Europe... Time to Wake Up
Readers' views on the evening newspaper from June 19, 2025: A glimpse into public opinion
June 18: Trump Yells "Yield Unconditionally"
It's a bit humiliating how the G7 summit in Canada turned out. Trump strutted in, took charge, and vanished like a cloud. He was treated like Louis XIV, the Sun King. Don't upset him, or smile too much. The President of the EU and the other six leaders were just extras. After Trump left, they could've left too. But how would that look in the public eye? Now they can dress up the meeting, until they believe it was a success themselves. But the public is smart, and they'll form their own opinion, even if the experts try to convince us otherwise. No final declaration, no agreement on the Ukraine conflict, no agreement on the trade dispute. Is this a definition of success? When will Europe grow up and learn to walk on its own? Europe isn't a playground anymore; it's time to learn to stand tall!
Fred Bonkowski
Save the Hearts
June 18: Save Pentecost Monday!
Professor Lenzen wants to pierce hearts? Zombies, with their empty hearts and minds, are like biological machinery. But Pentecost is about love. Those who lack love shouldn't be sent to Hell with a stake through their heart. Instead, they should receive the Spirit on Pentecost, which opens their eyes to their fellow human beings. Then they won't end up in Hell because they made life hard for other God's creations in their lifetime, or even made it easier or possible. And Christ's Ascension also belongs to it. One ascends "later," like Jesus, to Heaven if one repents at Pentecost - or whenever. Perhaps it could have been reconsidered on Good Friday. Of course, it would bring billions of euros to our national economy if we also canceled Christmas. But we don't need more commercial life optimization; we need more unpierced and saved hearts.
Dieter Lüders
Side Effects
June 14/15: Construction Sites: How Coordination Can Be Improved
Urban planner Dr. Susanne Dahm isn't the luckiest one in her job. She herself admits: "Overall, not only the number of measures, but their complexity is increasing." She considers planning measures a "tightrope walk," but she doesn't mention this: Every targeted action has more than just the main effect - it also has an unpredictable series of side effects. To deal with the (unwanted) effects of these actions, the same measures must be taken again to correct the problems they created. In the medical world, we call these drug side effects. They can only be minimized or eliminated by reconsidering the main goal - Also, unintended effects are not always measurable with the same terminology originally used - I think of the loss of beauty, which is difficult to quantify.
Bernd Granzow
Many thanks for the interesting article. Why does the city have to pay contractual penalties, but a project developer for delays doesn't? Looking across the border to Denmark might be helpful here, where the state collects contractual penalties, resulting in construction projects being completed on time, as agreed.
Christian Meier
Penalty Payment Obligation
14/15 June: Despite Good Supply, Much Frustration with Doctor's Appointments
For me personally, the current GP model isn't working as intended, as I like to involve my GP in all my appointments and share medical records. I prefer to visit my other doctors (dermatologist, ENT, gynecologist, orthopedist, dentist) independently without a referral. The daily practice is challenging: our GPs are often at their limit, and they're supposed to thoroughly examine and advise every patient to issue a referral? To prevent unnecessary doctor hopping, we should reintroduce the ten Euro practice fee per doctor per quarter. It won't solve everything, but many people will think twice before visiting another doctor after paying the ten Euro fee at their GP first. Perhaps it's possible to filter out 'cheaters' in the billing process at the statutory health insurance funds and send reminders. Repeat offenders could have their health card blocked and only receive emergency treatment. Although this would be cumbersome, it might be necessary, as certain individuals seem impossible to control otherwise. The cost explosion in the emergency services over four years is partially controllable. Wages have increased, medical equipment is more expensive, and every ambulance must be fully equipped with medical knowledge. Some people also misuse the emergency services for minor issues, like women experiencing menstrual cramps or lonely individuals seeking conversation. If laws like the one in Denmark are implemented, there would be no more delays in construction projects.
