On today’s #NCFDeprogrammed, hosts Harrison Pitt and Connor Tomlinson are joined by former UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe, a barrister and Director of the Centre for Migration and Economic Prosperity. In July 2016, Steven Woolfe launched a bid to become leader of UKIP following the resignation of Nigel Farage.
Month: March 2025
The Truth Hurts: Meloni Speech Sparks Outrage in Italy’s Parliament
Photo: Giorgia Meloni on Facebook
Once again, Giorgia Meloni did not mince her words in the Parlamento italiano as she spoke in the debate ahead of this week’s European Council meeting. Her remarks sparked such outrage among opposition MPs that the session had to be twice suspended by House Speaker Lorenzo Fontana. But what was she saying that provoked such emotionally unhinged reactions—with some MPs yelling at Meloni, barely able to hold back their tears?
Meloni’s speech crime was bringing up the so-called Ventotene Manifesto, named after the small island of Ventotene, located off the coast of Lazio.
Ventotene housed a Fascist prison during the Second World War, and two of the founding fathers of the European Union, Altiero Spinelli—after whom a European Parliament (EP) building is named—and Ernesto Rossi were held there under Mussolini’s dictatorship. It was there that the duo drafted the manifesto in 1941.
On the sidelines of the debate dedicated to discussing von der Leyen’s ReArm Europe plan and Italy’s position on it, Meloni reminded her opponents of the gist of the manifesto, that a federation of European states was necessary in order to prevent future wars. But the manifesto also said much more.
“The European revolution will have to be Socialist”, Italy’s EU ‘founding fathers’ said, adding
Private property will have to be abolished, limited, corrected … The political democratic methodology will be a dead weight in the revolutionary crisis.
Statements that resonate eerily today, in light of what the von der Leyen Commission and the European People’s Party-dominated EP are up to these days regarding farming, and its climate policies in general, the Romania crisis, or circumventing the will of the European electorates with their undemocratic tactics.
What most mainstream media reports fail to mention regarding the incident in the parliament is that Meloni did not bring the manifesto up out of the blue. She spoke up in reaction to the fact that several speakers at a pro-EU demonstration held in Rome last Saturday—including members of the opposition in the Lower House—cited the Manifesto. Meloni remarked in parliament that she was not really clear on what kind of Europe opposition voices keep referring to.
“I don’t know if this is your Europe, but it’s certainly not mine,” Meloni said of the 1941 manifesto, circulated at the time within the Italian Resistance and soon to become the programme of the European Federalist Movement. Referring to those who referenced the manifesto at the Saturday protest, she added she hoped “they haven’t read it, because the alternative would be scary.”
Opposition MPs lost it completely when Meloni dared to quote the Manifesto verbatim. Many yelled “Shame!”, and one representative even called on her to “kneel before the founding father[s]” of Europe instead of denigrating them.
The Italian (and European) Left is still hellbent on defending the indefensible, in the name of the erstwhile sacred cows of the progressive European elites—taboos that cannot be talked about and even less broken. As the Italian Communist outlet Il Manifesto argued, Meloni “took the quotes out of their historical context,” prompting the former Italian minister of health to shout “This is an apology of fascism!”
Once again, the tired old accusation of fascism is the last resort for progressives unable to rebut valid arguments on the Right. It highlights the core flaws of their ideas. And in Italy, they have still not recovered from the shock of having a prime minister who is not afraid of taking them on, and coherently and consistently speaks her mind on issues that were swept under the carpet for so long.
Somali refugee on trial in Germany for breaking into house and sexually abusing 9-year-old twins during wedding celebration
A 28-year-old refugee from Somalia is facing charges after breaking into a home in Germany during a family wedding celebration and sexually abusing 9-year-old twin children.
Darmstadt Regional Court heard how Mahamad A., entered the property in Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Hesse, on Oct. 5 last year at around 11 p.m. through an unlocked front door.
While around 30 guests celebrated a wedding downstairs, the Somali migrant, intoxicated with alcohol and cannabis, allegedly made his way upstairs to the children’s bedrooms, Bild reported.
Public prosecutor Dominik van Gember detailed how the suspect first sneaked into the boy’s room on the first floor, exposed himself, and attempted to remove the boy’s pajama pants. When the child, Ben (name changed), woke up in fear, he ran to his mother, Elke H., a doctor, who initially thought he had imagined the event and returned him to bed. However, moments later, his twin sister Marie (name changed) appeared, stripped down to her underpants.
