The Chancellor also understands that the image of the supposedly work-shy German citizen will make it difficult for international companies to convince them to invest their money in Germany. At the federal government's investment summit today, Merz struck a different tone: Germans are hard-working, go to sleep early, get up before sunrise, and keep appointments. And even on vacation, we are the first ones on the beach and lay out our towels before breakfast.
Merz wanted to use these friendly clichés to woo private investors. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil put it more bluntly to the approximately 200 CEOs from home and abroad: "I want your money."
According to the government, the advertising is successful: CDU Economics Minister Katherina Reiche spoke today of investment commitments at the summit of more than 220 billion euros for this year. Sounds great. However, caution is advised with such figures, as my colleague Markus Becker from our economics department knows. A spokesman from Reich's ministry later corrected that the sum had nothing directly to do with the summit. Instead, it is the general total of investment projects since the beginning of the year. However, it is not yet possible to predict what investments will result from the summit.
This is unfortunate for the Left and its planned coalition negotiations with the Greens and SPD. The left-wing faction leader in Emde had expressed no confidence days ago and declared that they no longer saw any basis for cooperation with them. But what follows from this? Should she be expelled from the group? There is still no answer to this. The debate about the problem of anti-Semitism in parts of the left and how to deal with it within the party continues to smolder.
We hear that the state of limbo surrounding Emde is also annoying many people in our own party. An influential Berlin leftist told SPIEGEL: "Vanessa Emde is my Friedrich Merz in the Left Party: ignorant of everyone who doesn't share her opinion and with no real interest in people and their problems that can be solved locally."
When I came to Berlin almost 20 years ago, a normal single ticket on public transport cost 2.10 euros. Since then, the price has risen by around 90 percent: you now pay four euros per trip if you don't have a subscription ticket. Things add up quickly when you use the bus or train every now and then.
But the Germany ticket does exist, one could now argue. That's true, but it's often too expensive for occasional drivers. The Germany ticket currently costs 63 euros, from next year it will be 66.80 euros.
Now North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg are coming up with an idea that could be attractive for everyone who doesn't use local public transport all the time, but occasionally: a nationwide digital ticket for occasional drivers. The model is an offer that already exists in North Rhine-Westphalia.
How would the whole thing work? Whenever you travel by bus or train anywhere in the Republic, the journey is registered via your smartphone and the cheapest fare is automatically calculated. However, the total costs for the month are capped: you never pay more than a Germany ticket would cost.
Sounds reasonable and fair. The transport ministers of the federal states want to discuss the proposal tomorrow at their autumn conference in Hohenschwangau, Bavaria.
Delivered: Celebrity does not protect against package trouble. Kevin Bacon, 68, took to Instagram to express his displeasure with a large American logistics company that, in his words, rhymes with “BreadEx.” The actor wanted to have clothes sent to Ireland from the USA. The package, says Bacon, was transported from America via Germany to Israel. From there we went to France – and then back to Israel. Apparently someone then noticed that Israel is not Ireland, whereupon the shipment was sent again to France and from there to Great Britain until it actually reached Irish soil. But then, after an odyssey of more than two weeks: it couldn't be delivered. Bacon looks desperate: “It’s just standing there. I can't reach anyone by phone. I couldn’t talk to anyone.”
But at this point the celebrity does help. In a comment under the video, the company in question apologized: "Your package has now been delivered, but we know that the experience was not what it should have been."
Could you plan your next summer vacation. It gets dark early outside, it's really too cold for the balcony or terrace, maybe it's even raining in your area. It would be nice to have a few warm thoughts and think about where the journey could go in 2027.
Are you the camper type? Then take a look through the ten unusual camping locations in Germany that we have put together here. From the igloo on the Zugspitzblatt to the hanging tent in the treetops of the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park to the caravan on the roof terrace in the middle of Hamburg - maybe there is something there.
Of course, you will find a number of other ideas from your colleagues in the travel department, for example for a time out on a reading retreat or language trips for “best agers”. Or you can be inspired by the recommendations of the Lonely Planet or the “Time Out” list of the most underrated travel destinations in the world. Have fun dreaming. Or when booking.
