the German Wine Gate has marked the southern point of the Wine Route since 1936 and placed along the Wine Route itself to help draw visitors after the plummeting wine prices of the prewar years the imposing sandstone structure continues to function mainly as a tourist attraction with a popular on-site restaurant and surrounding vineyards that offer memorable views across the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site.© 2025 AFAR LLC the OSCE Programme Office in Astana (the Office) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and the “Union of Crisis Centers of Kazakhstan” organized a regional conference titled “Domestic Violence Counteraction Systems in Central Asia: Correctional Programs for Aggressors” in Almaty international and non-governmental organizations Kicking off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign the conference served as a platform to share best practices and develop a unified regional strategy to combat domestic violence tailored to the specific contexts of each participating country Participants engaged in discussions on a range of critical topics including legislative and legal frameworks for combating domestic violence the role of law enforcement in addressing domestic violence such as rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders through correctional programmes in Central Asia Other sessions focused on supporting victims leveraging IT technologies for prevention and response and the vital role of the media in raising awareness and fostering change A key focus of discussions was the need for a holistic approach to combat domestic violence which includes both protecting victims and rehabilitating aggressors Studies indicate that correctional programmes for aggressors can significantly decrease the risk of repeat offenses and enhance safety for victims Germany’s successful implementation of such programmes was cited as a model incorporating specialized measures for aggressor rehabilitation Senior Human Dimension Officer at the Office stressed the shift in perspective from victim-blaming to focusing on the accountability of perpetrators and engaging men and boys as allies in the fight against gender-based violence The conference concluded with the development of actionable recommendations to improve domestic violence response in Central Asia It promoted the exchange of successful practices and strategies enhancing public awareness of domestic violence as a pressing societal issue alongside the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and FES plans to facilitate a study visit to the Southern Palatinate Intervention Center in Landau in der Pfalz This initiative will provide key national responders with an opportunity to examine effective correctional models firsthand and consider their adaptation and implementation in the region The aim is to improve perpetrator management and enhance support systems for survivors more topics The latest Progroup corrugated sheetfeeder plant in Petersberg has been in routine production since the beginning of August The Landau-based family company is extending its leading market position with its ultra-modern production site close to Pirmasens which will also create a combined total of 60 new jobs and training positions Progroup can celebrate reaching yet one more mile-stone Since the beginning of August the first corrugated board sheets have been routinely coming off the end of the line in the latest plant (PW15) in Petersberg “We are systematically pursuing our growth strategy and are strengthening our market position even further with this investment the plant is also a clear commitment to the Palatinate as a place for work and business,” stated Maximilian Heindl Progroup began operating its first plant in Offenbach an der Queich more than 30 years ago of this paper and corrugated board manufacturer is located in Landau PW15 is yet further proof of Progroup’s technological leadership Ultra-modern processes and innovative manufacturing technology form a perfect partnership here that guarantees corrugated board of the highest quality made by extremely efficient manufacturing methods The site has the very latest high-tech plant and equipment capable of manufacturing up to 200,000 tonnes of corrugated sheetboard per year The production line runs at a speed of 400 metres per minute The speed at which the project was completed was also impressive The ground-breaking ceremony took place as recently as June 2022 The rapid completion of the project is due primarily to Project Manager Rudolf Vervoorst and his team A clever concept provides a sustainable source of energy Two super-efficient combined heat and power plants plus a photo-voltaic plant on the roof cover the works’ total energy requirement for two-shift operation manufacturing corrugated board This also reduces the consumption of fossil fuels heat and power plant uses the waste heat from its own power generation either to generate cold or alternatively to feed heat into the heating circuit “This system is so efficient that we not only save energy in the manufacturing processes but can also heat the 30,000m2 building in winter and cool it in summer” explained Maximilian Heindl In Petersberg Progroup has repeated its successful packaging park model based on a long-term partnership PW15 was erected directly adjacent to the production facilities of Progroup’s long-standing customer G&G Preisser resulting in major advantages for both parties: Progroup corrugated board stacks from the fully automated high bay warehouse with 15,000 storage spaces are now transported by a conveyor belt directly into Preisser’s packaging plant The smart intralogistics system always knows exactly when and where each stack has to go and replaces deliveries previously made by road This not only eliminates significant costs for the two partner companies but also benefits the environment by removing the need for several dozen truck movements each day is one of the leading manufacturers of containerboard and corrugated board in Europe Since it was founded in 1991 in Offenbach/Queich the company has been pursuing a consistent growth strategy which is also based on the use of innovative and environmentally friendly production technologies Progroup operates production sites in six