heute journal vom 15.01.2024 Bauern-Proteste, Vulkanausbruch auf Island, US-Urwahl in Iowa (english)

heute journal vom 15.01.2024 Bauern-Proteste, Vulkanausbruch auf Island, US-Urwahl in Iowa (english)

AGRICULTURE REFORMS COALITION IN TALKS WITH FARMERS US PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES TRUMP CURRENT FRONTRUNNER FEAR OF LAVA ANOTHER ICELANDIC VOLCANO ERRUPTION And now, the “heute journal” with Gundula Gause and Dunja Hayali. Good evening. What is at stake in the farmers’ robust, tractor-driven protests? You can’t answer that in bare figures.

But in friendly words, because there were a few of them today. There should be more freedom and less bureaucracy. There should be more aid. There may be an animal welfare levy. There should be this, and there should be that.

These are all conditionals that farmers heard four years ago in the same place in Berlin. But back then, nothing tangible came out of Berlin. So what are these new remarks worth now? And what about the cuts to agricultural diesel subsidies? We’ll be interviewing Finance Minister Christian Lindner in just a moment.

But first, Britta Buchholz has more on the topic. First Christian Lindner waited half an hour for his speech, and then nobody wanted to listen. He has never experienced a protest like this. Chants, deafeningly loud. The president of the farmers’ association finally felt the need to intervene.

But those he called out, would not remain silent. It makes no sense if you just keep booing. A discussion is part of the democratic process. The federal government itself sparked these protests. Even though they have already scrapped plans for the newly proposed vehicle tax for tractors. Only one proposal should remain.

The agricultural diesel levy won’t be implemented immediately. The refund will be gradually reduced over the next few years. Staying firm. Anything else would make politics vulnerable to blackmail. But the agricultural lobby is powerful. And not only farmers are demonstrating, but also craftspeople, haulers and many frustrated others. What kind of storm is coming?

Lindner tried to form an alliance. I’m already out of breath once I finished cleaning the horses’ stables. So, I can relate to how hard your job is, doing it all day and every day. Afterwards, the FDP finance minister exited through the back to listen and understand. But the demonstrators remained sceptical.

If only people had listened to us over the last five years. There were many of the points that Mr Lindner included in his speech today. And we may have been given the chance to speak over the last five years. But we weren’t listened to. Meanwhile, others are looking for solutions.

At the Reichstag, the heads of the traffic light parliamentary groups and representatives of the farmers’ associations came up with lots of ideas, but little in the way of concrete solutions. But that is still to come, they promised. We believe that we are strong enough, both as a parliament and coalition government,

To be able to present a clear catalogue of solutions in the coming weeks. The agricultural representatives demonstratively faced the cameras together and demonstratively showed their collective disappointment. Because one aim is not negotiable for them. The real key question is: How do we proceed with the agricultural diesel issue?

Perhaps it isn’t feasible to solve it yet, but we don’t have a solution for this issue. Politicians have been discussing another issue for years: The so-called “animal welfare levy” would make milk and meat more expensive, and is therefore still not enforceable. Wishful thinking. I would like Mr Lindner to look at my generation,

The generation that is courageous, that wants to make a difference, that stands for climate protection, biodiversity and animal welfare. And it cannot be in the interests of a finance minister to deprioritize key agricultural issues. Many people here simply feel left behind by a government’s lack of decision-making.

We need courageous decisions in agricultural and food economic policy, so that we can actually get the protests off the streets. Get the protest off the streets. The finance minister will have listened to them today. In any case, he will have heard them. That wasn’t an easy appearance for the finance minister.

Now comes another. Good evening, Christian Lindner in Berlin. Good evening, Ms Hayali. Mr Lindner, why does it take such massive protests, such a wave of direct action, for you to really get going? What do you mean by that? Well, first you made decisions, then came the protests.

Then you scrapped plans that you initially wanted to enforce. Today a meeting was held with the parliamentary group leaders. At that meeting, various points have now been promised to the farmers. So, why does it take all this for politicians to finally react?

First of all, we have an important task in crafting a federal budget. We want to strengthen education, upgrade the Bundeswehr and invest in infrastructure. And we need to accomplish all of this without raising taxes. We need an economic upturn, and we don’t want to run up endless new debts,

Because we are already paying high interest on our national debt. And so, of course, we also need to discuss where the state can cut back, where it can spend less money. And I made an offer today. If the agricultural diesel subsidy is abolished, then we should gradually do away

With expensive bureaucratic requirements for farmers, so that they can remain economically competitive on their own. In other words, the agricultural diesel subsidy is now actually a pawn, so to speak? No. Does that mean you’re not budging? Because the secretary general of the Farmers’ Association reiterated today that there is room for negotiations.