“I went to the bathroom with her, and at that moment, Ben shouted: ‘Help, help, there’s someone here!’” Elke H. recalled. The suspect had allegedly re-entered Ben’s room.
A federal police officer, who was among the wedding guests, intervened and detained Mahamad A. until law enforcement arrived. Authorities found him in possession of two stuffed animals which he had on his person upon entering the property.
The court heard how the suspect had been living in Germany since 2017 and previously worked as a forklift driver.
He denied the charges during a police interview, stating, “I didn’t do anything.”
However, the defendant later claimed in court that while he did admit to breaking into the house, he had no memory of his crimes.
Both child victims are due to testify in court in the coming days.
France prepares ‘survival manual’ for every household in case of war
The French government is preparing to distribute a “survival manual” to every household to prepare citizens for catastrophic events, including war.
“The survival manual aims to encourage citizens to develop their resilience in the face of different crises,” a spokespersonfor Prime Minister François Bayrou told CNN.
“This includes natural disasters, technological and cyber incidents, health crises like COVID-19, and security crises like terrorist attacks and armed conflict,” she added.
If approved by the prime minister, the 20-page booklet will be sent to every household in France before summer.
The recommendations include having emergency contacts at hand (fire department, ambulance, police), knowing the relevant radio channels, and ensuring all windows and doors are shut in the case of a nuclear accident.
The survival manual also recommends having emergency supplies, including six liters (1.6 gallons) of water, a dozen cans of food, a flashlight, and batteries to prepare for power outages, as well as basic medical supplies.
The booklet also appears to be an attempt by the government to get more people to join the military forces, as it outlines possibilities to help “defend the community,” such as joining the reserve units or local firefighters.
CNN reports that Sweden and Finland have issued similar instructions to their citizens.
French President Emanuel Macron announced earlier this month that he wants “a major overhaul” of France’s military, including bolstering the number of operational reservists from currently 40,000 to 100,000 by 2035.
During an address at a military base in France earlier this week, he said additional investment in military capacities will be announced soon.
“Our country and our continent must continue to defend themselves, equip themselves, and prepare if we want to avoid war,” Macron said. “This is the choice we have made and will continue to make. No one can say what will happen in the months and years to come.”
The prime minister’s spokesperson echoed Macron’s words, stating that “the first step in citizen engagement is to be informed about threats and stay updated.”
“Engagement can also mean joining associations, such as the reserve forces,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to ensure citizens are ready to respond in the event of a crisis.”
Germany: Syrian man threatens woman in public for allegedly wearing indecent clothing on Ramadan
On Wednesday afternoon ( March 19), a 46-year-old Syrian man and a 17-year-old Syrian woman allegedly got into an argument on the station forecourt in Mühldorf am Inn. The man is said to have said that he did not agree with the 17-year-old’s style of dress, called her a ‘whore’ and threatened her with serious physical violence. The federal police are now investigating various criminal offences.
At around 4.30 p.m., a citizen reported a verbal argument between two people on the forecourt of Mühldorf am Inn railway station to the Federal Police. Officers from the local federal police station encountered both people, a 46-year-old Syrian national and a 17-year-old Syrian woman unknown to him. The accused allegedly threatened to hit her on the head and kick her on the ground. He also allegedly called her a ‘hooker’, ‘slut’ and ‘whore’. The reason: her style of dress during the fasting month of Ramadan. The scene is said to have been recorded on film by bystanders and the injured party.
A check of the suspect’s personal details revealed that he was already known to the police for various criminal offences. These included: Assault, insult, theft, sexual assault, resistance and assault on law enforcement officers. For the latter offence, the remainder of a prison sentence of one year and ten months was suspended and a supervision order (Section 68b StGB) was issued against the accused. This stipulates that the 46-year-old may not consume alcohol or narcotics during the probation period. He must prove this through checks several times a month. Violations of the conditions of the supervision order are punishable by law (Section 145a StGB).
Federal police officers measured the accused’s breath alcohol level at 2.25 per mille and found various bottles of high-proof alcohol in his rucksack. He now faces criminal proceedings for insulting behaviour, threatening behaviour and breach of supervision. Whether this will lead to the revocation of his probation will have to be examined by the enforcement chamber at Traunstein District Court.
Uproar over readings about the Islamist terrorist organisation IS at a school in Vienna, Austria
German lessons at a new secondary school in the Viennese district of Neustadt are causing a stir among some parents. In the second semester of a fourth grade class, a book dealing exclusively with the Islamic State (IS) is to take centre stage. The FPÖ Lower Austria sharply criticises this lesson plan.
