ECOCIDE

Salvage operation for burning oil tanker in Red Sea to commence
 

Salvage operations of the immobilized MV Delta Sounion are to commence with support from the European Union's maritime military operation in the Red Sea. 

Photo courtesy of Eunavfor Aspides/X


Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A salvage operation for an immobilized and burning oil tanker in the Red Sea where Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial and military vessels is about to commence, Europe's military mission in the region said Monday.

The Greek-owned and Greek-flagged MV Delta Sounion with some 1 million barrels of crude oil on board was attacked by the Iran proxy militia early Aug. 21 as it was en route from Iraq to Greece via the Red Sea.

Its crew of two Russian and 23 Filipino sailors was evacuated, and the ship was abandoned. At least five fires have since been observed burning on the vessel around the hatches of its oil tanks, with officials warning the ship and its oil contents pose not only an environmental but navigational hazard.

Pentagon officials late last month said previous salvage operations were thwarted by Houthi threats of attack while voicing concern that the vessel appears to be leaking oil.

Related

UKMTO: Merchant vessel struck by 2 projectiles in Red Sea
Pentagon: Houthi-attacked tanker is leaking oil
EU military operation rescues crew of Greek oil tanker hit by Red Sea attack

Eunavfor Aspides, the European Union's military operation in the Red Sea, maintains that there is no visible sign of an oil spill.

On Monday, it announced that salvage operations conducted by third parties were to begin, though specifics were scant.

The EU military mission said in a statement that it will provide tug boats for the operation and "facilitate their efforts to prevent an environmental disaster."

It said that the vessel poses "a significant environmental threat" due to the quantity of oil it is holding.

Embolden by Israel's war in Gaza, the Houthis of Yemen have since mid-November been enforcing a military blockage of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by attacking merchant vessels as well as U.S. and British military ships that attempt to transit the all-important trade route.

The Iran proxy militia claims the blockade is in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza.

The Houthis have seized at least one ship, sunk two and killed four sailors amid its roughly 150 attacks on vessels during its blockade.

The announcement came as two unidentified merchant vessels in the Red Sea were hit, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

One was struck by two projectiles early Monday about 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. The second was struct about five hours later near the first attack, about 58 nautical miles west of Al Hudaydah, Yemen.

Neither vessel suffered casualties and both were continuing to transit to their next port of call.

UKMTO: Merchant vessel struck by 2 projectiles in Red Sea

Sept. 2, 2024 

Another merchant vessel was seemingly attack in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Trade Organization said Monday. Image courtesy of United Kingdom Trade Organization/Release

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A merchant vessel transiting the Red Sea where the Houthi Rebels of Yemen have been attacking ships was struck by two unknown projectiles early Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note.

The maritime observation agency said the vessel was hit about 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. A third explosion was also reported in close proximity to the vessel.

"Damage control is underway," the agency said, citing the ship's master.

No casualties were reported onboard and the ship is proceeding to its next port of call, it said.

The ship was not identified.

The Iran-backed Houthis, embolden by Israel's war against Hamas, have been enforcing a military blockade of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Mid-November, attacking vessels that transit the region. they claim it is in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza where Israel is waging war against the other Iran proxy militia.

The rebels have seized one vessel, sunken two and killed at least four sailors amid the blockade, which has seen the Houthis launch some 150 attacks at commercial and military ships.

Salvage Plan Prepared as Greecearns of Oil Leak from Soun

Sounion continues to burn with images appearing to show an oil leak (EUNAVFOR Aspides)

Published Aug 30, 2024 1:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The salvage plan is being prepared with a salvage team organized as they race against time to prevent an environmental disaster in the Red Sea from the burning Greek tanker Sounion. After contradictory statements and images from the various authorities regarding a possible leak, Greece submitted an urgent notice to the International Maritime Organization late on Thursday, August 29.

“According to a satellite image obtained evening hours of 29 August 2024 by the Satellite Services of European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), a potential spill of about 2.2 nautical miles length has been detected. The position of the oil spill matches with the location of the ship,” said the urgent notice from the Director General for Shipping of Greece.

The vessel is loaded with 150,000 tons of crude oil and the fires started by the Houthi appear to be spreading to additional tanks based on the images. However, there has been some speculation that the first oil leaks might be from the bunkers and the damaged engine room of the vessel. The Houthis’ video showed several holes above the waterline in the hull from the series of attacks. 

 

 

The Dutch company Boskalis confirmed that it “has been asked to help salvage the tanker Sounion,” according to a report in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. A spokesperson for Boskalis said that SMIT is capable of carrying out such a salvage but noted the dangers from the Houthi attacks and unrest in the region. In addition to the fires that were set in the tanks, there are fears that there could be additional explosives on the Sounion. 

Boskalis’s SMIT salvage group undertook the operation aboard the FSO Safer in the same region before the hostilities. They successfully transferred the oil to a new tanker and cleaned the FSO Safer in preparation for its removal for scrapping. The UN operation however was not completed because of a need for additional funds and the start of the attacks by the Houthis in November 2023.

Salvage teams are expected to approach the Sounion and begin a survey to confirm the plan which would either focus on a ship-to-ship transfer or attempting to move the tanker. Reuters is quoting unnamed sources saying the first efforts could begin over the weekend. 

“Greece urges all nations and all actors involved to assist in preventing the environmental hazard and resolving the situation the soonest possible,” says the statement attributed to Rear Admiral H.C.G. Lagadianos Nikolaos.

Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis told reporters that he spoke with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister and that they were coordinating efforts. Bloomberg is reporting that Saudi Arabia would oversee the transfer of the oil while both Bloomberg and Reuters are saying the tanker will be moved to Djibouti. 

The Houthis said on Thursday that they would permit a salvage attempted but denied a statement from Iran that there would be a ceasefire. As if to prove the point, late on Friday the Houthis fired two missiles at an unidentified merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden. Reports to UKMTO said the first landed in the water 50 meters from the bow and a second was to the stern of the vessel. The ship was not hit and continuing on course. 

Houthis Step Up Attacks After Denying Iran’s Statement Last Week of 

A Greek-managed shuttle tanker appears to have been today's primary target as the Houthis stepped up their attacks (file photo)

Published Sep 2, 2024 12:18 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Several vessels have come under attack from the Houthis after the militant group denied last week a statement from Iran that there would be a pause to salvage the burning Greek tanker Sounion. The Houthis have vowed not to interrupt the salvage effort, but said they would continue targeting other ships.

Today’s primary target appears to be a Greek-owned, Panama-registered shuttle tanker transiting south in the Red Sea. The vessel, Blue Lagoon I (148,533 dwt) reported being hit by two projectiles which were later confirmed to be missiles. The tanker was displaying a message on its AIS saying it was carrying a Russian-origin cargo and coming from the Russian terminal of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea.