I disagree. This is now a matter for the budget legislator of the German Bundestag. But the federal government has now made what I think is a moderate proposal regarding the agricultural diesel subsidy. This subsidy will now be gradually phased out over the next few years. To put that into perspective,

Agriculture receives 9 billion euros every year from Brussels and Berlin. 3% of this will be eliminated in 2025. And if you look at the total funds that are now being mobilized for the budget, that is a contribution, but a reasonable one. We are cutting one billion euros from the unemployment benefits budget

By sanctioning those who refuse to work. Politics is cutting various other projects. I, for example, cancelled the construction of the new Ministry of Finance headquarters. So, it is a balanced package with the aim of also financing new things, such as education, the Bundeswehr and infrastructure.

The expansion of the chancellery building hasn’t been cancelled, but that is a different matter. As you know, it’s not just about agricultural diesel, but also about the fundamentals, i.e. economic viability and sustainability. This is out of reach as long as four food manufacturers are using their market power to determine prices.

The minister of agriculture from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania now wants you to crack down on this with monopoly laws. Would that be a way forward? That is a question that the minister for economic affairs must examine. The Monopolies Commission is independent, and you’re already addressing the core of the issue.

Because it’s not just about agricultural diesel, but decisions that have been made over years and decades. Obviously, you have to examine market structures in the food sector. But on the other hand, I can see that we have set a great many targets for agriculture

In terms of crop protection, fertilization, animal welfare and biofuels. Every year, 4% of agricultural land is set aside, and is therefore not available for production. And I understand that this sector of the economy is now saying it’s too much. But we can’t solve these problems with taxpayers’ money.

We need that for other things. It is a finite source of income. That’s why now is our opportunity to improve the productivity and competitiveness of agriculture by tackling cost- and time-intensive bureaucratic hurdles in the sector. Admittedly, farmers have been waiting a long time for this. But going back to the current situation,

The government has upset many people. The heating laws, asylum policy, the budget… What has the coalition learned from all this? To think first and then perhaps communicate better? I believe that we are in very controversial and difficult times. We’re entered a new era over the past few years,

And now difficult decisions have to be made. Quite frankly, things have to be addressed that have not been neglected in Germany for a long time. Particularly in terms of asylum policy, as you mentioned, Ms Hayali, A fundamentally new kind of realpolitik is being introduced for migration laws, including external border protection in Europe,

Asylum procedures outside and at the border, and border protection for Germany. Also, the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act is being restricted. Deportation, detention… These are all measures to limit illegal migration to Germany. These measures have been lacking for a long time. But Mr Lindner, no sooner have you made decisions,

You backtrack on these decisions and then say something else. Not just you, but rather this government as a whole. And that leads to this frustration. So, what has the government learned from its blunders? We are dealing with a coalition of different parties. I have great respect for the fact that, in the end,

Our colleagues from the Greens agreed to accept the proposals for immigration control. This wasn’t easy for the Greens. But now, at the end, there is a result. A clear break with the previous federal government’s immigration policy. There is no doubt that the road to this result was long and difficult for some.

But now the result is what counts This frustration ultimately profits the AfD, which is classified as a right-wing extremist organisation in parts. For various reasons, an AfD ban is now being discussed. You reject this, citing that you’d rather confront the AfD politically.

So, what have you been doing over the past few years if not that? This is a task that we all have to face up to. I just believe that pursuing a ban won’t achieve anything. The hurdles are very high and, above all, it would give the impression

That the centrist parties in our democracy, such as the FDP, are afraid of confronting the AfD. But we have responded, as I have just described, with a new realpolitik in the area of immigration. We are now specifically tackling the restructuring of the federal budget. Planning and approval procedures in Germany are being accelerated.

We are preparing one of the biggest packages of all time to reduce bureaucracy. These are all the trigger points that affect ordinary people. And, to be clear, the AfD often gives the people simple but wrong answers. And it is precisely these debates

That we must seek out and address to appeal to AfD votes. That was Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Thank you very much for the interview. You’re welcome, thank you. We recorded that shortly before the broadcast. According to the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, right-wing extremists are said to have organized seven secret meetings

With the participation of AfD politicians, most recently in Potsdam in November. Among other things, inhumane plans for the mass expulsion of people from Germany are said to have been discussed there. And this is precisely what has now had personal consequences, Gundula. According to information from ZDF,

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel and her personal advisor Roland Hartwig are ending their collaboration with immediate effect and by mutual agreement. As a consequence of Hartwig’s participation in a meeting with right-wing extremists and other AfD functionaries in Potsdam in November. This evening, thousands demonstrated against the AfD in Leipzig and Essen.

