The toll debacle-a last act. The situation in the morning

Good morning, dear readers,

It has been over six years since the European Court of Justice was the former “foreign toll”, the former CSU favorite project, which it described in this way, was illegal – and thus made it disappear in the sinking. The political debacle cost the taxpayer 243 million euros, because the then Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer had previously received commitments to operator companies, which then claimed damages.

It was not the case that there were no warnings. Lawyers expressed that it violated European law to raise a toll that only burdened the burden that did not live in Germany. Scheuer’s political career came to an end after the project failed and he had to face a parliamentary committee of inquiry.

Now the last act of the toll debacle could be due. The Berlin public prosecutor has charged charges against the CSU politician. Could justice come about later, for all the mistakes made in the toll affair?

Specifically, the public prosecutor accuses the CSU man’s false statement in the committee of inquiry. It is about Scheuer’s conversation with operator companies in which they are said to have proposed to wait for the court decision before signing the contracts. Scheuer emphasized in the committee of inquiry that he could not remember such a conversation. The court still has to decide on the admission of the indictment. Scheuer denies the allegations, the presumption of innocence applies.

If there would be a process and a conviction, so Scheuer fell on the feet, not the political procedure at that time. And weren’t there any others in the CSU who are responsible for the fact that the state has caused this immense damage? It was finally the then CSU boss and Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, who pushed onto the car toll. And it was the then Federal Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt, today Interior Minister who designed her. Scheuer followed Dobrindt in office – in the end the debacle was only connected to his name.

A peace conclusion in Ukraine is not yet foreseeable, when the debate is taking away whether German soldiers should ultimately secure such a peace on site. The fact that Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently indicated a commitment of peace troops causes prompt contradiction-especially in the east of the country, the announcement is too fast for some CDU politicians.

Saxony-Anhalt CDU state boss Sven Schulze told him star: “With all the necessary support from the Federal Republic for Ukraine, we should not have a debate about direct use of German soldiers in Germany.” However, the fundamental question, of course, does not disappear because you prohibit the debate about it – namely afterwards what Germany and the other Europeans would actually be ready. And whether these are enough guarantees for Ukraine, so that Kyiv is involved in concessions in any negotiations with Russia.

The United States has already made it clear that the Europeans had to take over the “lion’s share of the load” among the security guarantees, so Vice President JD Vance formulated. Delightful debates are coming to the Chancellor, on the whole country.

Another health trend draws attention to itself: Perhaps boxes or bottles with the imprint A2 milk have come into their hands in the supermarket. The so -called “primeval milk” Is even offered as drinking milk, but also processed into products such as yogurt, cheese, butter or ice cream. The promise: that these products are better tolerated.

The fact that there is also primal milk in addition to the widespread milk today, it can probably be attributed to a genetic mutation of the cows. Because the farmers have to invest more for the production of primeval milk, Z are zSo far, the products have often been more expensive than those from the so-called A1 milk. So is that worth it? Caution is shown: According to research, it is not an alternative for people with lactose intolerance or cow milk allergy. For some others it could be tRevoted to pay the higher price – even if the scientific studies have so far been enjoyed with caution.

Often it is the little stories that transport the great reality most impressive. Our author Joana Rettig has now written down such a story: It is that of Ruslana, a prostitute in a small town in eastern Ukraine, near the front line.

“At the end of 2024, when I became aware of Ruslana, she was always there: at a bus stop, right next to the railways,” writes Rettig in her text. “A bleak place, 15 kilometers away from the front. Every time I saw her. Everyone knew her, I asked around. Sure, residents said that Ruslana was. At some point the petrol station was shot at. Because with Russia’s invasion 2022, Ruslana’s business started to boom.

Now Ruslana has died. “At one like you would have expected a spectacular end. A bomb maybe. A drone, a dispute that escalates, an excess that does justice to her life. But Ruslana died silently. She overturned in the supermarket, just like that. Thrombosis had come loose. No heroine death, just the collapse of a body that had endured too much. “

How did you like this morning | Star? Please write it to me: . From next week you can also get this morning briefing in your mailbox as a newsletter. Register

I wish you a good day.