countries in Central Europe These currently include three paper factories a logistics company and a waste-to-energy power plant The company's second power plant is currently being constructed in Sandersdorf-Brehna near Leipzig the company generated sales of around 1.3 billion euros in 2023 presse@progroup.ag Software Communications Lighting Electrical/​Electronics RF & Microwave Electronics Semiconductors & ICs Energy Photonics/​Optics Imaging Motion Control Robotics, Automation & Control Test & Measurement Sensors/​Data Acquisition Manufacturing & Prototyping Materials & Coatings Mechanical & Fluid Systems Propulsion Transportation Automotive Current Issue Magazine Archives SUBSCRIBE the next level of development of the versiondog and AutoSave solution Octoplant is a new data management platform that provides a vendor-independent and comprehensive view of all automation backup processes involving OT and IT Users are protected against production downtime and also experience significantly increased cyber security octoplant is tailored to different industrial needs and uses dashboards to display the various statuses of the plant clearly and precisely For Free Info Visit Here  The new 36 sensor series from Leuze Electronics detects objects even at large operating ranges They detect objects with different optical properties — even at a great distance The advantage for system manufacturers and operators: The cost-optimized 36 series is an economically attractive solution especially in the case of highly automated systems with a large number of sensors They are available as retro-reflective photoelectric sensors (up to 17 meters) For Free Info Visit Here  is introducing the FIGARO series motion control system to complement Optimal Engineering Systems’ growing line of single and multi-axis positioning stages and 4 axis FIGARO Motion Control Systems are available as compact countertop enclosures or 19-inch rack mounts (shown) for stepper motors dc servo motors with quadrature incremental encoders three-phase brushless dc servo motors with quadrature incremental encoders the FIGARO series can be configured with any combination of drivers for steppers For Free Info Visit Here  announced the new Sensata IQ platform that makes it easy to deploy asset health monitoring to prevent unplanned downtime within manufacturing environments easy-to-install solution that enables factory managers and maintenance engineers to intuitively monitor all their assets from anywhere The cloud-based platform uses artificial intelligence to process data from a broad portfolio of Sensata IoT devices and qualified third-party sensors to gain insights into the health of each asset enables plant managers to get reliable and easy-to understand alerts regarding their facility’s equipment health before assets fail For Free Info Visit Here  The Industrial Gateway from Weidmuller Inc. flexible solution for every system integrator whether you are moving toward digitalization and Industry 4.0 With the capability of supporting up to 12 protocols simultaneously can establish communication across multiple data sources and bridge communication gaps between Ethernet and/or serial devices It includes an integrated web-based configuration — no additional programming software is required For Free Info Visit Here  Pre-Calibrated Linear Position Sensors from NewTek Sensor Solutions serve as long-term replacements for potentiometers As potentiometers rely on mechanical contact to provide position feedback components wear out and are affected by heat making output progressively noisier and unreliable over time Non-contacting and with no parts to wear out NewTek LVDT Position Sensors offer frictionless operation and do not drift or get noisy even over extended periods and resolution of LVDTs are critical for industrial applications that require measurement of very small movements such as TIR measurements For Free Info Visit Here  has announced the availability of its high-performance STIL MPLS-DM sensor and shape of all materials including transparent and polished mirror surfaces such as glass The MPLS-DM provides high quality control and working frequencies up to 2kHz in standard mode or up to 6kHz with a reduced range of the sensor It offers 180 measuring points aligned along a line ranging from 1 to 12 millimeters and minimum measurable thickness capability of 18 pm to 300 pm For Free Info Visit Here  A GPS/GNSS positioning receiver from Septenrio NV provides accurate and affordable navigation But it is crucial to understand vulnerabilities of these sensors and the effect they could have on the navigation system They are used for automation and robotization in many industries from agriculture and delivery drones to self-driving cars Spoofing is a real threat to GNSS-based INS systems so it is critical that receivers are designed to be resilient to GNSS vulnerabilities such as jamming and spoofing Taking advantage of robust GNSS technology is also cost effective allowing companies to focus their development on sensor fusion and navigation For Free Info Visit Here  has expanded its line of measurement and control instrumentation with the addition of the model PMD-MXT series of RTD scanner indicators This 32 Channel microprocessor-based temperature scanner provides continuous monitoring of up to 32 channels of RTD sensors The large 14 mm tall digit red LED display is easy to read Rows of LED annunciators warn of specific channel alarm conditions configured through the front panel push buttons and an internal 2 Amp relay contact output is engaged For Free Info Visit Here  The ALTA Wireless Local Alert from Monnit Corp provides three ways to notify people about critical changes and sensor readings from your Monnit IoT network and displays the important message upon receiving a notification The Local Alert can also display sensor readings from any sensor on the same account Simply add the Local Alert to a network in your iMonnit account and it will automatically be in the list of devices that can receive messages from a sensor via a gateway When setting up notifications to the Local Alert you can choose what the device should do when it receives a message For Free Info Visit Here  has upgraded its Micronas Hall-effect switch family for automotive and industrial applications