The demonstrations were called for by both left-wing and centrist alliances. The German economy slipped into a recession last year. Gross domestic product fell by 0.3% compared to the previous year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The main reasons for this were the weak global economy

And high inflation, which put the brakes on private consumption. In 2022, Europe’s largest economy still grew by 1.8%. Health Minister Lauterbach discussed the massive financial problems facing hospitals with representatives of local authorities and municipalities. They once again called for faster help and billions in aid for their hospitals from the federal government.

Lauterbach used the meeting to urge the CDU/CSU-led federal states to approve the Hospital Transparency Act. This would be linked to rapid aid for the hospitals as a preliminary stage for the planned major hospital reform. Relatives of the hostages kidnapped from Israel have asked the German government for renewed help to free the abductees.

They want Germany to exert influence on the mediator Qatar. The hostages’ relatives were received by Federal President Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace, 100 days after the Hamas attack on Israel. Some of the abductees hold German citizenship or have family ties to Germany. According to her relatives, Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi,

Who is currently imprisoned in Iran, has been sentenced to a further 15 months in prison for alleged propaganda against the system. The 51-year-old human rights activist campaigns against the oppression of women in Iran, and for the abolition of the death penalty. The Nobel Peace Prize was accepted on her behalf by her children.

She was in prison at the time of the ceremony, where she has already been sentenced to more than 30 years. Donald Trump has skipped every single TV debate in the Republican candidates’ race in recent months. And he wants to do exactly the same in the presidential primaries.

After all, he seems to view himself as the chosen one. The fact that he still has to be elected is almost an imposition for someone like Trump, as there is basically only Trump in his view. Elmar Thevessen reports from the opening of the primaries in Iowa.

They are probably warm on the inside due to their candidate, Donald Trump. Standing in line for over an hour is not without its dangers at minus 30 degrees Celsius. Blake Marnell is wearing a wall pattern today. He says that only Donald Trump can seal the border at the wall.

All the others, including Biden, are far too weak. Donald Trump is the only one who can save our country. He is far ahead, but anything less than 50% would be disappointing. You can’t stay at home. Even if you feel lousy, even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.

The weather could indeed reduce voter turnout. Maybe that would help Nikki Haley. If the ex-governor of South Carolina and former UN ambassador came second here, it would create something like momentum. According to the polls, she could have an even better chance of beating Joe Biden in the presidential election than Donald Trump.

“Never Back Down”, in other words, never concede, is a song written especially for Ron DeSantis. He was once considered to be Trump’s only serious competition, but he could end up behind Haley in third place in Iowa. I want someone who is not out for revenge, not out for nastiness.

However, DeSantis’ slightly nicer version of Trump could fail, even if he declares that he is the only one who can share the Republican primaries with Trump. He now sees Nikki Haley as the most dangerous opponent, especially if she were to come second here in Iowa,

And maybe even first in New Hampshire next week. “It’s nasty out there”, he said. It is indeed. It’s also nasty in Leon, population 1,800, in one of Iowa’s poorest counties. At the Bear’s Den Pub, only one person was willing to talk to us. John Wilson, a US Marine veteran, and a Trump supporter.

Close the borders, otherwise the country will break, if it hasn’t already. Wilson is worried about America. I’m scared to death. He couldn’t continue, he had to gather himself first. It’s just not the country I grew up in anymore. As already stated, people see Trump as a saviour here,

No matter how often his opponents claim that freedom in America would be under threat if he really comes back. A man who divides with his energy. But we are now concerned with a different kind of energy. One that is not created by fission, but rather by fusion.

Nuclear fusion is suddenly back on the agenda in energy policy debates. Perhaps this is also because there was a very small breakthrough in the USA the year before last. In any case, the new state government of Hesse, for example, really does want to promote this area of research more strongly again.

The model for nuclear fusion is the sun. Christian Kirsch reports on how the research is going. The sun, what a power station! Almost never-ending energy. Scientists are trying to bring this source of energy to Earth, in a laboratory at the Technical University in Darmstadt, belonging to a young company called “Focused Energy.”

Professor Roth and his team want to ignite a solar reactor on Earth. They see nuclear fusion as a ray of hope for our increasingly energy-hungry planet. Long term, I think nuclear fusion is not only an opportunity for all of us,

But also, in the long term, nuclear fusion will be the form of energy that will take humanity into the next century. On the one hand, it is a form of energy that is constantly available. We can switch it on and off whenever we need it, unlike the fluctuating forms of renewable energy.