The vessel was proceeding but the UK Maritime Trade Operations said that “damage control” was underway. The tanker was approximately 70 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen. Later it was reported that there was a third explosion near the vessel. UKMTO was informed there are no causalities. The speculation is that the vessel was targeted because its managers, Sea Trade Marine of Greece, have sent other vessels to Israel.

Following the targeting of the Blue Lagoon I, a Saudi-owned and registered tanker, Amjad (298,886 dwt) northbound in the Red Sea reported it was hit by an aerial drone. The crude oil tanker which is loaded with as much as two million barrels of oil is managed by Bahri and was transmitting its AIS signal. It was near the Blue Lagoon I prompting speculation that it was not the target for the attack. The vessel reported it was proceeding.

Late on Friday, the Houthis also resumed attacks on a Liberian-registered, Greek-managed containership. The vessel, Groton, was first attacked on August 3 sustaining damage and diverting to Djibouti. Shortly after departing Djibouti while the vessel was 130 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen two missiles exploded near the vessel late on Friday night, August 29. Unconfirmed reports are that the vessel might have again experienced minor damage.

The Houthis took responsibility for Friday’s attack on the Groton highlighting that they were continuing to target the same ship because of the shipping company’s business with Israel. The Houthis late on Monday also highlighted the attack on the Blue Lagoon I as part of their campaign against companies working with Israel. There was no mention of the drone strike on the Saudi vessel.

U.S. Central Command also issued a series of updates on new intercepts. On August 31, they said an aerial drone and an uncrewed surface boat had been destroyed. The previous day they said two aerial drones had been intercepted and the day before that an aerial drone and a missile. These were the first intercepts announced by CENTCOM since August 23.

This latest wave comes as unconfirmed reports from Greece said the salvage efforts of the Sounion commenced midday on Monday, September 2. The reports indicated three warships from the EUNAVFOR Aspides operation are positioning to protect the Sounion and two tugs were due to arrive at the burning tanker later in the day on Monday. The tow is expected to proceed slowly with the speculation being that they will go to Djibouti, but for security reasons, few details are being released.

AMERIKA

Thousands of hotel workers strike for better wages, fairer workloads


Some 10,000 hotel workers formed picket lines in eight cities across the United States on Sunday as they called for better wages and the restoration of job cuts made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of UNITE HERE/X

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Thousands of hotel workers have gone on strike across the United States following months of failed negotiations on higher wages, fairer staffing and better workloads.

The UNITE HERE union said some 10,000 hotel workers at 24 hotels including the Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott walked off the job and formed picket lines Sunday in the cities of Boston, Mass.; Greenwich, Conn.; Honolulu and Kauai, Hawaii; San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif.; and Seattle, Wash. According to a statement from the union, each city's strikes will last two or three days.

Strikes have also been authorized for Baltimore, Md.; New Haven, Conn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Providence, R.I.; with the union stating those work actions could begin at anytime.

The union has accused the hotels of taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to cut staffing and guest services amid low demand, but have not resumed hiring with the resumption of tourism.

The response from hotels not only caused workers to lose their jobs but created painful working conditions and increased workloads for those who remained on the frontlines, it said.

The strike, it said, is in demand of increasing wages and reversing the COVID-19-era cuts as well as improving staffing and workload conditions.

"Ten thousand hotel workers across the U.S. are on strike because the hotel industry has gotten off track," Gwen Mills, international president of UNITE HERE, said in the statement.

"During COVID, everyone suffered, but now the hotel industry is making record profits while workers and guests are left behind."

Mills said too many hotels haven't restored standards and services to pre-pandemic levels, affecting daily housekeeping and room services, while workers on staff are needing to get a second job to deal with rising living costs.

"Many can no longer afford to live in the cities that they welcome guests to, and painful workloads are breaking their bodies," Mills said.

"We won't accept a 'new normal' where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers."

Videos and images of picket lines formed outside of hotels were plastered on the union's social media accounts Sunday.


"Tick Tock! Time has run out and we are outside rewriting history," UNITE HERE Local 26, the union for Massachusetts and Rhode Island hotel workers, said in caption to a video showing picketing workers.




Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, posted a message of support online.

"I sand in solidarity with Local 26 because one job should be enough," she said on X. "I support these workers now as they fight for a fair contract."

Ed Flynn, a Boston City council member, described the strike as being about "social and economic justice for working families."

"These working men and women @UNITEDHERE 26 are on strike. Fighting for a new contract and to be treated with dignity and respect," he said on X.

The Jerry Lewis Holocaust movie no one has ever seen

Scott Roxborough

DW

August 30, 2024

At the Venice Film Festival, a new documentary will reveal never-before-seen footage from "The Day the Clown Cried." The 1972 Holocaust movie by comedian Jerry Lewis was never released, but has gained near-mythic status.

Jerry Lewis plays the clown who marches children to their deaths during the Holocaust

LIKE THE PIED PIPER OF HAMLIN

Image: STF/AFP/Getty Images

Jerry Lewis, the legendary American comedian, once made a film so controversial it was never seen by the public.

"The Day the Clown Cried," shot in 1972, tells the story of a circus clown who leads children to their deaths in a Nazi concentration camp.

The film's plot alone is enough to raise eyebrows but its troubled production history and subsequent disappearance — the film has never been released to the public and legal issues ensure it likely never will be — have elevated it to near-mythical status among film buffs.

"If you just tell people: Jerry Lewis wrote, directed and starred in a drama about a clown in a concentration camp leading children into the gas chambers, people say: 'What? How have I never heard of this movie, how have I never seen it?'" says Shawn Levy, author of "King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis."

A new documentary, "From Darkness to Light," explores the making of "The Day the Clown Cried" and Lewis' complicated relationship with it. The documentary will screen at this year's Venice Film Festival. While it won't show the full film, it promises never-before-seen footage of the movie, providing a glimpse into this enduring Hollywood mystery.

A slapstick comedy icon, Jerry Lewis transformed himself into a serious filmmaker in the 1970s

Image: STF/AFP/Getty Images

'Nutty Professor' tries to get serious

Lewis, who died in 2017 aged 91, was a showbiz legend who was best known for slapstick comedies like "Cinderfella" and "The Nutty Professor."

In the early 1970s, with his career on the skids, he made a bid to be taken more seriously.

He was offered the starring role in "The Day the Clown Cried," based on a script by publicist-turned-TV producer, Joan O’Brien, and Charles Denton, then a TV critic with the Los Angeles Examiner.

The story follows a German circus performer in the 1940s who gets sent to a concentration camp for drunkenly mocking Hitler onstage.

Once there, he is tasked with entertaining Jewish children to distract them as they are being led to the gas chambers. In the movie's final act, the clown chooses to join the children inside the gas chamber and die with them. It's a comedy. Supposedly.

Something in the story apparently appealed to Lewis, who was Jewish, since he threw himself into the work.

