Germany in Brief

Schröder buoyed as Iraq war rages, according to poll

Support for the German Chancellor and his Social Democrat Party has increased. In Germany’s ZDF television Politbarometer poll, the SPD climbed three points in the second half of March from 27 to 30 percent. In the same period, the opposition Christian Democrat/Christian Socialist Union, have lost popularity, with support falling from 54 to 50 percent. The gulf between the two parties is a clear indication of the discontent in Germany over the way Chancellor Schröder is handling the sluggish economy. The survey also showed that with 84 percent, the overwhelming majority of Germans are opposed to war in Iraq, with considerably more women than men voting against allied military action.

Ecstasy smuggling on the rise

According to an annual customs report presented by German Finance Minister Hans Eichel, some 1.9 million Ecstasy tablets were seized on Germany’s borders last year. The amount of ecstasy seized by German customs officials was up by 44 percent in 2002, a rise which Eichel attributed to increased co-operation with US investigators.The U.S. has a vested interest in quashing smuggling trends in Germany, as a large percentage of drugs smuggled into the country are destined for U.S. markets. The report also revealed a significant rise in the amount of marijuana, hashish and LSD being smuggled across Germany’s borders, with a slight reduction in the seizure of heroin and cocaine.

Superstar goes platinum

Since wooing Germany with his weekly wailings and implanting himself in the hearts of an adoring young public, Alex, winner of the highly successful TV talent search show ‘Deutschland sucht den Superstar’ (Germany searches for its superstar) has been enjoying his first taste of success: Within just ten days of its release, his debut single has been catapulted to platinum status. The TV station responsible for the hit show, RTL, announced on Friday that the superstar’s single ‘Take me tonight’ had already sold more than half a million copies, and that the 19-year-old is likely to reach No. 1 in the German pop charts soon.

All things Turkish

The Centre for Turkish Studies in Essen has teamed up with a Turkish publisher to produce a German language magazine addressing all things Turkish. The magazine, “EuroTürk” looks at all aspects of Turkish life in Europe, and relations between the country and the continent. With an initial print-run of 12,000, the quarterly publication will present a colourful collection of reports from the worlds of politics, economics, science, culture and media, and will have comment and analysis on the successes, failures and developments of bi-lateral relations.