Will Orbán collapse the summit?
It's Orbán's show in Brussels again. The EU heads of state and government are coming together for a special summit – solely because of Hungary’s head of government.
It's about financial support for Ukraine. At the last regular meeting in December, Viktor Orbán vetoed a planned aid package for Kiev. It includes 50 billion euros by the end of 2027.
Now we are looking for a solution again. Orbán only wants to lift his blockade if a new decision is made every year on whether the EU will continue sending money to Kiev. Numerous other countries, including Germany, reject this. They fear that the Hungarian would repeatedly use the aid to Ukraine to extort concessions from the EU in other areas.
This threatens to cause a scandal today. If Orbán continues to stand in the way, the other 26 states would probably be forced to help Ukraine bilaterally. That would be complicated and time-consuming, as the national parliaments would also have to be involved. And the EU would suffer serious damage.
My colleague Markus Becker is hearing from diplomats in Brussels that patience with Hungary's autocratic head of government would probably finally be at an end if he were to cancel the summit. Even the withdrawal of Hungarian voting rights in the EU now seems conceivable.
You can find the background to the Ukraine dispute in Brussels here: How Viktor Orbán is humiliating the EU
Black versus red
The Bundestag is to decide today on a new designation of constituencies for the federal election: One constituency will be redistributed from Saxony-Anhalt to Bavaria. The reason: population development.
“A relatively small change,” says Friedrich Merz – only to then make a relatively big impact. The CDU leader accuses the traffic lights of manipulating the right to vote and seriously damaging democracy. The new design should ensure that Green Party politician Claudia Roth can “keep her constituency in Augsburg city” in the next election. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt finds this “deeply reprehensible.”
Room, room, gentlemen. Claudia Roth cannot keep a constituency because she has never won it outright. The winner in Augsburg has come from the CSU for as long as anyone can remember (with one SPD exception in 1976). Even shifting the constituency boundaries will probably not change this. And even if it does, only the second votes are decisive for the majority in parliament.
But you can just knock one out. Motto: Something will stick. By the way, this can also be seen as damaging to democracy and reprehensible.
You can read the check in detail here: The alleged election manipulation of the traffic light - what is behind Friedrich Merz's allegations?
Where is the strike happening today?
Time for a little strike update before you choose the wrong means of transport today: The trains are running, as are buses and trams, but there could be problems flying today.
Passenger and baggage inspectors are on strike at eleven major airports. Among other things, they are demanding 2.80 euros more wages per hour and higher overtime pay.
Far more than 1,000 flights are likely to be canceled, and even if Munich or Nuremberg, for example, are not on the strike list, it is better to find out beforehand whether your plane will go. And if you're considering postponing your trip until tomorrow, remember: There's a public transport strike on Friday, so getting to the airport could be difficult.
Warning strikes at airports: What air travelers need to know now
Read the current SPIEGEL editorial here
The debt brake did not fall from heaven:
the limit for the debt brake came about by chance; its requirements ignore the nature of crises. The traffic light coalition can reform the rule without causing debt to explode.
Click here for the current daily quiz
Today's starting question: Which Greek philosopher was sentenced to poison himself?
Winner of the day…
... is Indra Ghosh. The Düsseldorf physicist started an online petition against the Thuringian AfD politician Björn Höcke weeks ago. It calls on the Bundestag and the federal government to ensure that the right-wing extremist Höcke is deprived of his basic rights and the right to vote and stand as a candidate.
Almost 1.7 million people have now signed the petition, and today Ghosh will present it to the Green Party leader Britta Haßelmann in front of the Bundestag. It is unlikely that politicians will actually submit a corresponding application to the Federal Constitutional Court - the petition is definitely a strong symbol.
The background to the petition against AfD man Höcke
The latest reports from the night
USA accuses pro-Iranian militia as mastermind of drone attack:
The Pentagon is getting specific: According to the USA, the umbrella organization “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” is behind the attack on a US base with three deaths. We will now react “appropriately”.
Dava group wants to run in federal elections:
Critics see Dava as an offshoot of Turkish President Erdoğan's party. The head of the controversial group has now spoken about his plans in Germany.
European handball champion Kounkoud is accused of attempted rape:
Two days after the European Championship final victory against Denmark, French handball player Benoit Kounkoud is said to have sexually harassed a woman. He denies the facts.
The SPIEGEL+ recommendations for today
"We can't protest with our smugglers forever"
: Theresa Schmidt boldly approached Christian Lindner at the Berlin farmers' demonstration: But the rural youth leader wants to get out of protest mode - and has a demand for the SPD Chancellor.
The new low-cost funds really are that good:
660 percent return – can that work? Actively managed ETFs are the new trend in the financial industry. In fact, there are opportunities for small investors too. If you pay attention to a few things.
“Mom, I feel afraid”
: This is my first time in Auschwitz. With my teenage sons. You asked me to do this. The place of the unspeakable overwhelms us. Naturally. And yet it was still the right thing to go.
Have a good start to the day.
Heartfelt,
Yours, Philipp Wittrock, head of duty in Los Angeles