Saturday, February 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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Mercedes CEO: “Germans take too many sick days”

Published 22 October 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The car manufacturer's CEO says that sickness rates are much lower in factories in other countries.

Ola Källenius, the Swedish-German CEO of Mercedes-Benz, believes that the car manufacturer’s employees have far too much sick leave – and that this is something that directly harms the business.

When sick leave in German car factories is occasionally double that of other European countries, it leads to economic repercussions… High sickness rates in Germany pose a challenge for businesses, he says in an interview with Der Spiegel.

He points out that sick leave is lower in other countries where they operate – such as Hungary, Romania, Spain and Poland.

The move comes shortly after US electric car manufacturer Tesla caused a stir when it emerged that managers at its Grünheide plant in Germany were making “home visits” to check whether employees on sick leave were actually at home resting – again citing unusually high sickness rates.

However, the IG Metall union says Tesla is jeopardizing the health of its employees by having too small a workforce and insufficient occupational health and safety.

The Mercedes CEO says the company already does a lot for its employees – “from occupational health and ergonomic work processes to health counseling, flu shots, and resilience training” – and that employees also need to “make an effort to improve“.

Other German company bosses, such as Allianz CEO Oliver Bälte, have also recently criticized German workers, pointing out how they are on sick leave more often than staff in the US or Switzerland.

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Asylum seeker plows into crowd in Munich – 30 injured

Migration crisis in Europe

Published yesterday 7:08
– By Editorial Staff
The Mini Cooper car used by the suspected perpetrator in the attack.

Around 30 people were injured, several of them seriously, when a car deliberately drove into a demonstration in central Munich on Thursday. The suspected driver, a 24-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan, was arrested after police fired shots. The incident, which took place at a time of heightened security ahead of an international conference, has provoked strong political reactions and put the spotlight on Germany’s migration policy ahead of elections later this month.

A cream-colored Mini Cooper suddenly accelerated to 50 km/h and crashed into a crowd of people at Stiglmaierplatz, where the Verdi trade union was holding a demonstration linked to an ongoing strike. According to eyewitnesses, the attack appeared to be deliberate.

“It looked like it was done on purpose”, one witness told Bayerischer Rundfunk. Emergency services described the situation as chaotic, with several life-threatening injuries, including small children.

Police fired warning shots and arrested the driver, who had a history of drug offenses and was reportedly to be deported. He is now suspected of planning an attack on the protesters.

Strong political reactions

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) condemned the incident as an “attack” during a press conference, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised that the suspect “must be punished and leave the country” if found guilty.

The attack comes in the midst of a heated election campaign, with issues of migration and security taking center stage.

The incident also comes on the eve of the Munich Security Conference, which starts on February 14, with participants such as US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The organizers have not yet decided on any changes to the conference programme.

Broader debate on security and immigration

The attack is the third high-profile incident of violence in Germany in a short time where the perpetrators are of Afghan origin. Three weeks ago, a two-year-old boy was killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, and another Afghan man is being prosecuted for the murder of a police officer in Mannheim in 2024. These incidents have sharpened the debate on asylum policy and integration, especially ahead of the 23 February federal elections.

At the scene, journalists arrived to find traces of blood and torn clothing. Police have not released any details about the motive, but the investigation is focusing on whether the perpetrator acted alone or has links to larger networks.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis resigns after impeachment threat

Published 12 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Yohannis has been accused of illegitimately staying in power.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on 10 February 2025 that he will step down from office, three months before a new presidential election is scheduled.

His departure follows a period of political turbulence, including threats of impeachment from opposition parties and criticism for remaining in office despite his term formally ending in December 2024.

Klaus Iohannis, who has been president since 2014, actually finished his second and final term on 21 December 2024. However, the December presidential election was annulled by Romania’s Supreme Court over allegations of Russian interference and electoral fraud.

The first round had been unexpectedly won by independent candidate Calin Georgescu, however, the court ruled that the election should be re-run and asked Iohannis to stay on as interim president until the new elections, scheduled for May 2025.