He toured Dachau and Auschwitz for research and went on a grapefruit diet to shed 35 pounds (16 kg) to look more gaunt for the role.

He also rewrote the script to make it better fit his slapstick style, adding jokes and pratfalls and changing the protagonist's name from the more generic Karl Schmidt to ... Helmut Doork. Get it?


Production problems and legal hassles

The production of "The Day the Clown Cried" was plagued from the start by legal issues.

Nathan Wachsberger, the producer who had hired Lewis, did not have the rights to make the movie. He only had an option to adapt the O'Brien/Denton script — an option that had expired by the time Lewis arrived in Europe to start shooting.

Lewis went ahead anyway, investing, by his own account, $2 million (€1.8 million) of his own money to finish the film.

He shot the movie in Paris and Sweden but money was tight. When the production wrapped, the Swedish studio, claiming it was owed $600,000, held back some of the footage and the original negatives.

Undeterred, Lewis headed back to the States with his first rough cut of the film. He screened it for Joan O'Brien, who, as the original author, had final say in whether the movie could be released. It did not go well.

American actor and comedian Jerry Lewis starred and directed what might have been the first Holocaust comedy

Image: Express Newspapers/Getty Images

"She left the screening room in tears," recalls Shawn Levy, "saying, 'This will never see the light of day, I will never give you the rights.' When she passed, she put it in her will: This film can never be shown."

"From Darkness to Light," which screens in the Venice Film Festival's Venice Classics section, will explore the making of the film and Lewis' complicated, decadeslong relation to it.

Co-directed by American director Michael Lurie and German documentarian Eric Friedler, the movie features several minutes of original material from Lewis' film, as well as one of the last interviews Lewis gave on the movie before he died.

Lost masterpiece or complete disaster?

Only a handful of people claim to have seen Lewis' rough cut of "The Day the Clown Cried" and reactions have been mixed.

The French film critic Jean-Michel Frodon said he saw a cut in the early 2000s and he admired it.

American comedian Harry Shearer, who voices several characters on "The Simpsons," including Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders, says he was able to watch the film on a "three-quarter-inch tape" in 1979. In an interview with Spy magazine, Shearer described the experience as watching "a painting on black velvet of Auschwitz."

Lewis himself gave mixed signals about the film throughout his life. "This picture must be seen," he wrote in his 1982 autobiography. In 2013, at a question-and-answer session at the Cannes Film Festival, he told an audience at Cannes that, "no one will ever see it, because I am embarrassed at the poor work ... It was bad, bad, bad. I slipped up."

"I've seen a lot of the original footage, and there were a lot of scenes I thought were great, and there were scenes that were bad, badly shot, where [Lewis] was bad, others where he was really good," said Friedler, speaking in 2016 after the premiere of "Der Clown," an earlier documentary on the making of "The Day the Clown Cried."

"I think he got lost ... maybe if he had more time he could have found a way to make a tragedy, or tragic-comedy, from the material," said Friedler.

He suggests that "The Day the Clown Cried" could have made the Holocaust comedy work nearly 30 years before Roberto Benigni's Oscar-winning "Life is Beautiful" (1997). But Friedler concludes that Lewis "never got the chance."

Comedian, director and singer Jerry Lewis (R) jokes with French clown and filmmaker Pierre Etaix during the "The Day the Clown Cried" shoot

Image: STF/AFP/Getty Images

Why the public still can't see 'The Day the Clown Cried'

In 2015, two years before he died, Lewis donated his personal archive, including materials from "The Day the Clown Cried," to the Library of Congress in the US.

However, the donation came with a stipulation that the footage could not be shown for at least 10 years.

Fans expecting a release next year will be disappointed. The library has confirmed they have only partial negatives of the movie, around 90 minutes of unedited camera rushes without sound, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage. Even then, legal restrictions mean the movie cannot be commercially released.

"Even if you could find the remaining footage and somehow reassemble it, using AI to do the voices, whatever, you still don't have the rights to charge a penny to see this material because O'Brien's estate stipulates that it will not happen," says Levy. "It's a historical document, but will never be a commercial film."

There have been several attempts to remake the original O'Brien and Denton script. A new version is supposedly in the works, with plans to shoot in Europe. But Levy suggests that the mystery surrounding the "lost Jerry Lewis Holocaust comedy" may be more valuable than the film itself.

"Even if the film had succeeded, even if it was 'Schindler's List,' even if it was a masterpiece, it would have shrunk over time," Levy says. "The fact that we can never see it means it has never shrunk, and it never will."

The Galapagos mystery that just won't die

Brenda Haas

09/02/24

DW

Sex, greed and death marred a German group's search for utopia in the 1930s. A new book and a Ron Howard film revisit their media-fodder exploits, including those of a free-loving baroness dubbed "crazy panties."

A doomed love triangle: Baroness Wagner with her two lovers, Robert Philippson (seated left) and Rudolf Lorenz

Image: CAP/NFS/IMAGO

Have you ever considered leaving everything behind and starting anew on a remote island?

In the early 1930s a motley group of Europeans — made up mostly of Germans — did just that. Their destination? Floreana: a then-uninhabited island in the Galapagos off the coast of Ecuador.

Two couples and a tempestuous threesome traveled there in succession seeking their personal paradise, but they ended up making global headlines for their spats, (s)exploits and, in some cases, strange deaths or disappearances.

Dore Strauch and Nietzsche-follower Friedrich Ritter rejected the capitalist Western civilization for a simpler life on the Galapagos islands

Image: CAP/NFS/IMAGO

Searching for paradise

The first pair of utopia seekers to land on Floreana was German physician Friedrich Ritter and his patient-turned-companion, Dore Strauch, who moved to the island in 1929. To preempt any dental issues, Ritter had had all his teeth removed, replacing them with stainless-steel dentures — which the couple eventually shared.

They were dubbed "Adam and Eve" by the press, who first learned of them through Ritter's letters home and accounts of repeat visitors to the island, which included moneyed American explorers conducting zoological surveys.

Rolf (as a baby, seen here in 1933 with from left Heinz, Harry and Margret Wittmer) is said to be the first person born on Floreana

Image: Privat/dpa/picture alliance

Meanwhile, World War I veteran Heinz Wittmer, who had worked in the office of Mayor Konrad Adenauer at Cologne City Hall, was concerned about the health of his teenage son, Harry, and the state of the German economy amid a global depression. Inspired by his German compatriots, he convinced his pregnant new wife, Margret, to move to Floreana in 1932. Margret later gave birth to their son Rolf, said to be the first person born on Floreana.

Then came the trio that upended the already edgy living setup of the others: the imperious Austrian-born Baroness Antonia Wagner von Wehrborn Bosquet and her two German lovers, Rudolf Lorenz and Robert Philippson. She wanted to build a luxury hotel called "Hacienda Paradiso" for passing well-heeled travelers. Besides usurping the island's scant freshwater sources, she intercepted incoming mail and hoarded food deliveries meant for the others; she even declared herself "Empress of Floreana."

