percent believe that no preparations need to be made at all.
Republican Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2021, is considered the most likely challenger to current President Joe Biden of the Democrats.
According to YouGov, 49 percent of respondents expect strong security policy consequences if Trump wins the election, whereas 38 percent anticipate significant economic consequences in this case.
READ ALSO: Is Germany prepared for another Trump presidency?
With reporting from DPA and AFP.
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Munich and Frankfurt airports most affected by strikes
Lufthansa has massively scaled back its flight program for this Wednesday amid a 27-hour warning strike by ground staff which started at 4 am.
At Lufthansa's Frankfurt and Munich hubs, a large number of long-haul flights and European connections have been cancelled.
According to the company, only 10 to 20 percent of the originally planned program will be offered and more than than 100,000 passengers will have to reschedule. Lufthansa subsidiaries and external airlines, on the other hand, are hardly affected - or not at all.
At other airports in Germany, it is mainly the flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich that will be canceled. Passengers can keep themselves informed on Lufthansa's website for up-to-date information.
German appliance maker Miele plans up to 2,700 job cuts
German household appliance manufacturer Miele said Tuesday that it was considering axing up to 2,700 jobs, as low demand and rising costs forced the group to make cuts.
The step was part of a plan to create "additional financial flexibility of around €500 million" by 2026, the group said in a statement.
Two-thirds of the savings would be made through "improvements on the sales side or reductions in material costs", Miele said.
But the need for belt-tightening meant a "substantial reduction in personnel costs is also inevitable".
Globally, up to 2,700 of the roughly 23,000 people employed by Miele could see their jobs cut or relocated, the group said. A full 700 of those could come from its headquarters in Gütersloh.
"The global collapse in demand for household appliances and the drastic price increases" had caught up with Miele.
German family minister hails new EU law against gender violence
German Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) described the new EU legal framework to fight against sexual and domestic violence as an "important success".
"I welcome the political agreement on the EU directive against violence against women," Paus told DPA.
"The directive will significantly strengthen the rights of victims of gender-specific and domestic violence and their access to justice - throughout Europe."
These Europe-wide improvements provide concrete and effective protection for women, she added.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed on a law in Strasbourg on Tuesday evening that regulates certain criminal offenses in the same way in all countries.
Cyber-stalking, forced marriage, female genital mutilation or the forwarding of intimate images without consent will be punishable throughout the EU in future.
More Germans travelling again
Despite the economic downturn, inflation, wars and crises, people in Germany are reportedly in the mood to travel.
According to a tourism analysis published on Tuesday by the BAT Foundation for Future Studies, 63 percent have already planned a holiday lasting at least five days. Last year, the figure was three percentage points lower - and only two points higher before the pandemic.
But not everyone can or has the means to travel: in the analysis, 18 percent of respondents (down from 20 percent the previous year) stated that they did not want to head on a holiday this year, and 19 percent were unsure.
For the representative study, the GfK Institute surveyed 3,000 men and women aged 18 and over in December and January.
Germans 'not prepared' for a Trump return
According to most Germans, their government is well enough prepared for for Donald Trump's possible comeback as US president.
In a survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of DPS, 52 percent held this view. Only 10 percent consider the government's precautions for Trump's return to the White House to be sufficient, whereas 15 percent believe that no preparations need to be made at all.
Republican Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2021, is considered the most likely challenger to current President Joe Biden of the Democrats.
According to YouGov, 49 percent of respondents expect strong security policy consequences if Trump wins the election, whereas 38 percent anticipate significant economic consequences in this case.
READ ALSO: Is Germany prepared for another Trump presidency?
With reporting from DPA and AFP.
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