1. Solving as a solution
For the first time in its history, the parliament wants to convene its own citizens' assembly. The committee, consisting of 160 citizens, was drawn by lot this afternoon. The lottery fairy: Bundestag President Bärbel Bas.
The project is laid down in the coalition agreement of the traffic light and is now to start the first round. Starting in autumn, the committee will meet on three weekends in person and at six digital meetings to discuss the topic of "Nutrition in Transition: Between Private Affairs and State Tasks". The Council is then expected to present recommendations by the end of February 2024.
"Such models have already been tested in other countries, such as Ireland," writes my colleague Sophie Garbe from the Spiegel capital office in her text, which summarizes the most important questions and answers about the Citizens' Assembly. In Ireland, a citizens' assembly spent a year discussing issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Parliament then decided to put some of the Council's decisions to the vote in a national referendum. The majority of Irish citizens voted in favour of the introduction of same-sex marriage.
As good as the experiences in other countries are, there are also some critics in this country. "We are shrinking the Bundestag, but then opening up new sideshows with the Citizens' Assembly. This undermines our parliamentary democracy and is almost impossible to convey to the citizens," Christina Stumpp, deputy general secretary of the CDU, told SPIEGEL, adding: "My constituency is my citizens' assembly."
My columnist colleague Alexander Neubacher is also skeptical as to whether "lottery democracy" is a good idea. At the Citizens' Assembly on Nutrition, for example, it was stipulated as a precautionary measure that the "proportion of people on a vegetarian or vegan diet" had to be mapped. There is nothing to be said against that, according to Alex. "One wonders, however, why there has to be a tofu quota in Little Germany, but none for neck steaks."
Read the full story here: Participation by lottery
And here is news and background information on the war in Ukraine:
Putin is still afraid of this man: The prosecutor's office is demanding 20 years in prison for Alexei Navalny. For the trial, the Kremlin did not allow the public in the courtroom. The exclusion reveals how absurd the procedure is – and how weak Putin is.
"Putin believes that revenge is a dish that is best served cold": Wagner boss Prigozhin got off scot-free after his mutiny. According to CIA chief Burns, it should not stop there. He says: "Putin is the ultimate avenger apostle".
Here you will find all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine: The news update
2. On dry land
Summers are getting hotter, rain is falling more unpredictably – but water just keeps flowing out of the tap? Yes, that's the case in Munich.
The delicate question that I have been asking myself again and again in recent weeks: Can I water the lawn behind the terraced house with the water from the tap? And the lavender, the fig tree, the herb patch, the hussar buttons and the elf mirror too? The Japanese ornamental maple has already died because it probably got too much sun or too little rain.
Water is a commodity that is becoming more and more precious. The SPIEGEL cover story reads: "Since the drought summer of 2018, the statistics have been clear: Germany is getting less water than ever." For a long time, the country "will no longer be able to deal so thoughtlessly with this valuable raw material," my colleagues write.
»Water!« is the title of the new SPIEGEL. The issue is available here digitally and from Saturday at the kiosk
In view of the dry months of May and June, there will be no all-clear this year either: groundwater levels are falling, evaporation is increasing. Heat is followed by heavy rain, which the sealed cities cannot absorb. A team led by SPIEGEL author Alfred Weinzierl traveled through Germany for the cover story, visited sewage treatment plants and drinking water purifiers, spoke with meteorologists, hydrogeologists, farmers and conservationists.
Without rules from politics, the fight against the impending water shortage will not work, says Weinzierl. Presumably, we will also have to use our own common sense and, for example, leave the wildflower meadow in the front yard (type "Mössinger mixture") to its own devices instead of keeping it alive with drinking water from the tap. Such a yellow lawn. Doesn't it also have something beautiful?
Read more here: Germany on dry land
3. Declining birth rates
Gynecologists, as a rule, are not among the people who make me laugh. But mine said, "The perfect time to have children is somewhere in a woman's 22nd year."
At that age, I played table tennis at night with different men in a Berlin bar, studied economics and went from one internship to the next. I was definitely not a woman who wanted to give birth to a child anytime soon. That's why eleven more years passed before my son was born. He is now eight years old and will probably remain an only child.
Therefore, I am not surprised by today's report by the Federal Statistical Office: Birth rate is at its lowest level since 2013.