Suspicion, accusations, counter-accusations and fights ensued. It was all far from utopian.

The baroness is said to have worked with a riding crop and a pearl-studded revolver

Image: CAP/NFS/IMAGO

Truth stranger than fiction

Unexplained deaths later followed — including that of supposed vegetarian Ritter, who died after eating tainted chicken that Strauch (whom he had physically abused) had fed him.

The baroness and Philippson, who planned to move to Tahiti after their hotel dreams fell through, disappeared without a trace. Lorenz's body was found on another island; it is believed he died of thirst due to the lack freshwater there.

Only the Wittmers persevered.

Today, their descendants run a hotel on Floreana.

In pursuit of happiness

Despite the passage of time, the group's exploits have remained fodder for the press, writers and filmmakers. An episode was dedicated to them on the "Dark Histories" podcast on Spotify in 2022 and in September this year, a book as well as a film by renowned US director Ron Howard will revisit their stories.

Author Abbott Kahler believes the exiles' pursuit of utopia is a human story

Image: Gilbert King

"I think that the dream of these exiles was universal and timeless," US author Abbott Kahler told DW. "Who hasn't wanted to abandon their life and try to build a utopia, try to find something better, try to go to great lengths in your pursuit for happiness? To me, it was not an American story, not a European story, but a human story."

Kahler is the author of "Eden Undone — A True Story of Sex, Murder and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II," to be published in late September. The nonfiction work revisits the stories of the group using extensive archive materials including entries in memoirs, diaries and letters that they had written.

A feminist called 'Crazy Panties'

Kahler discovered their stories by accident. She had been researching for a different book when she came across a clipping about "a baroness who had taken over the Galapagos island of Floreana. Her love slaves are in chains. She's a woman known as 'crazy panties.'"

'Eden Undone,' a new book by Abbott Kahler, revisits the Galapagos mystery

Image: Penguin Random House

The former crime journalist, who has already authored four New York Times-bestselling works of narrative nonfiction, was intrigued. As she delved deeper into their backstories, she was especially fascinated by the baroness.

"She was a feminist — in the sense that she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. She didn't care what anybody thought about her. She didn't have any of those notions about what 'proper' women should be behaving like in that time period. And for that, I admired her greatly," explained Kahler.
Revisiting Eden

Kahler's research also saw her travel from New York to Floreana; it took her two entire days to reach the island. There she met with Wittmer's daughter and granddaughter, and visited the sites where the original exiles lived, retracing some of their treks.

Kahler found it challenging, despite sturdier shoes and modern conveniences. "It just gave me all the more respect for these people trying to do what they did and building a life there because it was very physically and emotionally and mentally grueling and exhausting," she said.

Margret Wittmer (seen here in 1984), lived on Floreana and died in 2000 at the age of 96

Image: Privat/dpa/picture alliance

The same story will also soon be hitting the big screen: Ron Howard's "Eden" is set for a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The star-studded cast includes Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas and German actor Daniel Brühl.

Howard's film and Kahler's book add to the surprising yearslong coverage of this murder-mystery set in paradise; simply Google "Galapagos affair" or "Galapagos Krimi" ("thriller") and various films, documentaries and articles from the past decade turn up.

But what is it about random strangers living too close for comfort that makes for an engrossing story?

A 2017 Austrian play titled 'Galapagos' proves continued interest in the settlers' story

Image: Moritz Schell/Theater in der Josefstadt/dpa/picture alliance

Quipping that "hell is other people," Kahler said the settlers had gone to the Galapagos not expecting others to join them. And each person went there bearing their own inner demons that were neither exacerbated nor erased by the others.

"I think that if you really want to be happy on a desert island, you really have to be alone. You can't bring anybody with you at all," she said.

Otherwise, like in the case of the European settlers, it could make for a true story no fiction can trump.

Edited by: Cristina Burack

Brenda Haas Writer and editor for DW Culture

What is hydrogen and how green is it?

Martin Kuebler

DW

Politicians and industry leaders meet in Namibia this week to hype hydrogen. DW takes a closer look at the pros and cons of the powerful gas, widely regarded as a key part of a green energy future.

Green hydrogen is used in fuel cells to power, among other things, electric vehicles

Image: Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa/picture alliance


African business and political leaders are betting big on hydrogen to fuel the continent's "green industrial revolution," as Namibia holds a major summit hyping the gas that many believe will play a key role in shifting away from polluting fossil fuels.

The three-day summit in Windhoek will bring together investors and project developers from across Africa and the world, all attempting to boost investment in the gas. Europe, in particular, is eyeing up the continent's production potential.

But how does hydrogen really stack up as a climate solution?

What is hydrogen?

Hydrogen, the universe's most abundant element, is a colorless, odorless and nontoxic gas. It's light, flammable and has a high energy density — but it's also highly explosive. So much so that the name Hindenburg — referencing the hydrogen-filled airship — became synonymous with disaster after the 1937 accident.

Germany partners with Africa on green hydrogen energy  01:30

Despite the notoriety, hydrogen has been used for decades in the petrochemical industry. It's used to refine oil, produce ammonia for fertilizers, to make plastics and steel and generate methanol.

Hydrogen is a potent carrier of energy. One kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of hydrogen has 2.4 times more usable energy than the same amount of natural gas, nearly three times more than a kilo of gasoline and roughly four times more than a kilo of coal.
Is hydrogen a clean energy?

By itself — used in a fuel cell to generate electricity for some cars, for example — hydrogen doesn't produce any direct greenhouse gas emissions. It only creates water, electricity and heat.

But hydrogen isn't as easy to source as fossil fuels, which can just be dug up and burned directly. In nature, hydrogen is most commonly found in water. It's the H in H2O. But isolating and storing the gas requires time and energy.

There are many ways to separate hydrogen from water. But today, more often than not, these processes are polluting. Hydrogen production contributes around 2.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, even if the hydrogen fuel at the end burns clean.

Gray, blue green, pink — how is hydrogen produced?

Hydrogen may be a colorless gas, but the industry has come up with a veritable rainbow of colors to describe the different production methods.

Today, most of what we produce is known as gray hydrogen. It uses a process called "steam reforming" which is powered by natural gas or methane. Every ton of gray hydrogen produced releases about 10 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

Black and brown hydrogen is even more detrimental. It's made by transforming black or brown coal into gas at high temperatures and separating out the hydrogen. It pollutes the atmosphere with both planet-heating CO2 and poisonous carbon monoxide.

Gray, black and brown hydrogen are commonly used in oil refining and to produce fertilizers, and today make up around 95% of the hydrogen produced worldwide.