Michael Sommer, education spokesman for the FPÖ Lower Austria and member of the provincial parliament, described the school’s approach in a press release as a ‘genuflection to radical Islam’. He calls for an immediate change in the content of the lessons and explains: ‘German lessons should teach pupils our language in spoken and written form and not spend an entire semester working on a book about IS and the holy war.’
Some parents have concerns about the subject matter of the book and find it unsuitable for 13 to 14-year-olds. ‘Some mums and dads are downright desperate,’ says Sommer. One concerned mother describes her impressions: ‘My son goes to secondary school. They have been given a book that they have to read. I looked at it and it made me sick.’ Although the parents expressed their concerns, these were dismissed by the school. The school had emphasised that the choice of reading and topics was their sole responsibility.
The content of the book is criticised in particular, which according to Mr Sommer ‘glorifies radical Islam and IS and brands Christians as enemies’. He is outraged that pupils ‘have to empathise with such people in their school work and write texts from their point of view’. This is ‘almost scandalous’, said the FPÖ education spokesman.
Mr Sommer announced an enquiry to the Lower Austrian Education Directorate to clarify the incident. ‘There must be complete clarification and consequences,’ he said. It is particularly worrying that the content of the book is the only source material for the next school assignment, although it causes some children ‘massive discomfort when reading’.
According to the report published by Heute, the book in question is entitled ‘’Crescent over Rakka‘’. The description reads: ‘Nico’s former girlfriend, Leila, ran away from home and went to fight in the jihad in Syria. How could this happen without anyone in the class noticing anything unusual about her?’ During his investigations, Nico meets Ahmed, a teenager with whom he used to play football, in a mosque. Nico spends a lot of time with Ahmed and his friends, but gets deeper and deeper into the network of radical Islamists and at the same time into the sights of the state security services.
Later, he and Ahmed want to leave for Syria, but Nico’s mother prevents her son from doing so. So Ahmed travels alone. He sends Nico ‘enthusiastic emails’ from Syria. But then the situation changes, as the book description continues, ‘and soon Ahmed is no longer sure whether the enemy comes from outside or is inside IS’.
Canadian Trans-Identified Male Who Raped, Tortured, and Killed 13 Year-Old Girl Threatened Female Inmates While In Women’s Prison
Reduxx has learned that a sadistic killer who is serving a life sentence for brutally raping and torturing a 13 year-old girl was transferred in to a women’s prison in Canada before being removed to an unknown detention center. While incarcerated at Grand Valley Institution (GVI) in Ontario, Michael Williams, who identifies as transgender and calls himself Bunny Autumn Colasimone, immediately began threatening female inmates and had to be removed within days as a result.
Heather Mason, an advocate for the rights of incarcerated women, learned about the situation after she was contacted by female inmates currently housed at GVI. Mason is a founding member of Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights, a non-partisan coalition of women working to advocate for single-sex spaces and sex-based rights. She also sits on the board of directors for Strength in Sisterhood (SIS), a group of women who have survived prison and are working to end female incarceration. Mason has been a vocal advocate against the transfer of men to women’s institutions.
Female inmates at GVI told Mason that Williams arrived at the women’s facility on March 6, having been transferred from maximum-security Millhaven Penitentiary for male offenders.
Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI), located in Kitchener, is organized into a campus-style setting with several buildings, or “houses,” where inmates live together. The correctional facility contains minimum, medium, and maximum security units. The compound is designed to resemble a residential community, with the aim of assisting the reintegration of federally-sentenced women into society.
“I am told that he arrived Thursday from Millhaven and was forcibly transferred out on Monday after a tense standoff with CSC negotiation teams and tactical units. Apparently, he had a weapon and was threatening to use it against a correctional officer,” Mason told Reduxx.
“So, he lasted on Pod 1 for 30 minutes on Thursday. He put his hair up, was posturing, cracking his knuckles, and threatening to fight the women. They all got locked down and two women called me just hours after it happened,” she added.
In 2005, Williams was a participant in the horrific abduction, gang rape and murder of 13 year-old Nina Courtepatte. Williams, who was 17 at the time, was among a group of three adults and two teens who picked Courtepatte out of a crowd at Edmonton Mall in a deliberate plot to rape her. His accomplices: Michael Briscoe, Joseph Laboucan, Stephanie Rosa Bird, and Williams’ girlfriend, an underage teen known only as “Buffy.”