After a particularly large number of babies were born in 2021, significantly fewer children were born again last year. 738,819 newborns were counted, seven percent fewer than in the previous year. The birth rate thus fell by eight percent to 1.46 children per woman. In order for the population of a country – without immigration – not to shrink, about 2.1 children per woman would have to be born in highly developed countries such as Germany, according to the statisticians.
Unfortunately, there is not enough space to justify or explain at this point why a woman like me has only one child, although she would have liked at least three. In any case, my gynecologist did not give me any hope that science would one day trick biology and enable men to give birth to children. This would be very helpful for equality and a higher birth rate.
Read more here: Birth rate at its lowest level since 2013
What else is important today
Self-healing metal? It's not just the stuff that science fiction is made of: what works well on our skin, researchers would also like to see for other surfaces: scratches that heal on their own. Cracks that repair themselves. Research has been going on for a long time, and now there is news about metals.
India imposes export ban on white rice: In order to curb the rise in the price of rice, the Indian government has decided to ban exports. The possible consequence is that the supply crises in other countries could worsen.
Tech companies pledge to label AI-generated content: Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and other AI companies have promised the U.S. government to better protect their AI systems from misuse. In doing so, you are pre-empting a legal regulation.
Probably not a lioness in Berlin after all – probably just a wild boar: For about 36 hours, an alleged lioness kept the police in suspense. Now there is an all-clear: According to the mayor of Kleinmachnow, it is probably a wild boar.
Singer Tony Bennett is dead: He was one of the most successful and popular singers in the USA: Tony Bennett died, he was 96 years old. The entertainer sold more than 50 million records and became known with »I Left My Heart in San Francisco«.
What we recommend today at SPIEGEL+
Trump tricks in Madrid: Even before the election, Spain's conservatives are sowing doubts about the result. Her election campaign is becoming more and more populist, and a coalition with the radical right-wing party Vox is more likely. The consequences are already being felt.
A visit to the neighbourhood – a dead end at the end: Short commute to training, plenty of rest: These were the conditions at the German World Cup quarters in Australia. They got a nest 90 kilometers outside of Sydney. Above all, this has one thing to offer.
Germany on dry land: Summers are getting hotter, rain is falling more unpredictably – but water just keeps flowing out of the tap? Journey through a country in which it is clear to many: Germany will not be able to deal with this valuable raw material so thoughtlessly for a long time. The SPIEGEL cover story.
How the municipality of Binz is trying to prevent an LNG terminal in the Baltic Sea: The company Deutsche Regas wants to import liquefied natural gas near the beach soon, but the Baltic Sea resort of Binz is making serious accusations against the company. It rejects the accusations and speaks of "disinformation".
"We will not serve a dictator": More and more reservists in Israel are threatening to refuse service. In doing so, they are aggressively opposing the government and its controversial judicial reform. Here, a fighter pilot talks about his drastic decision.
What is less important today
Zoom Image
Search operation in Brandenburg
Photo: Fabian Sommer / dpa
For about 36 hours, an alleged lioness kept the police in suspense. Now there is an all-clear: According to the mayor of Kleinmachnow, it is probably a wild boar. In the tested area, there are no indications of a lioness, said Mayor Michael Grubert (SPD).
Even after analyzing the images, experts no longer assumed it was a predator. Should you nevertheless encounter a big cat in Berlin, my colleague Stefan Kuzmany has put together the following tips on how to behave. The most important piece of advice: Don't let them eat!
Mini concave mirror
Here you will find the whole concave mirror.
Cartoon of the Day
And on weekends?
Mother of the Year or Luck of Horror? There is sometimes a fine line between these two extremes. Which a German series in the ARD media library apparently illuminates very worth seeing. At least that's what my colleague Christian Buß from the Department of Culture thinks.
"Tasty, smug and good," is the series critic's verdict on the six episodes of the ARD mystery production "The Nicest People in the World." What is it all about? A student's instincts lead to a bloodbath, a mother becomes a monster, kittens turn into hellhounds. "The nicest people in the world" is about the "unleashing of repressed fears and desires," writes Christian Buss.
I have an appointment on Saturday with very nice people at the lake in the outskirts of Munich. I'm a little scared now.
Have a nice weekend
Yours, Anna Clauß, Head of Opinion and Debate