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Citizen initiatives and local associations in East Germany face bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of state support in their efforts to solve infrastructure problems or improve medical care. Even elected mayors feel powerless when decisions are made over their heads.
Local PoliticsLaws & RightsHousing & Urban Development
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The Higher Administrative Court of NRW has ruled that flower pots narrowing a sidewalk must be removed as they do not represent usual use. A resident in Mülheim an der Ruhr was not allowed to set up her approximately 50-centimeter-wide pots after 20 years.
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The Greek island of Tilos has abolished its landfill and achieved a recycling and composting rate of almost 90 percent. This surpasses the Greek and EU average, making Tilos the first island with Zero Waste Cities certification.
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Dresden's city council selected a design for the new Carolabrücke that received the most support in a citizen participation process. Construction could begin in May 2028 and cost up to 140 million euros.
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Eckart von Hirschhausen calls a new weight loss pill, available in Germany since September, a "gamechanger." However, he stresses it does not solve fundamental issues like obesity prevention or societal structures, noting high prices charged by manufacturers in Germany.
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Two weeks before the election for the Berlin House of Representatives, the CDU leads with 21 percent according to a poll. The Left Party loses three points, standing at 19 percent. A coalition of CDU and SPD would not have a majority.
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A left-wing initiative purchased a housing project in Halle (Saale) after years of preparation. The purchase contract was finalized shortly before the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, following initial opposition from a right-wing majority on the city council. The initiative secured direct loans and negotiated with the city.
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Following a court-ordered re-election, the AfD has entered the Saarbrücken regional assembly with ten members. The party secured nearly 23 percent of the vote, making it the second strongest force behind the SPD.
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The election campaign in Hanover is narrowing to a duel between the SPD and the Greens, with the AfD polling at 18-20 percent. The SPD is burdened by an embezzlement affair involving millions in funding.