On April 3, 2005, the group lured Courtepatte away from the mall by promising to take her to a rave. Instead, they drove her to a golf course where Buffy testified that ringleader Laboucan had told the two girls, “You get a choice: whichever of you kills the other gets to live.”
Laboucan then proceeded to rape the young girl, after which Briscoe held her down as Williams raped her. Williams, who was nicknamed “Pyro,” then attempted to light the girl’s body on fire.
Stephanie Bird, formerly Briscoe’s girlfriend, testified that she was made to hold Courtepatte down while Williams beat the girl’s genitals with a sledgehammer. Laboucan then joined in on brutalizing Courtepatte, choking her with a wrench and stabbing her. She succumbed to her injuries, and her body was found the next day on a fairway.
Williams, who was 17 at the time, was tried as an adult and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison and reportedly showed no remorse for his actions.
Legal defense for Williams attempted to argue that he should be sent to a medium security prison, rather than a high security facility. However, the young killer had been diagnosed as “highly psychopathic” during a psychological assessment, and the judge denied the request.
While incarcerated in a men’s prison, Williams became engaged to an inmate named Frank Colasimone, sentenced in 2016 to a minimum of seven and a half years for drug offenses and armed robbery. Around this time, he renamed himself Michelle Autumn Colasimone.
In 2020, The Toronto Sun reported that sources inside the Kent Institution in BC said Williams was “having the time of his life” and that he had begun identifying as transgender.
“He is now sitting in segregation at Kent awaiting transfer to FVI (Fraser Valley Institute, a women’s prison),” one source said. “He was at FVI before but got transferred back to Kent because he got caught having sexual relations with female inmates.”
The source also said that Williams remained “fully intact” and “only takes hormone replacement therapy drugs two weeks a month so he can maintain an erection.”
Over the past decade, the sadistic sex offender has been transferred repeatedly in and out of women’s and men’s prisons due to his “maladaptive behaviour.”
One inmate told The Sun that Williams was “determined to be at high risk to offend violently,” and added: “I fear for the women that will soon be exposed to him. We need to stop this.”
Meanwhile, Williams’ lover, Frank Colasimone, had also begun identifying as transgender and claiming to be a woman. When Williams was first transferred to women’s prison FVI in 2018, Colasimone joined him shortly afterwards.
In the fall 2018 Women’s Prison Network newsletter, for which Williams designed the front cover, the child rapist complained that corrections officers had separated him from his fiancé, “who is another inmate in the same prison.” He also described himself as a “major problem who causes serious institutional adjustment.”
“CSC (Correctional Services Canada) does not like me since I helped to change a law that tells them what to do!” Williams boasted. “I am a transgender inmate who played a major role in the amendment of the Canadian Human Rights Act in regards to gender identity / expression (Bill C-16).”
According to an anonymous whistleblower, in one of the institutions where Williams has been placed, Saskatchewan Penitentiary for men, he was allegedly teaching male inmates how to claim to be transgender in order to secure a transfer to the female estate.
In 2021, Mason submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on the current situation in federal prisons in relation to reports of sexual coercion and violence.
In her report, Mason told lawmakers that Williams was “reported to have been giving groups of men lessons on how to self-identify as transgender and request transfer to a women’s prison.”
She also noted that William’s partner, Colasimone, was “rumored to have impregnated a female prisoner” during his time at FVI women’s prison.
On March 3, Colasimone was released on parole. The decision was made despite the Parole Board’s acknowledgement that he had amassed over 73 convictions, “thus showcasing deeply entrenched criminal values.”
However, the board pointed out that Colasimone had been involved in treatment programs for women: “You have been engaged in your Correctional plan, and since your return to custody in 2022, you completed the Women Offender Self Management Program in October of 2023, and the program
report indicates that you participated actively and set realistic goals.”
The Parole Board of Canada ordered Colasimone to be released to a Community Residential Facility, which it said would “provide… the support, supervision and structure that will allow you
to reduce your risk of reoffending.” Though the details remain unspecified, it is likely Colasimone will be sent to a residential facility for women.
There have been numerous instances of violent male sex offenders being transferred in to women’s prisons in Canada. Last month, Reduxx revealed that trans-identified male Frederick Radcliffe, who is serving an indefinite prison sentence for sexual offenses, including the rape of a 13 year-old girl, began sexually assaulting multiple female inmates after he was transferred into a women’s prison.
Last September, violent transgender inmate Cassidy Honsinger was released on parole after serving his sentence in a women’s federal prison. Honsinger stabbed a 17 year-old girl repeatedly in a park in Cornwall, Ontario, but was housed at the Grand Valley Institution for Women for a portion of his sentence.