The decision to remain in office was strongly criticized by opposition parties, especially by opposition groups such as the Alliance for Romanian Unity (AUR), which launched several attempts to impeach him, accusing him of illegitimately staying in power like a dictator. Widespread protests were also organized by these groups, which further increased the pressure on Iohannis to resign.

Favorite of EU leaders

During his 10 years as president, Klaus Iohannis has been a strong advocate of the EU and European integration. He has worked to strengthen Romania’s role within the Union and pushed for its entry into the Schengen area. His pro-European stance and outspoken support for Ukraine have made him popular with other EU leaders, who have rallied behind him during the political crisis of recent months.

In his resignation speech, Iohannis stressed that he is stepping down to avoid a political crisis and prevent a polarizing impeachment process.

To spare Romania from this crisis, I am resigning as president of Romania” he said.

His resignation means that Romania is now governed by an interim president until the new elections, the first round of which is scheduled for May 4 with a possible second round on May 18.

Leftist leader praises population replacement in France

Population replacement in the West

Published 12 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
“It's about a generation that comes after another and will never be like the last one", said Mélenchon.

In Sweden, the notion that governments are using mass immigration from the Third World to replace the European population is often dismissed as a “far-right conspiracy theory”.

In France, however, the climate of debate is different and the provocative left-wing leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is now openly celebrating plans to replace the ethnic French and turn the country into a “creole nation”.

– In our country, one in four people has a foreign grandparent. 40% of the population speaks at least two languages. We are destined to become a creole nation and so much better! May the young generation be the great replacement of the old generation, Mélenchon recently exclaimed during a rally in Toulouse.

Creole usually refers to a person of both European and black African descent and was historically used to describe the mixed population of the Caribbean.

According to the leftist leader, the new generation of ethnically mixed French people is needed to “heal France from the wounds of racism” despite the fact that France is estimated to be one of the most tolerant and least discriminatory countries in the world.

“Creating something new”

Le Journal du Dimanche columnist Arnaud Benedetti notes that Mélenchon “has probably never before been so clear in his words and his vision, even if he has never really tried to hide it”.

He points to his horizon and aims at his enemy. His horizon? Creolization, a euphemism for ‘the great exchange’. His enemy? Tradition, the past, yesterday’s and today’s France, which he denounces as an old rag to be thrown away because it no longer exists”.

In another speech last week, Mélenchon delivered the same message, cheerfully admitting that there is a population exchange in France.

– It’s about a generation that comes after another and will never be like the last one, he affirmed, stressing “the importance of this creolization which creates something new”.

EU continues to approve insects in food

Published 11 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
In the past, mealworms in frozen, dried and powdered form have been approved for human consumption in the EU.

The EU has approved a new mealworm powder for human consumption. It is the latest addition to the Union’s efforts to promote insects in food.

Insects are considered novel foods in the EU, which means they were not widely consumed before May 15, 1997. To be approved, they must be examined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Only the company that gets its food approved has the right to produce and distribute it, and the authorization is valid for five years.

In recent years, the EU has approved a number of insect species for human consumption: mealworms, buffalo larvae, house crickets and grasshoppers can now be used in frozen, dried or powdered form in products such as bread, crisps and food supplements.

Two companies can sell mealworms

The EU has now approved UV-treated whole mealworm powder for human consumption following an application by the French company Nutri’Earth. Previously, mealworms have been approved for use frozen, dried or in powder form by the company Fair Insects BV. In other words, this means that two different companies are allowed to produce and distribute mealworms.

Under current rules, the list of ingredients must clearly state whether a food contains insects. As they can cause cross-allergies, clear labelling on the packaging is also required.

Viruses and heavy metals

Insects are often promoted as a more environmentally friendly food because they require less land, water and feed. At the same time, there are risks, as studies show that insects can contain heavy metals, bacteria and viruses.

Despite the EU’s efforts to promote insects, countries such as Italy have chosen to ban them completely. The reason is that they do not want insects to be associated with Italian cuisine.