Federal-State Conflict: Refugee Funding and Housing Crisis Dominate Headlines

Dear reader,

We welcome you to Berlin.Table, the late-night memo for the capital.

It looks as if the issue of building and housing could become the most painful weak point in the Chancellor’s balance sheet at the end of the legislative period. And there is little to suggest that anything will change after the summit in Berlin. Neither quickly nor fundamentally. Even if useful instruments have been included in the 14-point plan. What Olaf Scholz What was once successful in Hamburg cannot be transferred to the entire country. There is a lack of money, the countries have their own interests – and that is why lowering environmental standards will not really solve the problem. But above all: It seems that the federal government has once again made calculations without the states. According to the federal government’s calculations, they should invest 27 billion in social housing alone within six years. The number is already causing considerable irritation in the state capitals.

Today we are reporting on another federal-state conflict, namely the financing of refugee costs, and also on KfW, which is withdrawing from the lending business with China because it is incompatible with “China’s de facto status as an industrial country”. And we are writing about new principles on sexual relationships within the Bundeswehr. Particularly explosive: The general who was responsible for the new rules was temporarily removed from office a few days ago. The accusation: sexual harassment.