Germany is looking hydrogen to replace oil from Russia, with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (left) visiting a green hydrogen plant in Norway in 2023

Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance

Blue hydrogen is more promising, but only marginally. This process captures the CO2 generated during the steam reforming process and stores it underground, rather than letting it escape. Though it's sometimes considered to be carbon neutral, some 10-20% of the carbon emissions can't be captured.

Pink hydrogen, meanwhile, is generated using nuclear power. No emissions, but you're still left with radioactive waste. And it's difficult to use on a global scale, with nuclear not readily available everywhere.

Turquoise, an experimental process which leaves behind solid carbon, and yellow — using either solar power or a mix of renewable and fossil fuel energies — also exist, but don't factor much into global production.

Neither does green hydrogen, the only method that doesn't emit CO2 during production. It's made using electrolysis — splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen — using renewable energy.

Green hydrogen produces no CO2 emissions — but it only makes up less than 1% of global hydrogen production.

What's holding green hydrogen back?

A few things: cost, proper infrastructure and the lack of renewable energy.

Today, green hydrogen costs more than twice as much to produce as gray. And to build up the wider hydrogen sector to supply 15-20% of the world's energy demand, we would need to invest $15 trillion (€13.5 trillion) by 2050, according to the Energy Transitions Commission, an international think tank.

The EU's ambitious hydrogen bet  13:29


But in its 2023 report on hydrogen, the International Energy Agency said the expansion of renewable energy where sun and wind are plentiful — places like India, the Middle East and Africa — could significantly increase the share of green hydrogen. And that would bring down costs, though some critics have said it would be more efficient to just use renewable energy directly.

That gas needs to be delivered to clients around the world, and hydrogen is notoriously difficult to transport in large quantities. It has to be stored in special pressurized containers, or liquefied (at minus 253 degrees Celsius/minus 423 Fahrenheit) and transported in pipelines, trucks or ships. It can also be moved in the form of ammonia, which is easier to ship as a liquid.

Before all that, the world would need to build up the necessary infrastructure. Germany and other countries aim to massively invest and scale up in this area over the next decade, in a bid to make hydrogen a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Edited by: Jennifer Collins

'White' hydrogen — climate savior?  04:33

Martin Kuebler Senior editor and reporter living in Brussels, with a focus on environmental issues

EU states dash von der Leyen's gender-equal top team dream

Ella Joyner in Brussels

DW

The EU Commission chief has not yet abandoned her goal of maintaining a 50/50 gender split among the blocs most senior officials. But after most members states defied her orders, she looks set to fall far short.

The first female European Commission president with the first gender-balanced top team to match: German conservative Ursula von der Leyen was lauded as a trailblazer back in 2019 when she insisted on parity of men and women among the 27 European Commissioners.

Every member state was instructed to nominate one woman and one man, with von der Leyen then divvying out the powerful portfolios spanning everything from trade, foreign policy, the economy and the climate. A newbie in EU politics, capitals nonetheless obeyed her. After weeks of grappling and a grilling of candidates by the European Parliament, she pulled it off, with 13 women including herself and 14 men.

Von der Leyen looked strong after her confirmation as president in July, but EU governments are already ignoring herI

mage: Johanna Geron/REUTERS

Five years on, and von der Leyen has been successfully reappointed for a second term at the head of the European Union's executive arm. Her orders to the other 26 countries — she herself represents Germany — were the same: gender parity, please.

'Sausage fest' in the making

But this time round, her request has been roundly ignored. The deadline she set for nominations has passed and, as of Monday, 17 EU states had put forward a man for the job and no female nominee. Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden had nominated a woman, while Bulgaria had nominated a man and a woman.

Von der Leyen should start interviewing candidates and handing out jobs in the coming weeks, but she has been dealt a deck of cards stacked with men — one that news outlet Politico branded a "sausage fest."

Sausage fest or not, Estonian Kaja Kallas is also tipped to become one of the most powerful politicians in the EU

Image: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP/dpa/picture alliance

For those closely watching the dial of equality, it's more than unfortunate. "Your leadership in achieving a gender-balanced Commission in the last term was a groundbreaking step that set a new standard for governance within the EU and beyond," the European Women's Lobby wrote in an open letter to von der Leyen last week, urging her to stand her ground.

"The continued pursuit of this balance is crucial, particularly now that women's rights are under threat in various parts of the world," the umbrella association of women's rights organizations wrote.

A 'shocking' lack of respect for equality

At stake is more than just optics, according to Elizabeth Kuiper of the European Policy Centre. This is about real power and policy, she said, describing member states' behavior as "shocking" in a written statement sent to DW on Monday.

The EU politics expert pointed to key initiatives from von der Leyen's first term that bore the imprint of a gender-equal Commission: work on fighting gender-based violence and on the role of women in politics and the labor market, including addressing the gender pay gap.

It's also about the image the bloc projects on the world stage: "Internationally, it shows that the EU walks the talk when it comes to values like inclusion and diversity," Kuiper said. "Frankly, heads of state are showing a lack of political will and deterioration in respect for women's rights."

Von der Leyen in a bind

The European Commission President has yet to publicly comment on the snubbing of her orders. "The president has been very clear in what her ambition is," EU spokesperson Arianna Podesta said Monday at a press conference in Brussels. "She is doing everything in her power to have a gender-balanced college for the next mandate."

The problem for von der Leyen is there aren't many options to force the member states to play ball.

"What she could do is veto the nominees but that's unprecedented — and for a good reason," Sophia Russack, a researcher at the Center for European Policy Studies, explained in a recent statement. "By putting her foot down (e.g. on gender parity) she might spoil the beginning of a five-year working relationship with member state governments."

Kuiper of the European Policy Center think tank agrees: "She can decide to make a point and ask member states for additional names, but the question is whether she would like to do this, considering it will delay the start of the new European Commission."

Backroom persuasion and strategic appointments

Rather than entering into public showdowns, von der Leyen seems to be working behind the scenes to convince member states to fall in line. Romania swapped out its male candidate for a female one last minute, several media outlets reported on Monday. The government in Valletta also came under pressure from von der Leyen to change its nominee, local newspaper the Times of Malta reported last week.

In addition, von der Leyen has the option to give women more powerful portfolios, sending a message back to the EU capitals. One of the most important ones is set to be filled by a woman: Kaja Kallas, until recently Estonian Prime Minister, has been tapped to become the bloc's top diplomat.

Once von der Leyen has vetted the nominees, the ball passes to the European Parliament, who must accept or reject them after a series of hearings. The whole process takes weeks: last time round, von der Leyen and her team officially took office at the start of December.

Von der Leyen may well hope she can quietly extract a few more changes of heart in the next week. But as of Monday, with 18 male nominees to 10 women, according to various media reports, for just 26 spots, she was still a long way from parity.

