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Imago / ZUMA Press Wire

Nairobi: Storming of the Parliament

The Republic of Kenya in Turmoil

The protests against the planned tax increases in Kenya escalated on Tuesday when demonstrators stormed the parliament in Nairobi. Among other things, the governor's office was set on fire and numerous politicians had to be evacuated. The riots have already resulted in several deaths.

Adobe Stocke / Bartek Wróblewski

Quantencomputer: Hardware-Upgrade für Künstliche Intelligenz

Schneller, Effizienter und Intelligenter

Quantencomputer können die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der KI-Entwicklung in Deutschland steigern. Neue technische Ansätze erleichtern ihren Betrieb und ermöglichen perspektivisch eine breitere Anwendung. Trotz der Führungsrolle der USA und China ist deutsche Forschung international bedeutend. Für die Entwicklung konkurrenzfähiger deutscher Quantencomputertechnologie muss die Wirtschaft stärker aktiviert werden.

Adobe Stock / abr68

Wake-up call for integration policy

The crime statistics 2023 show the need for integration policy action

At the beginning of April, the Federal Minister of the Interior presented the Police Crime Statistics (PCS) 2023. According to these statistics, the number of crimes in Germany has risen by 5.5 per cent since 2022. The Federal Criminal Office (FCPO) believes that one reason for the increase is the high immigration figures. The PCS suggests that there may be a connection between criminal tendencies and a lack of integration. What contribution could integration policy make to crime reduction?

Adobe Stock / kilimanjaro

Energy transition? Yes, but please make it sustainable!

Appeal for an environmentally friendly, secure and affordable energy supply in Germany

15 April 2024 marks the anniversary of the shutdown of the last three nuclear power plants in Germany. An opportunity to take stock of Germany's energy transition. Our short policy paper suggests guidelines for making the energy transition sustainable.

Adobe Stock / TensorSpark / Generated with AI

Forced exmatriculation against anti-Semitism

Between academic freedom and security concerns: anti-Semitism and the response of German universities

Anti-Semitic incidents at German universities have increased significantly since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. Nationwide, there is growing concern for the safety of Jewish students. Since an act of violence in Berlin in February 2024, there have been discussions about better legal measures against anti-Semitism in the university context. Better regulations are needed to protect Jewish students and secure the university environment, while at the same time strengthening the autonomy of universities.

Adobe Stock / Marco2811

Das Rentenpaket II

Mehrbelastung statt Generationengerechtigkeit

Angesichts des demografischen Wandels, der unweigerlich den Druck auf unsere Sozialsysteme erhöht, zeichnet sich ein hoher Reformbedarf in der deutschen Altersvorsorge ab. Das Rentenpaket II soll die gesetzliche Rentenversicherung laut Gesetzentwurf der Bundesregierung modernisieren, sodass sie auch für jüngere Generationen verlässlich bleibt. Welche Ziele verfolgt das Rentenpaket II? Wie ist es zu bewerten und wie könnte eine nachhaltige und generationengerechte Rente aussehen? Die Antworten auf diese Fragen finden Sie im Kurzum „Das Rentenpaket II: Mehrbelastung statt Generationengerechtigkeit“.

IMAGO / Kyodo News

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Berlin

Current background information on the visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Berlin

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to pay an official visit to Berlin from March 11 to 13. While bilateral relations were at a low point under the previous government of Rodrigo Duterte, they have improved noticeably since Marcos took office. One reason for this is the tense geopolitical climate and the interest of both countries in defending the rules-based international order. The most important topics of the visit will therefore be the maintenance of regional security in the Indo-Pacific and the intensification of economic and trade relations.

IMAGO / Friedrich Stark

Attacks on Christians in Nigeria

How the raids at Christmas 2023 fit into an existing major conflict over resources in Nigeria

Nigeria, a country torn by multiple crisis and conflicts, experienced a series of attacks on Christmas 2023, which gained attention far beyond its own borders. But the search for reasons to explain this outbreak of violence is complex. With a spreading conflict on resources, fueled by climate change and population growth, it becomes evident, that more reasons are underlying then the smouldering religious conflict in the region.

IMAGO / aal.photo

Successful transformation needs pragmatism but not a new “Sondervermögen”

Sustainable fiscal policy does not need trickery

Following the German Federal Constitutional Court's historic ruling on the 2nd Supplementary Budget Act 2021, ways are being sought to ensure legal financing of the economic transformation. One option that is repeatedly brought up is the possibility of setting up a "Sondervermögen” (special fund) modelled on the special fund for the Bundeswehr (German armed forces). It is important to understand that this is not a real asset; on the contrary, it contains credit authorisations in the amount mentioned. A new paragraph in the Basic Law was necessary for its establishment so that the respective incurrence of debt in the financial year in which it is actually incurred is exempt from the provisions of the debt limit.

IMAGO / IPON

Emergency without ending? The federal budget in limbo

The second supplementary budget 2021 is incompatible with basic constitutional law and thus null and void

With the second supplementary budget 2021, the federal government seemed to have found the solution to its problems: The € 60 billion in unused funds earmarked for the consequences of the corona pandemic were transferred to the "Climate and Transformation Fund" (KTF). This special fund was intended to promote energy transition and climate protection instruments while at the same time complying with the debt brake. The diverging interests of the three coalition partners were therefore no longer subject to any budget restrictions; there was money for everything at once – and thanks to the credit authorizations "in reserve" until after the next federal election. However, a "win-win" turned into a "lose-lose situation" after the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court on November 15, 2023. The supplementary budget was "incompatible with the basic constitutional law and thus null and void"[1], making the reallocation of funds unconstitutional.

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About this series

Concise, reduced to the essentials, but always highly topical. In our series "kurzum", our experts summarise an issue or problem on a maximum of two pages.