Anke Petersen
Untenabled Attention
17 June: Dangerous Intersection: Parents Sound the Alarm
Apparently, Andrea Seiffert, who has been quoted twice, didn't pay too much attention during her traffic lessons at primary school. One can learn there that you don't have to reach the other side of the street crossing during the green phase. As long as the crossing is started during a running green phase, you can take as long as needed. Only unnecessary slowness would be disorderly if it unnecessarily hinders someone. Therefore, there is no need for a changed traffic light signal, but rather some tutoring for Mrs. Seiffert, so that children and readers don't learn anything wrong from her.
Immo G. von Eitzen
The traffic light is safe
I disagree with your argument. The crossing is dangerous because the green phase for pedestrians is too short. It's not about the length of the green phase for pedestrians, but about the length of the red phase for car traffic, which is significantly longer than the green phase for pedestrians. Your article seems to ignore this. Furthermore, cars can only start driving at "green" when all pedestrians have passed the crossing. These crossing lights are designed to be safe for pedestrians.
Gerhard Diercks
Where Are You Going?
June 17: Quote of the Day
Yes, Mr. Haseloff, you are not alone in your thoughts. Retire, collect a pension, and find a democratic island somewhere to enjoy a cold wheat beer. But seriously, where are you going? To France (Le Pen), Italy (Meloni), Hungary (Orbán), Netherlands (Wilders), Belgium (N-VA party), Austria (Kickl), or Turkey (Erdoğan)? You could also go to Denmark, which wasn't always so peaceful. Or you could stay in Germany and fight for a democratic and socially just homeland. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, democrats must strive to preserve our democratic home.
Michael Stoltzaritzik
The lobby is missing
June 13: Rip-off of the Month: Mars Minis are new record holders
Even well-known food companies are deceiving consumers with new tricks, extracting billions of euros from consumers' wallets and fueling inflation unnecessarily. What is the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection doing against such consumer-unfriendly manipulations in packaging, quantity, and price? Apparently, not enough, as the manipulators in the corporate boardrooms continue to dodge criminal fraud charges by subtly misleading consumers. If existing norms don't apply, it's time to create new ones. Unfortunately, the millions of affected consumers in the EU lack a lobby in Brussels or at the EU Commission and Parliament, unlike the food companies.
Ulrich Reppenhagen
Not Current
June 16: Harley Days: Peter Maffay leads the parade at the end of June
Is it accurate? The "movers and shakers," presumably the event organizers, proudly declared that Hamburg will become a "city full of sound, steel, and vitality." In these times, don't those responsible (and the supposedly "passionate" Harley riders) feel that the time for such events has finally passed? Aren't they aware of the negative environmental impact of individual traffic in this new era? Given the environmental impact of traffic and the need for overall societal responsibility, shouldn't the event be canceled?
Bernhard Rangnick
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Europe needs Efficient Packaging Regulations
Recently, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Regulation 2025/40, has been adopted in the European Union, marking a significant overhaul of packaging rules. This new regulation aims to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability, and increase reuse, while bolstering consumer protection by addressing deceptive practices. The PPWR will ban excessive or unnecessary packaging and prohibit oversized packaging that obscures the actual quantity of the product. In addition, recyclable and reusable packaging will become mandatory, and plastic packaging containing more than 5% of specified materials must sourced from EU-compliant recycling streams. The regulation also sets specific rules for food packaging, such as banning single-use plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables, and mandating compostable labels on fruit and vegetables. The regulation allows Member States to set higher national targets for certain obligations, leading to variations in packaging rules within the EU.
1 In the context of the recent European regulations on packaging and packaging waste, one might question the need for more efficient regulations to prevent deceptive practices, reduce packaging waste, and improve recyclability, especially in the political and general news landscape.
2 In the debate about constructing sites in Europe, it's worth considering the potential benefits of adopting legislation similar to Denmark's, where contractual penalties are collected, ensuring construction projects are completed on time as agreed, much like efficient packaging regulations that aim to reduce unnecessary delays and costs in the waste management sector.
