Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Train and plane strikes begin, 'right to fast Internet' used for first time, and other news from around Germany on Tuesday.
Train drivers' strike begins along with further air crew strikes
The next strike of the train drivers' union GDL for long distance, regional and local S-Bahn transport has begun, as of Tuesday from 2am. Adding to the travel chaos, the cabin crew union Ufo has called on Lufthansa's flight attendants to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We have managed to offer a basic service of around 20 percent of the usual timetable for long-distance services despite the GDL's last-minute strike notice," said a Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman on Tuesday morning.
On Monday evening, the Frankfurt Labour Court rejected a temporary injunction against the strike call. The strike was not disproportionate, said the judge, as had been argued by Deutsche Bahn. The company appealed against the decision.
"The strike notice is far too short notice. There are also unlawful demands," said Florian Weh, Managing Director of the DB employers' association AGV Move.
The State Labour Court in Hesse is to decide on the appeal Tuesday at noon.
Even if the strike were to be overturned, it is unlikely to change the restrictions for millions of passengers expected on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa has said that a total of 1,000 flights would be cancelled in Frankfurt and Munich over the two days: 600 in Frankfurt and 400 in Munich.
READ ALSO: Germany braces for new round of strikes in air and rail travel
"Right to fast internet" used for the first time
As part of the so-called "right to fast Internet," the Federal Network Agency has for the first time obliged an Internet provider to provide Internet to a remote household in Germany.
The "right to fast Internet" was launched under Chancellor Angela Merkel's (CDU) coalition government. It guarantees a certain download and upload speed, for no more than €30 monthly, for all households in Germany.
A household in Lower Saxony had asked several internet providers to provide internet at that price, but none of the companies agreed. The household then filed a complaint, and as a result the Network Agency has issued on Monday.
However, the internet provider involved could still challenge the order with a lawsuit. It is still unclear when the household in question will get relatively good internet.
READ ALSO: How Germany is trying to tackle its slow internet problem
Power restored to Tesla plant
The power supply to the Tesla plant near Berlin was restored on Tuesday morning. Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach thanked the energy provider Edis. "Super job! And now good luck with the restart!" wrote the SPD politician on X (formerly Twitter).
Following the attack on the power supply at the US electric car manufacturer in Grünheide, the repairs were completed much earlier than expected. Production is now to be gradually restarted.
A spokeswoman said on Tuesday that it was not yet possible to say when it would be fully up and running again. "We'll just have to wait and see."
European arms imports have doubled due to the Ukraine war, but Germany is still a big exporter
Russia's war against Ukraine has greatly changed the global arms market: Europe's arms imports alone have almost doubled over five years. This is according to a report published by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute Sipri on Monday.
According to the report, imports of armaments such as fighter jets, tanks and submarines in Europe increased by about 94 percent in the period from 2019 to 2023 compared to 2014 to 2018.
Ukraine was the largest importer in Europe. Germany is also one of the two largest countries of origin for Ukraine's arms imports.
"Normally, we don't talk about the year-on-year comparison, but it's remarkable to see that, especially last year, German arms exports reached an annual peak that is significantly higher than in previous years," Sipri researcher Pieter Wezeman told DPA.
This could indicate that German arms exports will continue to rise in the coming years, he added.
Last Generation plans its return with new tactics
Six weeks after the end of its controversial adhesive blockades (in which activists glued themselves to streets to block traffic), the Last Generation is planning the next round of its climate protests.
To mark the start of a "spring of resistance", there will be "disobedient assemblies" at ten locations in Germany next Saturday, March 16th. These will include blockades by large crowds on sidewalks and streets.
It remains to be seen whether the climate movement will be able to gain new momentum with this. Given ongoing war, economic slump and scepticism about democracy, the topic of climate change has lost some attention recently.
Last Generation held a press conference in front of Bellevue Palace on Monday morning, to address the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom they called on to start a new debate on the climate catastrophe with a speech to the nation.
