Weekly update: support slips for AKK

By Jack Turner and Tom Carson This week the results of a survey were released in a “Politbarometer", which indicates the majority of Germans (51%) don’t consider Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to be a suitable replacement for Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor, with just 34% backing her candidacy. This coincides with a decrease in AKK’s popularity rating, which has dropped from as high as 1.4 in February to 0.7. In a speech on Wednesday AKK criticised the student strikes for more climate protection, stating, "the fact remains that they are skipping school for it”. In the same speech, she referred to the results of such surveys that were keen for Angela Merkel to remain Chancellor, claiming, "I want that too".  Elsewhere, the upload filtering provided for in the EU copyright reform has sparked a new dispute between the SPD and the CDU, as even though both want to prevent the filters, the question remains as to whether that will be on a large, or small scale. While the CDU is considering a waiver in Germany, the SPD wants to prevent the filters across Europe. “Upload filtering” is a reform proposed by the EU Commission in 2016 that is supposed to adapt copyright to the Internet age. The controversial Article 13 envisages making commercial platforms such as YouTube more accountable for copyright, meaning user uploaded material such as videos would be reviewed.  The party leader of the FDP, Christian Lindner, accused the grand coalition of taking a "zigzag course" on the reform and has demanded that the federal government ensures that upload filtering is banned by EU directive, a sentiment that is echoed by Die Grüne. Mesut Özil has once again received criticism for meeting with Turkey’s President Erdogan. At an airport in Istanbul with his fiancée, Amine Gülse, Özil is reported to have invited the Turkish president to their wedding. On Twitter, SPD politician and Secretary of State Sawsan Chebli has sharply criticised the footballer, tweeting that, "what he does now is disappointing, he is a role model for millions of young people, and I find it irresponsible,". Both Mesut Özil and Amine Gülse are yet to comment on the reports. AND… Kraftwerk’s hit, ‘Computer World’ couples “FBI and Scotland Yard” alongside “Interpol and Deutsche Bank”, warning against data collection, authority and the influence of major corporations; or, more simply, “Business, numbers, money, people”. This past week, news has emerged of a potential merger between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, following months of speculation that the two struggling Investment Banks may combine. Ralf Hütter – care to alter your lyrics? Volkswagen’s Chief Executive, Herbert Diess, has faced calls to resign after twisting the infamous Nazi slogan ‘Arbeit macht frei’ into 'Ebit macht frei’ in a speech to VW employees this week. ‘EBIT’ refers to Earnings before Interest and Tax’, an indicator of a firm’s profit. Considering that Volkswagen was set up during the period of Nazi rule, Diess’ joke, unsurprisingly, hasn’t gone down too well. Surprise.