The European Women's Lobby, for one, is hoping that EU lawmakers, who have the power to veto nominations but not propose Commissioners themselves, will flex their muscle. "We count on von der Leyen and the European Parliament to show to the Member States that EU leadership isn't a boys' club anymore," European Women's Lobby spokesperson Mirta Baselovic told DW on Monday.

Edited by: Andreas Illmer

Israel: Is a West Bank war imminent?

Jennifer Holleis

DW

August 30, 2024

Israel's deadliest operation in the occupied West Bank since October 7 has stoked fears of an escalation. Will this part of the Palestinian territories turn into an open war front like Gaza?

Israel's current offensive in the occupied West Bank stokes fears of an escalation into an open-front war

Image: Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo/picture alliance

Fears of an escalation between the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian militant factions in the occupied West Bank have reached a new peak this week.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in Israel's largest ground-and-air operation in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began almost 11 months ago.

Meanwhile, Hamas, the Islamist militant organization that carried out the October 7 attacks that sparked the current conflict in Gaza, has called on Palestinians in the West Bank to rise up against Israel.

So far, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the Israeli raids, yet his forces are not expected to heed the call from Hamas. The Palestinian Authority, which officially governs the West Bank, lacks a standing army and cooperates in part with Israel.

However, members of the two largest militias in the West Bank, the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, both of which many countries categorize as terror organizations, could prove willing to carry out more attacks.

"The risk of a major escalation in the West Bank is certainly growing and looks far more likely now than it has done since October 7," Neil Quilliam, associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, told DW.

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, when around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people kidnapped, the resulting Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused almost 41,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health authorities, which don't distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The current Israeli offensive has uprooted everyday life, observers say. Israel argues that this is necessary to prevent attacks and to curb Iran's influence

Image: Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo/picture alliance

Increasingly popular Iran-backed militias

The occupied West Bank is home to around 3 million Palestinians. While the Palestinian Authority officially administers the region from Ramallah, the West Bank capital, analysts widely agree that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, as well as their affiliated militias, are the ones that run the refugee camps near Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarm in the north.

These places are the focus of the current Israeli offensive as at least 150 attacks with weapons and explosives originated there since October 2023, according to the Israeli military.

"In these refugee camps, there is no faith in diplomacy, no faith in the Palestinian Authority, no faith in the possibility of a two-state solution or any alternative arising," Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, told DW.

In Brown's view, the combination of all these factors has led to political despair, and he added that the situation has been further exacerbated by Israel's steady stream of violence in the West Bank.

Since October 2023, at least 652 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. These numbers resemble a recent tally by the United Nations.

Some of the 600,000 Israeli settlers who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law have increasingly taken up arms and attacked Palestinian civilians in the West Bank since October 7.

B'Tselem, an NGO that documents Israeli settler violence in Palestinian territories, concluded recently that settlers have forced at least 18 Palestinian communities — over 1,000 people — to flee their homes since October.

A comprehensive research paper by the independent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) concluded that Israeli raids and worsening economic conditions have also driven more young men into the arms of Iran-backed militias.

Brown agrees. "Especially for some younger Palestinians in small groups, this has become a time to act," he said.

However, while the authors see an increase in cooperation between militias with different affiliations, they regard it as unlikely that the various militias would be willing to fully join forces.

"The West Bank's militant groups remain to be loosely organized and poorly trained," they wrote.

In Israel's view, however, these militias are increasingly supported by Israel's arch-enemy Iran, which also backs Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran's influence in the West Bank

This week, Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, said the current offensive in the West Bank is necessary to prevent attacks on Israelis but also to curb Iran's influence.

In his view, the West Bank is on the brink of turning into a hot spot for Iran, which seeks to fund and arm terrorists and smuggle advanced weapons to the groups it supports. Katz also accused Iran of destabilizing Jordan by establishing an "eastern terror front," including drug smuggling. Jordan, however, has rejected these accusations.

Yet Fabian Hinz, a defense and military analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told DW that building up some kind of armed resistance in the West Bank has been an Iranian priority for years.

"Drug smuggling from Syria to Jordan is currently flourishing, and the Iranians are very happy to use existing private smuggling networks from Syria via Jordan into the West Bank," Hinz explained.

He added that it is very difficult to estimate how many weapons have been smuggled successfully into the West Bank.

"What we have seen so far in the West Bank are mainly small arms, assault rifles and submachine guns," he said.

"What I haven't seen yet are the more powerful weapons that are available in Gaza, such as longer-range rockets or anti-tank missiles."

West Bank war 'very different'

Quilliam, the Chatham House associate fellow, echoes this view, "A war in the West Bank would be a very different proposition to the one in Gaza."

"Israel would struggle to contain a major conflict in the West Bank, and it will put at risk Israeli civilians in population centers, something that the Gaza war has hardly done since October 8," he told DW.

In turn, he said Israel would be "leery about deploying a large military presence and, in effect, reoccupy the territory, as the cost in political, security and human terms would be very high."

Nathan Brown agrees. He, too, considers it far more likely that a level of violence within the West Bank will persist "in which Palestinians in small groups try to organize against Israel, and the Israelis acting basically as the occupier, take whatever actions, however heavy-handed they think is necessary to suppress those opportunities."

"What we're witnessing right now might be called the new normal," Brown told DW.

Edited by: Davis VanOpdorp

UN calls on Israel to stop military operations in West Bank  01:53

Jennifer Holleis Editor and political analyst specializing in the Middle East and North Africa.

Ukraine's Orthodox Church ban: Justified or not

Xenia Polska

DW

09/02/24

Ukraine's ban on church links with Moscow has provoked considerable controversy at home and abroad. Why is Kyiv carrying through with it? And what does the EU think of the move?

The Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv was once a center of activity for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate

Image: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP


Ukrainian religious organizations will soon be forbidden to work together with the Russian Orthodox Church. The ban mainly affects the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Up until 2022, this church answered to the Russian Orthodox Church. However, some three months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of that year, it announced its independence and autonomy from the Moscow Patriarchate. Some of the current debate centers on whether the announcement was meant seriously or was just empty words.

The draft bill on the ban provoked months of heated debate, also in Europe. But when the Ukrainian Parliament, or Verkhovna Rada, finally approved the bill on August 20, there was not much reaction either from the European Union or other Western partners of Kyiv.

Under the law, Ukrainian religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church have nine months to end their relations with the Patriarchate of Moscow.
EU: Ukraine guarantees religious freedom

Is the ban compatible with religious freedom? Ukraine's constitution and laws guarantee freedom of religion and belief, as laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Peter Stano, the EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, told DW that the European Commission had confirmed this in its report on Ukraine for the Enlargement Package adopted on November 8, 2023.

