Berlin‘s state government has bought a chunk of the city’s privatised water company to bring the lion’s share of the firm into public hands, two years after a referendum showed the capital’s citizens wanted their water back.
German municipal councils are ignoring European rules which say contracts for emergency rescue services must be offered out for competitive bids – preferring to stick with volunteer-supported organisations.
German Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer said on Thursday that he had serious misgivings about government plans to privatise national rail provider Deutsche Bahn.