They are all now defined as SEooC (Safety Element out of Context) ASIL B-ready Modules equipped with HAL 15xy can more easily fulfill higher safety criteria in automotive applications such as brake fluid level sensing enabling deployment in ASIL A and ASIL B classified automotive applications Customers can enable a full functional test of the sensors’ signal processing path and output before starting standard operation For Free Info Visit Here  the first product in their analog machine learning (analogMLTM) core family It extends battery life by up to 20x over traditional digital always-on systems The AML100 is the only machine learning chip to intelligently reduce the amount of data that moves through the always-on system while the data are still analog It keeps the higher-power digital components asleep unless important data are detected reducing always-on system power by >95 percent to unlock the potential of thousands of new applications running on battery For Free Info Visit Here  motor sensor combines three different sensors in one multi-sensor node: temperature Get continuous remote monitoring of these key predictors of motor failure and receive alerts via text and/or email The sensor is ideal for an IoT predictive maintenance program/cbm maintenance The temperature sensor and vibration sensor (accelerometer) install quickly with industrial-strength magnets or screw mount The current sensor is a split-core amp clamp The standard vibration sensor samples at 5KHz and performs edge-computing on the data to report RMS acceleration Store data and manage alerts with SensorManager software or integrate them into your own PLC or other software For Free Info Click Here  announced the release of the Value Series MinMoe MultiModal Biometrics Reader with multi-functional facial authentication card pin code identification and authentication and video security capabilities in a single device It securely stores up to 1,500 face algorithms and up to 3,000 card pin codes for highly secure multi-modal identity management and authentication Registered users can utilize touchless facial authentication and/or an access card pin code to enter a building while visitors can communicate with authorized staff using the intercom function The MinMoe reader also supports intercom calling via mobile app allowing security personnel to converse with guests and open doors remotely For Free Info Visit Here  presents its fourth-generation temperature sensor series: the STS4x The sensor platform is available in different accuracy classes and is currently represented by the STS40 the STS4x is well-suited for mass production and battery-driven designs The STS40 has a temperature accuracy of ΔT = ± 0.2 °C The supply voltage range of 1.08 to 3.6 V and low current consumption of 0.4 µA for a typical average current measured once per second allows the series to be implemented into battery-driven designs For Free Info Visit Here  has launched a solution for touchless gesture-based controls in simple cost-conscious consumer and industrial applications The solution comprises free engineering software to be used with ST’s VL53L5CX FlightSense™ time-offlight (ToF) multizone ranging sensor ST’s solution lets designers build systems that benefit from greater user privacy and lower power consumption and that work in the dark without needing external illumination The algorithm can run on a low-power microcontroller and demands minimal system resources For Free Info Visit Here  2022 issue of Sensor Technology Magazine (Vol Read more articles from the archives here SUBSCRIBE How MXenes Can 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New Atom-Based Thermometer Measures Temperature More Accurately AI and Machine Learning in Medical Device Cybersecurity Optimizing Electric Powertrains: Advanced Materials for Performance, Safety, and Efficiency Breakthrough in Infrared and Visible Imaging: One Dataset with Spatial and Temporal Alignment Improving Rocket and Flight Vehicle Testing Under Capital Constraints Advancing Automotive Manufacturing with Digital Twins Powering NewSpace Missions: Navigating the Cost vs. Reliability Challenge Medical Design Briefs Mobility Engineering Technology Service Status By submitting your personal information, you agree that SAE Media Group and carefully selected industry sponsors of this content may contact you and that you have read and agree to the Privacy Policy You may reach us at privacy@saemediagroup.com Subscriber Services Contact Us Advertise Cookie Usage Volume 6 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2024.1359645 the number and international authority of regional organizations (ROs) have increased significantly Former national decisions are increasingly being taken at the regional level affecting governance in (democratically constituted) member states Brexit demonstrated that democratic legitimacy could play a central role for ROs As states have different (power) resources and political cultures and often do not benefit equally from their membership democratic legitimacy likely varies between RO member states This contribution provides a measurement of the democratic legitimacy of a RO’s governance in member states in a selected policy field The newly developed analytical model can be applied to various ROs and is based on input and output legitimacy and the empirical acceptance of a RO and its processes The requirements for democratic legitimacy vary with the authority and intervention of a RO vis-à-vis its member states and the concept of democracy contained in input legitimacy is oriented towards the normative core of democracy This analytical approach aims to highlight and compare the democratic legitimacy of various members of a RO in new or established policy fields and contribute to the discussion on why a member state leaves a RO such as the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) or the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) these legitimacy issues have not arisen as much so the literature to date is highly Eurocentric and the world has changed significantly since then The effects of the increasing authority of ROs on their acceptance and democratic legitimacy on the one hand but also challenges such as Brexit and the increasing politicization of ROs on the other