"In general, Ukrainian public authorities enforce these rights," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew (middle) in July 2023

Image: Francisco Seco/AP/picture alliance

Stano said the European Commission was aware that Kyiv is taking legal measures against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate because the Patriarchate supported Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

"We have taken note of Ukraine’s Parliament adopting today a law prohibiting the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine on the grounds of national security and prevention of foreign interference from Russia," he said.

Complex situation

Teona Laverlashvili, a visiting fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, told DW that the EU obviously did not want to interfere in this matter and would also not make a big deal of it in accession negotiations with Kyiv.

According to Laverlashvili, the EU evaluates potential member states on the basis of the Copenhagen criteria laid down by the European Council in 1993. These place the main emphasis on stable institutions, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities, she said.

"In theory, the prohibition of religious organizations connected to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine can be scrutinized under these criteria, particularly concerning freedom of religion and the right to association," she said.

"However, in practice, the complexity of the situation in Ukraine must be factored in," Laverlashvili said.

High treason, collaboration and complicity

At the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian authorities began more than 100 penal procedures against priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Twenty-six of those priests were convicted, according to Ukraine's security service, most of them on charges of high treason, collaboration with Russia and complicity.

The Russian Orthodox Church calls the invasion of Ukraine "a holy war" and propagates the notion that the entire territory of Ukraine "must be brought under Russia's sphere of influence alone." That is why Kyiv sees this church as the ideological arm of the Kremlin and as its accomplice in war crimes.

The war and the church: a cathedral is damaged after a Russian airstrike

Image: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto/picture alliance

A study by the Ukrainian State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience showed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate remains an organization whose center is in Russia. It said there were still internal links to the Russian Orthodox Church, to which it is subordinated, and that its affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate has not been cut as claimed.

The Ukrainian church has now officially dispensed with the supplement "Moscow Patriarchate," which the country's Constitutional Court ordered it to take on in late 2022.

No international legal examination of the ban

Before it presented the bill, the Ukrainian government could have consulted with international bodies as to the constitutionality of the move, such as the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, which examines whether legal acts conform with European standards. An assessment of this kind was called for by 46 Ukrainian parliamentarians.

But the parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefantschuk, rejected the initiative, saying it was unnecessary. "We use this mechanism with really complex bills," he told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

There was no external assessment in the end.

According to the parliamentary committee for EU integration, the bill is line with Ukraine's international obligations.

The committee members referred back to the part of above-mentioned Ukraine report by the European Commission dealing with the guarantee of fundamental rights. That report describes how Ukraine has been taking legal steps since November 2022 against the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church — not to be confused with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is autocephalous, or self-governing, and not the subject of any ban.

These steps included sanctions on high-ranking church representatives who are accused of supporting the Russian invasion and searches of church-owned spaces.

In its report, the European Commission said Kyiv wanted "to prevent foreign intervention by Russia through a religious organization, without prosecuting normal members of the church."

Russia: Clergy under pressure  05:12

National security wins over freedom of religion

Teona Lavrelashvili said the EU's intention is plain to see. She considers the ban necessary to protect Ukraine's national security.

"In the context of the ongoing war, the EU will likely avoid interference, recognizing Ukraine’s measures as symbolic acts demonstrating Kyiv’s desire for spiritual independence from Moscow," she said.

Dmytro Wowk, a law professor and religious expert from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University in Kharkiv who is currently teaching in New York, also believes that the ban will probably not hinder Ukraine's European integration.

Teona Laverlashivili believes that Brussels will demand assurances from Kyiv when negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession are resumed.

She said the government must ensure that no one is discriminated against because of their religious convictions under the new law.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.

What is Germany's populist BSW party?

Ben Knight

DW

The new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) has won double-digit support in state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. While some of its positions overlap with the far right, it draws voters away from other political parties.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is a populist party that blends left-leaning economic policies with conservative migration and pro-Russian foreign policy initiatives

Image: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa/picture alliance


Sahra Wagenknecht, one of Germany's most divisive political figures, has seen a resounding success in two state elections, even though she is not on the ballot. In both Saxony and Thuringia, the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) — which the former Left Party parliamentary leader founded in January — ended up well ahead of the parties that make up Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government: the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP).

Espousing an unusual mix of left-wing economic policy and anti-migration rhetoric, the BSW is now set to play a part in government building in the two eastern German states, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won over 30% on Sunday.

Wagenknecht the disrupter

The emergence of the BSW underlines the disruption in eastern German politics that has taken place over the last decade. Disruption is also a good way to describe the BSW's influence on German politics.

In July, Wagenknecht described her own party's position in these terms to Germany's daily taz newspaper: "I believe that we simply represent and embody what many parties no longer stand for: enlightened conservatism in the sense of preserving traditions, security — on the streets and in public places, but also jobs, health care and pensions. The need for security, peace and justice has found a new political home with us."

How German politics could be reshaped by them   07:17

The party presented a manifesto that political analysts say has not existed in Germany in quite this way before.

"The BSW program is aimed at people who, on the one hand, have economically more left-wing positions but have more conservative cultural attitudes," said Daniel Seikel, a researcher at the Hans Böckler Foundation, which published an analysis of BSW supporters in June. "That explains to some extent why the BSW is so popular among people who voted for the AfD and the Left Party before."

The emergence of the BSW has decimated the support for Wagenknecht's former party, the Left, while the AfD does not seem to have been overly affected by it.

That might be considered surprising, given that the AfD and BSW appear to be fishing for similar voters. A recent study by the German Institute for Economic Research found that BSW and AfD policies overlap in several areas. Both are in favor of limiting migration, increasing deportations of rejected asylum-seekers and creating more controls at Germany's borders, for example.

Where they differ is on issues like social welfare: The AfD wants to limit benefits, and the BSW wants to maintain or expand some.

Seikel's research suggests that though the BSW has taken some support from the AfD and the Left Party, the biggest group among BSW supporters in eastern Germany was people who voted for the left and center-left at the last election.

Wagenknecht is an expert in attracting media attention

mage: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Populist, but not extremist

For Ursula Münch, director of the Tutzing Academy for Political Education, an independent institute, the BSW simply represents yet another threat to the traditional parties.

"The other parties are being put through the wringer by both the BSW and the AfD," she told DW.

Münch thinks immigration remains the key issue for German voters, and she believes that the BSW has successfully managed to present itself to voters as a non-extremist alternative to the AfD.

"The BSW can at the moment claim not to be an extremist party," she said. "It avoids racist rhetoric and has relatively decent main candidates, who have local political experience and federal political experience. I do see a difference with the AfD there."

The BSW has ruled out forming coalitions with the AfD, but it has called for a less dogmatic approach to the far-right party.

Why is the far-right AfD so powerful in eastern Germany?  13:55

Russia-friendly and anti-NATO

The BSW also attracts voters who are skeptical about Germany's support for Ukraine — another position that the BSW shares with the AfD and the Left Party.