Secondly, it is the last form of energy that mankind has not yet tapped into. The idea behind nuclear fusion is that deuterium and tritium, a heavy and a super-heavy form of hydrogen, are fused together under pressure and tremendous heat. Lasers are triggered in this process,

Producing helium, a neutron and, above all, a lot of energy. This is the ITER research facility in the south of France, near Marseille. 5,000 people are working on a fusion reactor here. It is a cathedral of science. Extremely hot plasma in magnets should trigger helium fusion.

But the plant just doesn’t seem to be able to get started. Perhaps, as some researchers suspect, magnet technology is already obsolete. Overtaken before it began. At the World Climate Summit in December in Dubai, 35 countries joined forces under the leadership of the USA, in order to continue researching nuclear fusion.

We are edging ever closer to a fusion-driven reality. There are still major scientific and technical challenges, and prudent policies are needed to be able to navigate this critical juncture. Germany is continuing its research too. The Wendelstein 7-X project in Greifswald aims to improve magnetic technology with a so-called stellarator.

The aim here is also to achieve the 100 million degrees needed to ignite fusion on Earth. In Darmstadt, they are relying on the use of lasers instead. It has been proved that the whole thing is physically possible on Earth. Now a new goal must be achieved:

To generate more energy than is invested in ignition. We have decided that we want to have a first demonstrator ready by the end of the 2030s, that is actually already capable of producing electricity. That would then be a system that could be built on.

Fusion power plants could then be built and exported all over the world. In other words, the first fusion power plants won’t be built until the end of the 2030s. It is still unclear whether nuclear fusion will work. In any case, there’s a chance.

One market is already very dependent on cheap electricity in large quantities, and will be even more so in the future. It’s the electric mobility market. Something’s happening there, isn’t it Gundula? Yes, electric cars. Almost all brands are becoming cheaper. Manufacturers are compensating for the loss of subsidies for electric cars,

And are adjusting their prices. Now we’ll ask Valerie Haller, what can customers expect? What does this mean in concrete terms? Car expert Bratzel expects an average discount of 15%, although car manufacturers are, of course, also observing their competitors’ pricing policy. We can safely assume that manufacturers will react with discounts.

The state subsidy, or so-called “environmental bonus”, has been abolished, and manufacturers are trying to compensate for this with discounts. Despite the discounts, experts believe that it will be difficult to sell electric cars this year. In any case, many believe that the German government’s target

Of putting 15 million electric cars on the road by 2030 is unrealistic. Nonetheless, the need for a stable charging station infrastructure is becoming increasingly urgent. A major petrol station operator has addressed these problems once again. Yes, that was Aral. Not only Aral, but experts from Siemens and others also believe

That there is generally enough electricity. Distribution grids are usually the weak point, as they are not always able to supply several charges at the same time, without overloading. This is especially true in rural areas. Experts have therefore long been calling for the expansion of charging points

To go hand in hand with the expansion of the grid infrastructure. Transformers for fast-charging stations have posed another problem. According to Aral, their approval takes up to two years, which is far too long, if the switch to electric mobility is ever to succeed. Thank you, Valerie, reporting from Frankfurt.

Several pharmacies in Germany are currently suspected of having illegally re-sold the COVID-19 drug Paxlovid, which was provided by the state. According to various regional public prosecutors’ offices, several criminal charges have been brought against pharmacists by the Federal Ministry of Health. A relatively expensive drug,

Paxlovid was intended to be made available free of charge to patients with pre-existing conditions, and was not allowed to be resold to third parties. The worst word of 2023 was: remigration. The jury criticised the fact that the term, which originated in migration exile research, has been misused by right-wing parties and far-right groups

As euphemistic camouflage vocabulary for the demand to forcibly expel people with a history of migration en masse. The term is currently being discussed in connection with the meeting in Potsdam between right-wing extremists and AfD politicians. When a volcano recently erupted in Iceland, there were several reports, fascinating images

And even a permanent live stream. Now the volcano has erupted again, for the second time within four weeks. And once again, the small village of Grindavik had to be evacuated. The difference from the first eruption is that this time, the lava flows are closer to the inhabited area.

So close, that lava has already set houses on fire. Henner Hebestreit reports. This is a journey through dangerous terrain, a 10-kilometre drive through a wild landscape, to the volcanic area around Grindavik. 4,000 people once lived here, which is 1% of Iceland’s small population.

Now they are on the run from the forces of nature. The Earth has literally opened up, just next door to the houses. Lava poured into the town, burning and engulfing several houses. The events that are happening to our town are really sad. We’re safe, but the uncertainty remains.