require systematic analysis to identify cause-and-effect relationships Understanding the democratic legitimacy of different ROs from the perspective of member states provides a basis for further analysis which does not exist so far this contribution aims to provide a means of measuring democratic legitimacy in various ROs for member states concerning a selected policy field a theoretical framework of democratic legitimacy in ROs is developed in which the interaction between ROs and member states serves as the analysis unit Most concepts of democratic legitimacy refer to the relationship between nation-states and their civil society (van der Vleuten and Ribeiro Hoffmann, 2007 the concept of democratic legitimacy is applied to a different object (ROs and their member states) In order to create such an analytical framework with an associated measurement concept research findings from the fields of international relations comparative politics and political philosophy must be taken into account the causes and nature of regional cooperation must be identified and authority and legitimacy have to be defined the most appropriate concepts for democratic legitimacy and democracy above the nation-state are needed The criteria used to assess the suitability of the various approaches are an intrinsic logical coherence and a conception of democratic legitimacy with a vision of democracy for governance beyond the nation-state that can be applied globally a suitable concept of democratic legitimacy for governance in ROs should be applicable to more than one case and to real processes and not just institutions a specified concept of democratic legitimacy in ROs is derived from these definitions and concepts and variations in the requirements of democratic legitimacy in ROs are introduced These variations are due to the decision-making and intervention modes of the RO in the affairs of member states variables and indicators for the requirements are proposed and an illustration of the subsequent measurement is given research perspectives beyond this measurement are demonstrated the following question is to be answered: What concepts should be considered when determining the democratic legitimacy of different ROs from the perspective of their member states 343) are involved in finding common policy solutions This means that a RO may be recognized differently in its member states authority is ‘legitimate power’: ‘One speaks of authority if B regards A’s command as legitimate and correspondingly has an obligation to obey. Authority implies power, but power does not imply authority. Whereas power is evidenced in its effects irrespective of their cause, authority exists only to the extent that B recognises an obligation resting on the legitimacy of A’s command’ (Hooghe et al., 2017a Inter-state relations, as occur in ROs, also touch on the question of power, and potential and real power imbalances between states should not be ignored either. According to Farrell and Newman (2021), complex systems tend to produce asymmetric network structures that can be a starting point for ‘weaponized interdependence’ in which some states can use interdependent relations to coerce others (Farrell and Newman, 2021 this could mean that if powerful states permanently impose their will within an IO/RO at the expense of weaker states the legitimacy of an IO/RO from the perspective of the weaker states is undermined The considerations so far lead to the following conclusion: If the authority of ROs internal power structures between RO member states as well as different national circumstances and different policy outcomes in member states of a RO are to be taken into account when considering legitimacy of a RO the member state level must be part of the analysis the interaction between ROs and member states should be the analysis unit the policy scope and authority of IOs/ROs vary considerably between IOs/ROs and policy fields within an IO/RO not all policy fields of a RO can be investigated simultaneously but the investigation must refer to one policy field per analysis unit In his ‘Theory of Global Governance’, Zürn (2018) explains the connection between legitimation This is why this contribution concentrates on democratic legitimacy ‘The perception of legitimacy matters, because, in a democratic era, multilateral institutions will only thrive if they are viewed as legitimate by democratic publics. If one is unclear about the appropriate standards of legitimacy […], then public support for global governance institutions may be undermined […]’ (Buchanan and Keohane, 2006 In addition, determining the acceptability of ROs requires input, throughput and output legitimacy to be considered: Since achieving goals that cannot be reached alone is an important reason for international cooperation (Keohane, 1984 output legitimacy is an important element of democratic legitimacy in ROs In order to include democratic aspects in the assessment of the legitimacy of ROs input and throughput legitimacy must also be part of the assessment The next step is to identify a suitable concept of democratic legitimacy for governance in ROs which meets the abovementioned requirements various conceptions of democratic legitimacy are briefly outlined and their suitability is examined Without the fulfilment of the function of the common good the legitimacy of a political regime is endangered throughput and output legitimacy are needed in order to be acceptable an element of control should be considered To further specify democratic legitimacy, input legitimacy must be defined more precisely than has been the case so far. This specification is directly related to the underlying definition of democracy. The term ‘democracy’ is composed of the Greek words ‘demos’ and ‘kratein’ and can be translated as the rule of the people (Schmidt, 2019, 1); however, the exact meaning of democracy is controversial (Merkel, 2015 The concept of democracy has undergone various transformations (Dahl, 1994) Since representative democracy cannot be transferred to ROs for various reasons mentioned below the definition of democracy used here is oriented towards its normative core Dahl’s transformations are supplemented by significant democratic theory concepts from the corresponding era the rule of law is