“The Left HATE that an ENGLISHMAN is the World’s Greatest Writer”
NCF Senior Fellow Rafe Heydel-Mankoo debates the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s decision to decolonize its collection to eliminate “white supremacy”.
Spain: 71.4% of all new jobs in the last 5 years went to foreigners while young Spaniards flee the country
Spain is following trends seen across the Western world, which involve young rudderless people increasingly shunned from the job market, especially if they are natives, and jobs increasingly going to foreigners.
The data from Spain shows the extreme trend line, where of all the jobs created between 2019 to 2024, 71.4 percent of them went to foreigners, according to a study by the Foundation for Applied Economic Studies (Fedea).
“We are importing waiters and bricklayers while exporting doctors and engineers, which is a tragedy because we have spent a fortune training them, and they represent the great talent on which the country’s growth and the concentration of high-value-added companies depend,” said Jesús Vega, former Director of Human Resources at Inditex and Banco Santander, in an interview with El Debate.
He argued that Spain’s labor policies “are driving away those salaries that truly contribute to the country.”
Now, foreigners account for 20.7 percent of all workers in the country, with these workers flowing into the construction, hospitality, and elementary occupations, along with technical positions, although to a lesser extent. These are generally considered low-skill positions, which the experts behind the study said is tied to the fact that foreigners coming into Spain generally have lower education levels than Spanish natives.
During that time period, the study notes that there has been an increase of nearly 2 million workers and a decrease in unemployment of 438,000 people. However, nearly all of those jobs went to people over the age of 50, amounting to 74.7 percent. Meanwhile, 634,000 jobs were lost over five years for those in the 30 to 44 age group.
Within the age group of 45-49, there has been only a 70,000 increase in jobs.
Spain, which has already struggled for decades with youth unemployment, is only getting worse in this regard. Now, the number of workers over 50 rose by five points, to 35 percent in the last five years.
What the experts behind the study argue is that while foreigners are increasingly taking jobs, along with older workers, young workers are increasingly dropping out of the labor force. Some of these young workers may also simply be moving away from Spain entirely, which the data appears to support.
Migration outflow data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INE) shows that in the first half of 2022, 220,443 people left the country, the highest figure since 2013. That year was at a high point of the country’s financial crisis, which saw unemployment at 25 percent. The data also shows that the age group that left in 2022 at the highest rate was the 25 to 39 group.
These same trends are being seen across the West, with low-skilled migrants flooding countries and driving down wages. In many cases, this influx of foreigners also leads to soaring housing prices, which in turn leaves native-born young people unable to purchase a home. In countries like the U.S., and Canada, the trend has been especially extreme, with millions of jobs flowing to foreigners at the expense of native-born Americans. Corporations have also actively discriminated against White males through DEI programs, exacerbating the trend.
Big Business has traditionally seen mass immigration as a positive, as it drives down wages, creates competition for jobs, and also lowers the chances of labor unions forming due to differences between culture, religion and ethnicity amongst workers.
Germany: Toward a New Domination of Europe?
In the opera Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner, the Rhine Gold is a magical treasure guarded by the Rhine Maidens (Rheinmädchen). This gold can be forged into a ring that gives its holder unlimited power. By arrogating to himself the power to put Germany into debt in a way that no chancellor has done since 1945, Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor, will be taking on an unrivalled power: that of dominating Europe.
Germany has just announced the creation of a special “infrastructure fund” (Sondervermögen) of €500 billion ($545 billion) to be spent over a maximum of 12 years, and €40 billion in additional military spending per year, bringing the annual German defense budget up to 3%. The infrastructure fund, which will not be subject to the strict constitutional rules limiting government budget deficits and debt, is intended to meet urgent needs, overriding the budgetary constraints imposed by the “debt brake” (Schuldenbremse) enshrined in 2009 by then Chancellor Angela Merkel in the constitution.
The main reason given is the need to rearm Germany in the face of Russia’s war economy and its 1.2 million mobilized soldiers. In concrete terms, German public debt will rise from 60% of GDP to at least 80%.
Military
Faced with a potential US disengagement from Europe — which remains to be seen — and growing geopolitical tensions (notably with Russia and the war in Ukraine), Merz is insisting on the need for Germany and Europe to strengthen their defense capabilities. He has declared that a “whatever it takes” approach must be applied to defense, and underlined the urgent need to act before the new Bundestag (lower house of parliament) is constituted on March 25, 2025.