The Left Party, which headed the state government in Thuringia until Sunday's election, is the successor to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, the communist party that once led the East German dictatorship. East Germany was part of the USSR-friendly Eastern Bloc, and there is still some residual hostility to the United States and NATO to this day.

Wagenknecht has sought to capitalize on anti-American sentiment in the former East.

She has suggested that opposing the stationing of US long-range weapons in Germany — a plan supported by the conservative Christian Democrats, Germany's largest opposition party, as well as the SPD, Greens and FDP — would be a condition for any coalition negotiations with the BSW.

"These weapons do not close a defense gap but are offensive weapons that would make Germany a prime target for Russian nuclear missiles. There are reasons why no other European country has stationed such missiles on its territory," Wagenknecht told the RND news network in early August.

"It's a relatively cheap demand to make because everyone knows very well that that can't be decided at the state level anyway," said Münch. "I'd say that's just electioneering, but also a clever chess move, because she touches certain fears — that Germany might be making itself a target — while knowing she doesn't necessarily have to stick to it."

Experts have said making headline-grabbing statements is Wagenknecht's strength.

"She was always a populist, even when she was in the Left Party," said Münch. "She's someone who is very good at picking up the mood among the population. She is good at stirring the mood of anti-elitism, even though from her education and language, she is part of the establishment."

Nevertheless, the BSW appears to have established itself as a significant force, at least in eastern Germany, by filling in gaps and finding voters left behind by the other parties.

Edited by: Rina Goldenberg

This article was first written on August 16, 2024 and later updated to reflect regional election results in Saxony and Thuringia.

The Ghost of Social-Fascism

Why should anyone today want to bother with such a relic of the past as "the theory of social-fascism"? 

What will Bangladesh's post-Hasina era look like?

Zobaer Ahmed in Dhaka

DW

Four weeks after former premier Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh during a student-led revolt, the absence of her Awami League has left a notable void in the country's political landscape. Who will step up to fill that void?

Sheikh Hasina's tenure came to an end in August after 15 years of iron-fisted rule

Image: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images


On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh's long-serving prime minister following weeks of deadly protests over a controversial quota system for government jobs that would have reserved more than half of the well-paid and secure civil service positions for specific groups.

The student demonstrations morphed into a mass movement that forced Hasina to leave office and flee to India, ending her 15-year iron-fisted tenure. An interim government headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus — which includes two student leaders in senior positions — now runs the country.

According to Human Rights Watch, hundreds were killed and thousands more injured in what were among the deadliest crackdowns on protests in Bangladesh's recent history.

"Over 1,000 people have been killed and over 400 students have lost their eyesight," according to a statement from the interim Health Ministry cited by Reuters news agency.

Bangladeshi students on July 17 mourned classmates killed in protests over civil service hiring rulesImage: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images

Will the BNP fill the political void?

For most of the past three decades, Bangladesh has been governed either by Hasina's Awami League or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of her rival Khaleda Zia.

With Hasina out of the picture, the opposition BNP is keen to talk to other parties to create a road map for political reform and elections.

"When a void is created in politics, a storm comes to fill that void," BNP spokesman Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed told DW. "If an artificial void is prolonged, it will inevitably be filled somehow. Therefore, the best approach is to engage in dialogue."
Jamaat's goal: 'political unity'

While the center-right BNP is pushing for discussions, their long-time ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, has taken a different approach.

Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, had been banned by Hasnia's government under an anti-terrorism law, however the interim government last week revoked the ban on the Islamic party, saying it did not find evidence of its involvement in "terrorist activities."

Sheikh Hasina was at the helm of Bangladesh for 15 consecutive yearsImage: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/REUTERS

Jamaat is now looking to strengthen its political position and, according to local newspaper reports, it wants to unite Islamic parties in areas where these parties have a strong presence.

Jamaat's central publicity secretary, Matiur Rahman Akand, said the party has discussed forming an Islamic alliance.

"We have said that all political parties and forces should unite to build the country," Akand told DW. "No minority, no majority, we want unity."

When asked whether there are any future plans for an Islamic alliance, he said, "We can't say anything about the future right now. Given the current situation, we are trying to figure out how to build the country."

Students want a 'non-binary' system

Meanwhile, Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the anti-quota student movement, recently told DW that they want to move beyond binary politics.

"We will expect change," Abdullah told DW. "The binary system that has been created, either right or left, either up or down, either Awami League or BNP, this binary politics that has developed, Bangladesh will come out of it."

In an earlier interview, he also mentioned that he wanted to see a change in the family-based politics of Bangladesh.

"We Bangladeshis haven't seen any sustainable change through this family-based politics," Abdullah said. "I hope Bangladesh will come out of this family-based politics for sustainable change."

Abdullah also addressed speculation that students would form a new political party, insisting that no decision had been made.

Bangladesh's youth call for unity through graffiti   02:21

But the BNP's secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said they would welcome the formation of a student party.

"Democracy is about a multi-party system," Alamgir said. "We should let a hundred flowers bloom."

GM Quader, chairman of the Jatiya Party, the third largest in Bangladesh, expressed similar sentiments, saying that, "if students form a party, we will commend it."

But when asked if a student party would pose a political challenge to the BNP, Alamgir pointed out that his party has been established for decades.

"We were born in 1979," Alamgir told DW. "When elections are held, it will be clear who has how much support. We have proven it on the streets, so I don't want to argue about that."

Quader, referring to the two student leaders who are currently part of the interim government, said, "However, if they form a political party while being in the government, it won't be a level-playing field."

When will elections take place?

Balgladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, recently outlined some guidelines for state reforms in an address to the nation — but he did not present a clear plan for the elections.

He called for patience and said that the decision on the election road map would be made through political discussions. He emphasized the importance of strengthening local government institutions and decentralizing power to solidify democracy.

"To give a successful outcome to the mass uprising of students and people, we will complete the necessary reforms in the administration, judiciary, election commission, electoral system, law enforcement, and information flow to organize a free, fair, and participatory election," Yunus said.

However, some analysts believe that the current interim government should at least announce a broad road map.

"They should make it clear that their first task is to compile a database of those killed and injured in the July massacre, and outline the steps they are taking for justice," Samina Lutfa, associate professor of sociology at Dhaka University, said in reference to the deadly student demonstrations.

Bangladesh students demand generational change  02:40

Clock ticking

Lutfa believes that the interim government should clearly explain how the economy will be managed in the short term and then outline the long-term issues.

"It is certain that the constitution will have to be amended," she said.

"Otherwise, nothing currently happening in Bangladesh can be done under the current constitution. If they want to form a constituent assembly or hold a convention to amend the constitution, that would be the second step," Lufta said, adding that as a third step, Bangladesh could move towards elections.

According to her, if the current government clearly communicates these matters, all political parties will gain confidence, and even non-reactionary parties will have the time and opportunity to organize themselves.

Edited by: Keith Walker