also considered an important element of democracy the Federalist Papers place a much higher value on freedom than on the equality of all citizens considering the above-mentioned two-level structure of democratic legitimacy beyond the nation-state this means that member states’ elected representatives must have a choice between alternatives on RO level giving representatives real power to shape policy the freedom and equality of the member states affected by a far-reaching decision must be secured through control mechanisms To enable the governed to recognize who decided on what and hold the governors accountable later transparency and throughput legitimacy are required Only then can citizens participate adequately the investigation must refer to one policy field per analysis unit Political decisions are legitimate from an input-oriented perspective if they can be democratically attributed to the members of a community For the assessment of democratic legitimacy per analysis unit and policy field decision-making is therefore of particular interest because this demonstrates whether political decisions can be traced back to the voters of the member states In the case of unanimous decisions at RO level so no further requirements for input legitimacy arise in this case In the case of majority decisions at RO level input legitimacy exists to a limited extent but it does not exist in the case of supranational decisions at RO level the requirements for democratic legitimacy in ROs are lower for unanimous intergovernmental decisions made with the participation of government members than for supranational decisions by technocrats input legitimacy needs to be ensured through alternative control mechanisms such as parliamentary ratification of RO decisions or referenda Governance within ROs complements the member states’ democracy in areas where nation-states have delegated competences to ROs the democratic legitimacy of ROs consists of two levels: the level of the nation-state and the level above the nation-state (international) If the member state is not constituted democratically this state’s governance in a RO cannot be democratically legitimate either Legitimacy in ROs is thus a continuous variable that can assume any value between zero (no legitimacy) and a maximum value of democratic legitimacy the discussion of democratic legitimacy concepts demonstrated that the acceptability based on democratic principles and those ‘affected’ should be included in democratic legitimacy assessments the democratic legitimacy of RO therefore has to include both acceptability and acceptance Summarizing all these considerations, the following model of democratic legitimacy for ROs can be drawn (see Figure 2) The basic prerequisite for the existence of democratic legitimacy of a RO in relation to a nation-state is always that the nation-state is constituted democratically (otherwise one can speak of legitimacy In the case of a low level of RO intervention in national affairs throughput and output legitimacy are sufficient to speak of democratic legitimacy of a RO in relation to a policy field and a specific nation-state If there is a medium level of RO intervention in combination with unanimous decisions at the RO level throughput and output legitimacy as well as empirical acceptance of the RO’s decisions by the citizens of the nation-state under study should be present in order to speak of democratic legitimacy The link between output legitimacy and empirical legitimacy indicates that the output (and the subsequent outcome and impact) may affect the acceptance of a RO In the case of a medium or high level of intervention and majority or supranational decisions throughput and output legitimacy as well as empirical acceptance of the decisions by the citizens of the nation-state under study are required in order to speak of democratic legitimacy of a RO with regard to a policy field and this nation-state An explanation of how the different levels are differentiated is given below the focus of input legitimacy is on the normative core of democracy democracy is a form of government in which the exercise of power or rule is based on comprehensive political participation rights of citizens Democratic participation means having a choice between alternatives elected representatives need to have real power to shape policy the freedom and equality of the member states concerned must be ensured through control mechanisms throughput legitimacy or transparency is essential the governed must be able to see who decided what Regarding governance within a RO and its inherent orientation towards results and effectiveness a focus on at least one result could be helpful governance within a RO should ensure that democratically governed states can remain democratically governed states As mentioned above, the requirements for the democratic legitimacy of ROs depend on decision-making in the RO policy field under study and its intervention into nation-state affairs. These can be taken from the decision-making/intervention matrix (see Table 2) This matrix differentiates three types of decision-making and three levels of intervention in nation-state affairs these are unanimous intergovernmental decisions Why should majority decisions in ROs require higher legitimacy than consensual/unanimous decisions citizens have choices at the state and federal levels Even if one’s own state is outvoted in the Bundesrat the citizen still has the chance to influence the composition of the Bundestag and thus the next federal government which introduces the laws into the Bundestag with their electoral decision in the next Bundestag election except in the case of the European Parliament (EP) citizens cannot elect their legislature if their own country has been outvoted several times the EP has no right of initiative for new legislative proposals As EU majority decisions can lack accountability they must meet higher legitimacy requirements than decisions taken unanimously or by consensus The legitimacy requirement is even higher when decisions are taken supranational and the legitimacy chain from the citizen to the supranational institution is completely broken unless its decisions must be ratified by the parliament/government or there is a referendum option the own government/parliament