Amending the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag. However, when the new Bundestag resulting from the February elections is convened, the CDU/SPD/Green coalition will no longer have a two-thirds majority. For this reason, a constitutional amendment was passed by the Bundestag on March 18 in a move that was legal but hardly democratic, by using a lame-duck parliamentary majority to rush the decision before the newly elected majority is assembled. The amendment now awaits passage by the Bundesrat (upper house of parliament)
Merz’s CDU/SPD/Green coalition agreement provides for defense spending in excess of 1% of GDP to be exempt from the debt brake, thereby freeing up around €40 billion a year. Germany could thus reach 3% of GDP in military spending every year, in line with NATO’s ambitions — and the (completely justified) reminders from the US President Donald Trump.
This spending will finance the modernization of the German military — and related areas such as civil protection, the intelligence services and aid to Ukraine. German’s Bundeswehr could once again become Europe’s leading army.
Infrastructure
The constitutional amendment passed on March 18 by the Bundestag includes the following article:
“The Federal Government may establish a special fund with its own borrowing authority for additional investments in infrastructure and for additional investments to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, with a volume of up to €500 billion. Additionality is deemed to exist if an appropriate investment quota is achieved in the federal budget in the respective fiscal year. Article 109, paragraph 3, and Article 115, paragraph 2, do not apply to the borrowing authority. Investments from the special fund can be approved within a term of twelve years. Transfers from the special fund to the Climate and Transformation Fund will be made in the amount of €100 billion. Further details are regulated by federal law.”
The most important word in this amendment is the fourth, “may”: the government gives itself the option of spending €500 billion, but it is not an obligation. The scope of this amendment is therefore to derogate from the rule on indebtedness, not to oblige the government to make any expenditure (which is important for the “Climate and Transformation Fund” part of these expenditures, more on that below).
Germany has unfortunately been suffering from chronic under-investment in its infrastructure (roads, bridges, railways, schools, communications networks), exacerbated by years of other budgetary preferences under Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz. Merz apparently sees these investments as a lever for reviving an economy that has been in recession for two years — and he is probably right.
The special fund for infrastructure is endowed with €500 billion over 12 years (initially planned for 10 years, extended to satisfy the Greens). These funds will finance specific projects such as the upgrading and modernization of rail networks, school buildings and communications networks.
This expenditure will be strictly “additional” and will not be able to finance current expenditures.
The Green Amendment
To obtain the support of the environmentalist Green Party — essential for a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag — Merz had to include an environmental dimension in the fund. €100 billion — 20% of the fund — is dedicated to climate measures: the “energy transition,” environmental protection and decarbonization projects. Initially set at €50 billion, this sum was doubled after negotiations with the Greens. That concession made it possible to win them over.
Voices were immediately raised denouncing the inclusion of climate change in the constitution. These are legitimate concerns.
Germans generally take the law seriously, and the amendment to the constitution states that €100 billion will be devoted to climate objectives. This is certainly not a state objective or obligation. In fact, the German constitution defines state objectives: human dignity, democracy, the welfare state (Sozialstaat), rule of law (Rechtsstaat), as well as environmental protection. From this point of view, the amendment changes nothing, and focuses exclusively on that €100 billion to be spent on “climate and transformation.”
What is certain, however, is that the Merz program in no way calls into question the environmentalist ideology that has dominated German politics for the past 15 years. Yet this transition is precisely what has led to the ongoing destruction of German industry, with no measurable effect on the climate. Despite the hundreds of billions already spent by Germany on its energy transition, Germany still emits ten times more CO2 per unit of energy produced than nuclear-powered France.
Above all, the imperatives of the arms industry — think of Rheinmetall, whose share price has risen by 180% in the last six months — are radically irreconcilable with going “carbon-neutral.” Germany cannot destroy its industry and rebuild it at the same time.
By giving himself the right to spend an extra €500 billion over 12 years on infrastructure and climate change, and additional to that, spend “whatever it takes” for the German military — €40 billion more per year being the best available estimate — Merz is assuming considerable power, the likes of which no German chancellor has had since 1945.
As the allocation of these resources is formulated in broad and vague terms, the chancellor will have immense power in the allocation of funds. In addition, the German military will be financed to the tune of €120 billion per year, giving it the potential to become the strongest force in Europe — France spends roughly €55 billion a year. Here again, the power of Germany and its chancellor is growing considerably.
It certainly seems as if Das Rheingold is emerging from the deep.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21483/germany-domination-europe