We don’t know what will happen next, and that’s just the hardest part about it right now. Overnight, nature has calmed down somewhat. The pressure seems to have escaped from this subterranean cauldron, for the time being. Just a few fountains of lava are still rising to the surface.

Fresh, slowly solidifying lava has cloaked the landscape. But the situation is still unpredictable. You have glowing hot lava beneath the dark surface you see here, that is still flowing. It can escape through the thin ceiling at any time. So, we have to keep a distance. Dangerous, toxic gases are also escaping.

However, the lava is no longer pushing forward so powerfully. Hopes are high that the massive earth walls that were piled up for protection can keep the deadly mash of rock at bay for the time being. He thought he was safe behind the waves. Documentary filmmaker Heiko Heltorff

Accompanied dozens of Grindavik residents as they returned to their village. They had to flee again suddenly on Sunday night. There was a bit of disappointment in the air, actually almost a fear that they would never come back. You could see that in people’s faces.

Experts haven’t ruled out the possibility of more lava flows like this one soon, all around Grindavik. It was dormant for 800 years, until 2021, and it’s erupting again now, isn’t that absurd? The “heute journal up:date” will air here, as it always does on weekdays, at 12:15 AM with Christopher Wehrmann.

That’s it from us for today. We wish you well, wherever you are. See you tomorrow. -Bye. WEATHER REPORT Good evening. The depression that brought us snow and icy conditions today will head east tomorrow, followed by a small intermittent high. On Tuesday night and Wednesday,

This low pressure are over the Atlantic will bring a warm front, meaning that mild air will push over the icy cold on the ground. That means dangerously slippery conditions, freezing rain and snowfall. Snow showers will continue tonight, especially here in the north and northeast of Germany.

There may also be some snow showers on the edge of the Alps. Otherwise it will be mostly dry in the south, with temperatures dropping to 1 degree at the North Sea, and to minus 11 degrees over snow on the edge of the Alps. Maximum temperatures tomorrow will mostly be around freezing point,

And we see a few snow showers here in north Germany tomorrow. Otherwise, Tuesday looks pleasant, before freezing rain, snow and rain move in during the night into Wednesday and over the day. For hours, we may see dangerous freezing rain or snow, especially in the west and in the low mountain ranges.

20-30 centimetres of fresh snow are possible. There may also be snow drifts, so you should really avoid any unnecessary journeys. You won’t see any of this in northern Germany, where it’s pleasant on Wednesday. It will be markedly mild in the southwest, up to 11 degrees on Wednesday,

And the snow and rain will move further south on Thursday. Friday will be quite nice again for all of us, with maximum temperatures of minus 2 to 4 degrees. Good evening.

Die Ampel-Parteien wollen die Landwirtschaft strukturell entlasten, in Iowa beginnen die US-Präsidentschaftsvorwahlen der Republikaner. Der isländische Ort Grindavík wurde erneut von einem Lava-Strom bedroht. Mehr dazu und weitere Nachrichten des Tages im heute journal.

English Subtitles
Today’s topics: Farmers promised fewer hurdles – Tax increase for agricultural diesel still on the cards; US primaries begin in Iowa – Trump still the favourite; Tense situation in Iceland – Are more eruptions coming?

00:00 Vorspann

01:12 Bauern-Proteste: Es hat sich was aufgestaut
Die Ampel-Parteien wollen die Landwirtschaft strukturell entlasten. Die Abschaffung der Steuervergünstigung für Agrardiesel aber komme, so Finanzminister Lindner bei den Protesten.

04:45 Lindner: Sparbeitrag der Landwirte ist “fair”
Steuergelder allein könnten nicht die Probleme der Bauern lösen – es werde für Anderes gebraucht. Steuererhöhungen seien keine Option: “Wir brauchen wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung”, so Bundesfinanzminister Christian Lindner.

15:29 US-Urwahl bei Republikanern: Auftakt in Iowa
In Iowa beginnen die US-Präsidentschaftsvorwahlen der Republikaner. Umfragen sehen Ex-Präsident Trump weit vorne. Entscheidend wird sein, wer sich Platz Zwei sichern kann.

18:44 Kernfusion – Hoffnung für unseren Planeten?
Langfristig sei Kernfusion nicht nur eine Chance für alle, sondern die Energieform, die die Menschheit ins nächste Jahrhundert bringt, so der Darmstädter Fusionsforscher Roth.

25:30 Vulkan: Island hofft auf guten Ausgang
Der isländische Ort Grindavík wurde erneut von einem Lava-Strom bedroht. Zwar verlief die Nacht auf Island ohne Zwischenfälle, jedoch ist die Entwicklung des Ausbruches ungewiss.

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