can vote against a proposal it is institutionally foreseen that the elected representatives of the people are involved in the vote which is not the case with a purely supranational decision the intervention results from the authority of a RO in the policy field under study in combination with the influence of the respective political decisions on legislation and state-determined transfers to citizens or wages for state employees in the member states political decisions of a RO do not influence legislation or wages for state employees in the member states and RO authority does not play a role political decisions of a RO influence legislation in the member states the RO must have a certain degree of authority in the policy field under study to ensure that the decisions are implemented in the member states A high degree of intervention exists if the political decisions in a RO influence legislation in the member states and the state budget The RO must also have a certain degree of authority in the policy area under review to implement the decisions in the member states The extent to which political decisions in the RO policy area under study influence legislation in the member states or wages for state employees can be deduced directly from the decisions taken by the RO in the respective policy area If one arranges these three gradations of decision-making and intervention in the table, the nine fields make up the decision-making/intervention level matrix (see Table 2) These fields are assigned four levels of democratic legitimacy in ROs where the requirements increase with each level and the decision-making does not matter as many people in the participating member states will not be aware of the international rule-making the member state must be subject to democratic governance and the throughput and output legitimacy of the multilevel governance (MLG) must be guaranteed to speak of democratic legitimacy in ROs In the case of unanimous decisions and a medium or high intervention level by a RO These are the requirements of level one plus the empirical acceptance of the policy of the RO under study because the decisions already affect citizens Since the chains of legitimacy are still intact level two applies even with a high intervention level in member state affairs The requirements of level three must be fulfilled in the case of a medium intervention level in combination with majority or supranational decisions or This corresponds to level two plus input legitimacy Participation and the basic democratic principles of freedom and equality should be secured in this policy field through control mechanisms Level four encompasses the highest requirements for democratic legitimacy in ROs It applies when there are supranational decisions combined with a far-reaching intervention level in a policy field of a RO and the member state must have an exit option if the long-term effects are too negative or citizens no longer recognize the decisions of the RO Strict input legitimacy means that the ROs’ decisions must be ratified by the parliament/government or there is a referendum option The steps for conducting the future measurement of the democratic legitimacy of ROs in a selected policy field could then be as follows: Step 1: Selecting a RO and one of its policy fields and an area/agreement to be analyzed within this policy field the new IO/RO database described above can be used Step 2: Selecting the RO member states to be analyzed Step 3: Determining the RO decision-making in the policy field selected and the intervention in national affairs (some of this information can be drawn from the new IO/RO database) Step 4: Derive the required level of democratic legitimacy in ROs for the selected case from the decision-making/intervention level matrix Step 5: Analyzing and determining the indicators of the selected level of RO democratic legitimacy (level 1 Step 6: Graphical representation of the results per nation-state; if appropriate calculate an index from the individual indicator values To make the future assessment of the democratic legitimacy of ROs as simple as possible indices and measurements that have already been recorded and tested should be used as far as possible A final application could look like the following illustration using fictitious values: The democratic legitimacy of a RO from the perspective of a member state can then be read directly from the graphical illustration: the larger the area of the graph The fact that such differences can be made visible is the strength of this new analytical framework RO democratic legitimacy for saving the Euro in Greece and Germany the democratic legitimacy of ROs is not considered static but dynamic and can change as soon as one of its variables changes the outcome in Member State X has improved after a few years and thus the acceptance for the RO under study increases the democratic legitimacy for this analysis unit will also improve As ROs are increasingly questioned in individual member states the question of the legitimacy of ROs increases no measurement tool allows for a systematic comparison of the democratic legitimacy of individual member states of ROs This contribution provides a means of measuring democratic legitimacy in different ROs for member states concerning a selected policy field If an assessment of the legitimacy of a RO in a specific policy field across all member states is desired the measurement should be carried out for each individual member state an average value for the RO could be determined A subsequent application to IO with a certain depth of intervention the concept would have to be modified somewhat with regard to MLG This measurement is intended to examine and compare the democratic legitimacy of RO member states in selected policy fields and thus their potential for politicization and contestation This applies to ‘normal’ times or times of crises If the democratic legitimacy of a member state of a RO is very low in the policy area under investigation this could mean a higher risk of politicization and contestation in this area Depending on the elements and variables with low legitimacy specific legitimation strategies could then be developed this measurement creates a better understanding of the democratic legitimacy of ROs and