For two years, Last Generation has tried to draw attention to the climate crisis and bring about a turnaround.
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Train drivers' strike begins along with further air crew strikes
The next strike of the train drivers' union GDL for long distance, regional and local S-Bahn transport has begun, as of Tuesday from 2am. Adding to the travel chaos, the cabin crew union Ufo has called on Lufthansa's flight attendants to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We have managed to offer a basic service of around 20 percent of the usual timetable for long-distance services despite the GDL's last-minute strike notice," said a Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman on Tuesday morning.
On Monday evening, the Frankfurt Labour Court rejected a temporary injunction against the strike call. The strike was not disproportionate, said the judge, as had been argued by Deutsche Bahn. The company appealed against the decision.
"The strike notice is far too short notice. There are also unlawful demands," said Florian Weh, Managing Director of the DB employers' association AGV Move.
The State Labour Court in Hesse is to decide on the appeal Tuesday at noon.
Even if the strike were to be overturned, it is unlikely to change the restrictions for millions of passengers expected on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa has said that a total of 1,000 flights would be cancelled in Frankfurt and Munich over the two days: 600 in Frankfurt and 400 in Munich.
READ ALSO: Germany braces for new round of strikes in air and rail travel
"Right to fast internet" used for the first time
As part of the so-called "right to fast Internet," the Federal Network Agency has for the first time obliged an Internet provider to provide Internet to a remote household in Germany.
The "right to fast Internet" was launched under Chancellor Angela Merkel's (CDU) coalition government. It guarantees a certain download and upload speed, for no more than €30 monthly, for all households in Germany.
A household in Lower Saxony had asked several internet providers to provide internet at that price, but none of the companies agreed. The household then filed a complaint, and as a result the Network Agency has issued on Monday.
However, the internet provider involved could still challenge the order with a lawsuit. It is still unclear when the household in question will get relatively good internet.
READ ALSO: How Germany is trying to tackle its slow internet problem
Power restored to Tesla plant
The power supply to the Tesla plant near Berlin was restored on Tuesday morning. Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach thanked the energy provider Edis. "Super job! And now good luck with the restart!" wrote the SPD politician on X (formerly Twitter).
Following the attack on the power supply at the US electric car manufacturer in Grünheide, the repairs were completed much earlier than expected. Production is now to be gradually restarted.
A spokeswoman said on Tuesday that it was not yet possible to say when it would be fully up and running again. "We'll just have to wait and see."
European arms imports have doubled due to the Ukraine war, but Germany is still a big exporter
Russia's war against Ukraine has greatly changed the global arms market: Europe's arms imports alone have almost doubled over five years. This is according to a report published by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute Sipri on Monday.
According to the report, imports of armaments such as fighter jets, tanks and submarines in Europe increased by about 94 percent in the period from 2019 to 2023 compared to 2014 to 2018.
Ukraine was the largest importer in Europe. Germany is also one of the two largest countries of origin for Ukraine's arms imports.
"Normally, we don't talk about the year-on-year comparison, but it's remarkable to see that, especially last year, German arms exports reached an annual peak that is significantly higher than in previous years," Sipri researcher Pieter Wezeman told DPA.
This could indicate that German arms exports will continue to rise in the coming years, he added.
Last Generation plans its return with new tactics
Six weeks after the end of its controversial adhesive blockades (in which activists glued themselves to streets to block traffic), the Last Generation is planning the next round of its climate protests.
To mark the start of a "spring of resistance", there will be "disobedient assemblies" at ten locations in Germany next Saturday, March 16th. These will include blockades by large crowds on sidewalks and streets.
It remains to be seen whether the climate movement will be able to gain new momentum with this. Given ongoing war, economic slump and scepticism about democracy, the topic of climate change has lost some attention recently.
Last Generation held a press conference in front of Bellevue Palace on Monday morning, to address the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom they called on to start a new debate on the climate catastrophe with a speech to the nation.
For two years, Last Generation has tried to draw attention to the climate crisis and bring about a turnaround.
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