#272: Taxes in English, reckless diplomats, corona cash, take-out waste

Two more reasons why the AfD sucks

Keepsakes from another time found in my desk. Testing centre ad and a mask from my local tailor. There’s a little corona story at the end.

Dear 20 Percent,

We don’t usually veer into national politics unless it’s directly relevant to our readership. I believe the rise of the far-right AfD is highly relevant to all of us. If the AfD wins elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September (non unlikely) racism and xenophobia are going to become even more of a problem than they are today.

Not only is the AfD by and large a racist party, it’s pro-Putin, even if it doesn’t say it in so many words. Which brings me to this news nugget: Petr Bystron, a German-Czech AfD politician, has been accused of accepting a €20,000 cash payment from Prague-based, pro-Russian site Voice of Europe. Czech intelligence sources told journalists that they had a recording incriminating Bystrom. Bystrom, a member of the German parliament, denied the charges using very carefully worded language: “At no time have I received any payment or cryptocurrencies from an employees of VoE (or any Russian).” He said he was the victim of a “globalist campaign” — “globalist” being thinly coded far-right lingo for “Jewish”. Yes, AfD politicians are often also antisemitic — despite the pro-Israel noises they make these days.

Bystrom had been interviewed by Voice of Europe alongside other right-wing populists. The site has been shut down by Czech authorities on suspicion of spreading Russian propganda.

A separate investigation sheds light on a different aspect of the AfD: the kind of folks they let hold important political positions. Correktiv, the same non-profit that unveiled the far-right summit at which the “remigration” of millions of foreigners and Germans with foreign backgrounds were discussed, looked into 48 AfD politicians who have stood accused of acts of violence. Correktiv found that 28 of them were convicted in court - and 14 of them, including two members of the Bundestag, are still in political office despite their convictions. Charges are across the board: brutal physical attacks, verbal attacks, incitement to hatred, aiding and abetting violence, illegal possession of weapons.

These two little stories don’t bode well for the future of Germany. This party poses a threat to life in Germany as we know it. It should not be trusted. If you are eligible to vote in the European Election on June 9, voting for another party slightly dillutes the AfD’s power and influences. Every bit helps.

More news below.

Maurice

PS: Thanks to today’s sponsor, Feather! More from them below.

ELSTER in English

While the thugs at the AfD are pushing for fewer Ausländer, the German state is well aware that the country needs more workers from abroad and has taken a small step to make bureaucracy more manageable for them: ELSTER, the online tax return system, is now available in English. Imperfectly translated by DeepL, but it’s a step forward. Next step: make German tax code comprehensible to the average adult. Let us know in the comments if you’ve used ELSTER in English.

“Rowdy” diplomat drivers

Der Tagesspiegel reports that the Berlin police resgistered 16,615 traffic violations such as parking illegally and speeding by foreign diplomats last year, up 10% from 2022. Drivers with diplomatic plates enjoy diplomatic immunity and go unsanctioned. Guess which embassy was guilty of the most offences? The United States (1,055). Followed by Saudi Arabia (826), Iraq (587) and Libya (378). Fun detail: Der Tagesspiegel uses the questionable Denglish word “Verkehrsrowdys” in the article to describe the dodgy diplomat drivers.

No one offering re-usable food containers

Since 2023, takeaway restaurants have been required to offer customers reusable containers and inform them about it. Germany’s consumer advice centre and public broadcaster RBB checked 60 spots and found that only 15% of restaurants in Berlin offered reusuable food containers. The national government introduced the legislation to combat the flood of disposable take-out food packaging.

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Some curated culture tips from our friends at The Next Day Berlin

Concert: Julia Holter
Friday, 12.04, 8 pm. Colosseum, Gleimstrasse 31, Prenzlauer Berg. Tickets: €40
Julia Holter’s new album “Something in the Room She Moves” is a perfect soundtrack for the spring. It makes me relax and be ok doing nothing, just enjoying the present. It’s alt-pop, chamber-pop, and be€autiful.

Love is a Verb: A Festival on Ways of Relating
12-21.04. HAU, Stresemannstrasse 29 A, 10963 Berlin-Kreuzberg.
"Love is a Verb" festival reimagines love beyond romance, diving into its political mojo in today's chaotic world. It's all about shaking up old norms, embracing everyone, and pondering our connections with ourselves, others, and the planet. The festival features concerts, performances, lectures, and talks to share, discuss, imagine, and celebrate polyphonic ideas about transformative relationships. One of the highlights is the premiere of “Feijoada” by Calixto Neto.

Market: Thrift Vol. 1
Sunday, 14.04, from 1 pm. ACUD Backyard, Veteranenstrasse 21, Mitte.
The Thrift Market features a selection of vintage, lightly worn, and designer clothing by different sellers. The event features DJs, mimosas, micheladas, and cupcakes.

For more culture and event updates, subscribe to The Next Day Berlin!

Factoid

Remember when, during the early days of the pandemic, the government was throwing money at self-employed people? A lot of freelancers I knew filled out a simple online form and thousands of euros just showed up on their accounts days later. It turns out that loads of individuals and companies weren’t officially eligible for the money. Many (46,000 or every tenth recipient of the aid in Berlin) have paid the cash back — a total of €405 million,

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