contributes to the discussion of the democratic legitimacy of ROs future measurements can be used to create a basis for further analyses: As Brexit is not the only case where a member state has left a RO it would be interesting to find out why states do so a link between the low democratic legitimacy of certain ROs in some member states and the rise of populist parties within these states What determines the potential for delegitimating processes of ROs in member states or does it depend on the degree of authority exercised or domestic political interference by the RO or the output/outcome How did ROs respond to which types of legitimacy deficits Did legitimation strategies influence the democratic legitimacy of the RO the analysis results can be used by RO leaders to improve their democratic legitimacy through reforms and preserve democracy in their member states The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 1. ^An overview of different integration theories with reference to the EU can be found in Hans-Jürgen Bieling and Marika Lerch (eds.) 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Andrea Zeller, emVsbGVyLmFAcnB0dS5kZQ== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish BERLIN — For the first time in the history of German politics, two women face off in a state election Sunday that will serve as a referendum on Angela Merkel’s policies — and a measure of the relative strength of the two partners in her ‘grand coalition’ government and Julia Klöckner of Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) are neck-and-neck in the southwestern wine-producing state of Rhineland-Palatinate one of three German states holding elections Sunday even though the CDU and SPD are coalition partners in the federal government Election campaign billboards featuring lead candidate of the German Christian Democrats (CDU) Julia Klöckner as well the prime minister of Rhineland-Palastinate Malu Dreyer (SPD) stand on February 19 We deserve a change,” Klöckner said in a televised debate last week touted what she described as her proven leadership qualities: “I am a clear-thinking women have taken up top government ministries like defense and labor a major advance on their longtime relegation to traditional ‘women’s’ portfolios like the family ministry that Merkel herself held under the chancellorship of Helmut Kohl Women have also risen to prominent roles in regional politics, with a woman serving as premier in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, and as mayor of Germany’s fourth largest city, Cologne National interest in the Rhineland-Palatinate election is heightened by the media’s fascination with a woman they have anointed as Merkel’s “crown princess:” 43-year-old Klöckner who is touted as a potential successor to 61-year-old Merkel if she can earn her political spurs by winning back the state for the CDU Julia Klöckner and Malu Dreyer | Sean Gallup/Getty images Klöckner looked set for success until the refugee crisis — and Merkel’s handling of it — became one of the hottest issues in the campaign The CDU desperately needs Klöckner to win Rhineland-Palatinate in order to put an end to a string of state election losses on Merkel’s watch: Of the 16 German federal states form part of the regional government in only seven Klöckner drew up her own strategy for the refugee crisis and took issue with Merkel’s refusal to put a limit on the number of refugees Germany will take who believe the candidate’s so-called “alternative plan” is being interpreted by voters as veiled criticism of Merkel saying Merkel’s crown princess had deserted her queen — prompting Klöckner in turn to waste precious time on the campaign trail pledging allegiance to the chancellor rather than attacking her rival and made the most of it: She simply joined her challenger’s conservative critics accusing Klöckner of stabbing Merkel in the back since her SPD is behind the chancellor’s welcoming stance on the refugees as much as it might disagree on how best to integrate the new arrivals Julia Klöckner at the annual CDU federal congress on December 14 The CDU candidate blends a progressive view on social issues with a sometimes dismissive attitude to immigrants she worked as a food and wine journalist for a decade before being elected to the national parliament in Berlin in 2006 In a party which is still dominated by grey-haired old men the former “wine queen” — a title awarded annually at the beauty pageant held by wine producers in Rhineland-Palatinate — has a broad smile and confidence that makes her supremely effective at working crowds in the beer tents and wine gatherings meaning that despite her Catholicism she supports allowing same-sex marriages in church the CDU candidate speaks out for gender equality she said the key to Muslims’ integration into German society was their acceptance of women as men’s equals Klöckner said she would not meet an imam who refused to shake her hand and dismissed refugees who turned down food served by women saying: “They have already eaten then soft-spoken lawyer and former district attorney the SPD politician was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1994 and sometimes uses a wheelchair This may be why Klöckner visibly holds back when they debate Dreyer has a 50 percent personal approval rating in the state Dreyer is anything but frail in their debates SPD Chairman Sigmar Gabriel waves during next to Malu Dreyer during the Federal Party Conference of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in Berlin December 11 2015 | Bernd von Jutrzcenka/EPA “I am governing this state with great passion,” Dreyer said in one televised debate “Do you actually live here?” she asked Klöckner who spent 11 years working in Berlin as a member of the federal parliament and a deputy farm minister before returning to her native state in 2011 With its picturesque hills and sprawling vineyards Rhineland-Paletinate is far from the hustle and bustle of Berlin it is the only one with a ministry for wine growing though it’s not the only industry in the export-strong state: BASF has its headquarters there Klöckner’s long absence exposes her to criticism that she is only running for state premier to raise her profile in the big league of politics with aspirations to become a federal minister