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RACISM

Cameroon-born German CDU candidate racially assaulted: police

A Cameroon-born German CDU candidate for a regional election in the country's east was racially assaulted while out campaigning, police said Friday.

Published: 27 July 2024 10:07 CEST
This archive photo shows journalists sitting next to a CDU logo outside the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) headquarters after the 2021 German general elections
This archive photo shows journalists sitting next to a CDU logo outside the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) headquarters after the 2021 German general elections. A Cameroon-born German CDU candidate was racially assaulted while putting up posters on Friday. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Adeline Abimnwi Awemo was putting up posters in Cottbus, in the northeastern state of Brandenburg, with her family on Thursday when a 29-year-old stranger attacked her, grabbing Awemo by the throat.

“You are not human beings,” the assailant is reported as saying.

Awemo, who has German citizenship, had to go to hospital after the attack, police said.

READ ALSO: Germany ranks worst in EU study on discrimination against black people

The Secretary-General of Awemo’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party condemned the attack.

“It perfectly illustrates what is going on in our country… Violence and hate are on the rise,” Carsten Linnemann told journalists from the Funke media group.

“The increasing risk for people who are politically active for our country is intolerable. Violence must never become a means of political debate,” the Brandenburg CDU wrote in a post on Instagram, adding that “most importantly” Awemo was doing well again.

The regional election takes place on September 22nd.

The German far right has made significant inroads in Brandenburg and in other former communist East German regions such as Saxony and Thuringia.

In recent times, Germany has seen a rise in politically motivated attacks.

READ ALSO: INTERVIEW: Why racism is prompting a skilled worker exodus from eastern Germany

In 2023, authorities recorded 60,028 offences of this sort, around 1,100 more than in 2022.

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Germany’s Lower Saxony state premier Weil calls for 15 euro minimum wage

Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD) has called for the country's minimum wage to increase to at least 14 euros from 12.41 euros currently, according to media reports on Saturday.

Published: 27 July 2024 16:37 CEST
Germany's Lower Saxony state premier Weil calls for 15 euro minimum wage

“The goal must be a minimum wage of 14 or 15 euros in order to keep pace with inflation,” he told the news portal T-online on Saturday, explaining that work is worthwhile above all when it is paid fairly.

“But that is not the case for millions of people in Germany,” he said.

“Those who work for the minimum wage have less and less left at the end of the month in times of inflation,” the state premier added.

At the same time, Weil called for tougher sanctions for people receiving Bürgergeld (citizens’ allowance), the long-term unemployment benefit.

“We are currently experiencing a change in direction for the citizen’s allowance and that is correct,” he told T-online. “Anyone who refuses reasonable work must feel that too.” The debate about people receiving citizen’s allowance who could work but do not want to has damaged the SPD in recent months.

READ ALSO: ‘Far too low’: How millions of workers in Germany are earning less than €14 per hour

In an interview in mid-May, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) already spoke out in favour of gradually increasing the minimum wage to 15 euros.

In doing so, he also triggered a debate about the independent work of the Minimum Wage Commission. Demands for a higher minimum wage then also came from the ranks of the SPD, the Greens, the Left and trade unions.

The minimum wage was raised in October 2022 in a one-off step to 12 euros per hour.

The Minimum Wage Commission then decided on further increases annually, as usual. Since the beginning of 2024, the minimum wage level has been 12.41 euros, and a further increase of 41 cents is planned for the beginning of 2025.

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