Europe against Putin
Actually, it is not appropriate to talk about those who are absent. But the 47 heads of state and government of European states who met yesterday in Moldova at the summit of the European Political Community (EPC) did just that, and even that: they agreed on the absentee, on Russian President Vladimir Putin. They spoke out against him, or at least against his war of aggression on Ukraine – a strong sign of cohesion in Europe. A sign that was then received with some annoyance in Moscow.
The meeting in Moldova was also intended to have a symbolic effect: to signal to Moscow that the ruler in the Kremlin should even consider an attack on the former Soviet republic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received a friendly welcome in Moldova. He called for his country to be admitted to NATO and the EU. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz's answer was clear and understandable: no NATO admission during a war. Otherwise, NATO would become a party to the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who invented the summit format in the first place and was thus considered a secret host, did what hosts like to do when they don't want to disappoint guests: He put off further meetings at the next NATO summit. He is in Lithuania on 11 and 12 July.
More news and background information on the war in Ukraine can be found here:
Scholz gives Ukraine little hope of joining NATO quickly: Even after the end of the war, the Chancellor does not see Ukraine's admission to NATO as guaranteed. And: Zelensky hopes for a "significant number" of fighter jets after the European summit. That was the news on Thursday.
The sleepless nights of Kiev: Almost every night, Kyiv is under fire. Most of the attacks are repelled, but again and again there are injured, even dead. How people deal with fear and exhaustion.
How the war in Ukraine is drying up german-Russian diplomacy: Germany and Russia are closing consulates general – a further step in the mutual exchange of blows between diplomats. Coalition politicians defend the latest measures against Moscow's representatives.
High value for AfD
If the Bundestag elections were held on Sunday, the AfD would get 18 percent of the vote, putting it on a par with the SPD in second place behind the CDU/CSU. This is the result of a representative survey conducted by Infratest dimap among 1,302 eligible voters for the ARD-Deutschlandtrend. With 18 percent, the AfD achieved its best score in the Sunday question of the ARD Germany trend.
Of course, there is reason to think that a radical right-wing party in Germany has such high approval ratings. And yet: There is no Bundestag election on Sunday. Good results of a party in the middle of a legislative period can be a warning to other parties, or an incentive to satisfy the voters, not by imitating the radicals – imitation always goes wrong – but by persuading one's own goals.
Another result is particularly revealing: only 32 percent of AfD supporters say they want to vote for the party out of conviction. 67 percent would vote for the AfD out of disappointment with the other parties.
Normalization of the far-right party: How the Union and FDP help the AfD
Trial for crime in Illerkirchberg
On December 5, 2022, two schoolgirls made their way to the bus in Illerkirchberg, Baden-Württemberg. They walked past a refugee shelter. They were ambushed and attacked with a knife. The alleged perpetrator was a refugee from Eritrea. The 14-year-old died in hospital from her injuries, her 13-year-old friend survived seriously injured.
Everything indicated that a debate on asylum policy would now begin in Germany. But the parents of the two girls drafted letters in which they asked not to instrumentalize the act for agitation. Politicians also called for prudence. In the village there were demonstrations after the fact, to which the AfD had called, but overall the mood in the village remained sad but calm.
According to the indictment, the suspect was not actually targeting the girls. He is said to have been on his way to the district office of the Alb-Donau district in Ulm to extort identity documents with the knife. He is said to have attacked the girlfriends because he assumed that the two had seen the knife.
Today, the trial against the 27-year-old at the time of the crime begins in Ulm. He is charged with murder and attempted murder with grievous bodily harm.
Our Baden-Württemberg correspondent Christine Keck will report on the trial. She has already spoken with the lawyer of the parents of the deceased victim. "They receive psychological support and only want one thing. Get the process over with as quickly as possible," says my colleague.
Attack on two girls: murder charges brought after deadly knife attack
Without peatlands, it will be difficult for humans
Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) is a friend of motorway construction. This is, well, an original approach. Actually, Wissing should feel responsible for the traffic turnaround. The transport turnaround envisages a fundamental restructuring of mobility under the criteria of climate protection.
Nature conservation associations are looking for every opportunity to protest against the expansion of motorways. Today is such an opportunity. Believe it or not, since 2019 there has actually been a "World Day of the Moor" – and it's right now.
The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) points out that the world's peatlands store about twice as much carbon as the biomass of all forests combined. That is why BUND warns against destroying the moors by building new motorways. The conservationists are particularly critical of the expansion of the A20 and A26 East in northern Germany.
Fighting the climate crisis: Why Germany needs more peatlands
Click here for the current daily quiz
The starting question today: What was the name of the last Minister of the Interior of the GDR?
Winner of the day...
... is the Tübingen historian Ewald Frie, 60, who received the German Non-Fiction Prize 2023 yesterday at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie and prevailed against strong competition.
Other nominees include Teresa Bücker's successful book »Alle_Zeit«, which argues for a new approach to time, and Meron Mendel's »Talking about Israel«, which focuses on German debates about Israel.
Frieze's work "A farm and eleven siblings. The Silent Farewell to Rural Life in Germany« (C.H. Beck Verlag) describes how Fries himself and his many siblings decided against working and living on their parents' farm. And although they broke with the culture of their ancestors, with everyday piety and the local dialect, this farewell was also a departure: into a self-chosen existence. The book is based on interviews between the historian and his siblings and on findings from agricultural history. It was an "inspiring example of innovative historiography," according to the jury.
History of German Agriculture: The Universe of Livestock Markets
The latest news from the night
Biden crashes onto stage at graduation ceremony: Apparently, a sandbag knocked him out of step: Joe Biden fell after giving a speech to graduates of a military academy. The U.S. president is apparently doing well – but the debate about his age could flare up again.
Police detain left-wing deputies at demonstration in Leipzig: Officials had insulted them at a demonstration and led them away in handcuffs, says Juliane Nagel, a member of the Saxon state parliament. According to the police, the left-wing politician is accused of a physical attack on police officers.
Tens of thousands of Israelis celebrate Pride parade in Jerusalem: In Israel, thousands of people marched for the rights of sexual and gender minorities. It was the first Pride parade under the new right-wing religious government, in which openly homophobic ministers sit.
The SPIEGEL+ recommendations for today
How Mr. M. wants to get his loss back with Wirecard shares from Commerzbank: An investor has lost a fortune with shares in the insolvent scandal group Wirecard. Now he is suing – against his custodian bank. The case shakes one of the cornerstones of the financial industry. Does he have a chance of success?
Nasa plans towing mission for "Hubble" – to avoid crashing: In just a few years, the Hubble Space Telescope could crash. Nasa can imagine a rescue mission – but doesn't want to pay for it. Nevertheless, the calculation could work out.
Here's how to spot fake handbags and fashion: TikTok and Instagram are full of fakes, even beyond filters and AI images: The networks are flooded with advertisements for fake designer clothes – and tips on where to find the best copies. Is that allowed?
The confessions of the "traitor": CDU leader Rainer Barzel already saw himself as chancellor in 1972, when the vote of no confidence against Willy Brandt failed. Had the SPD bribed deputies? Accusations by the politician Julius Steiner brought violent turbulence.
I wish you a good start to the day.
Susanne Beyer, Author of the Editor-in-Chief