in Berlin — or even chancellor But the SPD has much to lose in Rhineland-Palatinate: it faces catastrophic losses in the two other German states up for election on Sunday and needs Malu Dreyer to win what party chief Sigmar Gabriel who is deputy chancellor in Merkel’s ‘grand coalition’ government has described exaggeratedly as the “mother of all battles.” Also On POLITICO Merkel’s refugee policy a political winner for rivals By Janosch Delcker 12 organizations join forces to make their voice heard in a debate dominated by the tech industry Every single infection that can be prevented counts A pan-European alliance for cloud technology will be set up by the end of the year The fight against online hate speech runs into trouble: privacy Germany to raise funds for Palestinian refugee agency German court convicts Syrian over stabbing that triggered Chemnitz riots Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access 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Includes exclusive features and content. See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times. One of the best ways to explore the region is to follow the 85-kilometre-long Wine Route between the villages of Schweigen-Rechtenbach and Bockenheim you will get a chance to stop at some of Germany’s best vineyards Here are the top ten things to do and see along the way the German Wine Gate marks the southern end of the Wine Route in Schweigen-Rechtenbach When wine prices plummeted after an above-average vintage in 1934 the Wine Route and the gate with it were created it in an attempt to promote the wine region and spur the economy and the on-site restaurant is the perfect spot for your first glass of wine en-route Deutsches Weintor Restaurant, Weinstraße 4, Schweigen-Rechtenbach, Germany Neustadt might be the dreamiest town along the Wine Route – cobblestoned streets, timber-framed houses and vineyards all around exude a nostalgic atmosphere. The town offers Michelin-starred restaurants hidden in cosy vaulted cellar rooms and, of course, a number of wine bars that serve award-winning Rieslings by the glass Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany | © erge / Pixabay Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe Once a summer residence of Ludwig I of Bavaria this beautiful villa near Edenkoben is one of the not-to-miss sights along the route Ludwig I specifically asked for his new country house to be built in an Italian style Backed by the Palatinate forest and surrounded by vineyards the four-wing mansion along with the twin-storey loggia does spread a hint of a Tuscan flair Guided tours of the estate are available if you’re interested in learning more you can go off and explore the villa on your own Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe, Villastraße 64, Edenkoben, Germany Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Landeck Castle Just south of Landau you find the ruins of a former knight’s castle The tumbling walls trace back to the early 1200s and today provide the backdrop for medieval markets and other cultural events A small restaurant provides food and drinks year-round to those who come here for the panoramic views from the tower and the small archaeological exhibition Landeck Castle, Klingenmünster, Germany | © Rolohauck / WikiCommons Villa Rustica Weilberg Winemaking was introduced to the region by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago A relic of that time is the Roman vineyard in Bad Dürkheim that was unearthed by archaeologists in 1981 The site encompasses the remains of a large manor house Villa Rustica Weilberg, Bad Dürkheim, Germany Perched on a hill near Neustadt an der Weinstraße sits Hambach Castle – a definite must-see when you’re in the region The 11th-century castle is one the most important symbols of German democracy This association goes back to the 1832 Hambach Festival when members of the public marched on the castle demanding unity and freedom – a milestone event in the country’s democratic history the castle houses a fascinating museum about the event and its consequences Hambacher Schloss, Schlossstraße, Neustadt, Germany | © tomkevicius / Pixabay Villa Rustica Wachenheim The ruins of the Roman Villa Rustica in Wachenheim were discovered by pure chance in 1980 Archaeological findings date the origin of the country estate back to 20 AD and have shown that the complex continuously grew over the following centuries the estate was composed of a large main building two bathhouses equipped with the Roman predecessor model of an underfloor heating system Villa Rustica Wachenheim, Wachenheim, Germany Bad Dürkheim, Germany | © goellner880 / Pixabay Haus der Deutschen Weinstraße, Weinstraße 91b, Bockenheim an der Weinstraße, Germany The historic city centre is dotted with romantic taverns Landau in der Pfalz, Germany | © hpgruesen / Pixabay If you click on a link in this story All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip Read Next See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November Design The Most Beautiful Churches in Berlin See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do A Guide to River Cruises in Germany: What to Know See & Do The Best Weekend Trips From Heidelberg See & Do Germany's Most Beautiful Abbeys and Monasteries See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Art 10 Masterpieces You Can Only See in Munich US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd fall brings crisp air and even crisper wine this fizzy white wine is the product of the season's first grapes whose juice is lightly fermented with yeast until the resulting carbon dioxide creates a pleasant effervescence federweisser is sold on roadsides from wood barrels and plastic jugs across Germany's wine regions but it's particularly good in the vineyards along the Mosel and Rhine rivers Federweisser translates to \"feather white,\" so called because of its cloudy While it’s normally made with white grapes The young wine is ready when its alcohol content reaches four percent Zwiebelkuchen can either be baked like a pie with a crust of yeasted dough and a custardy Before the invention of refrigerated trucks it was virtually impossible to find federweisser outside of the towns where it was produced because the drink's rapid fermentation meant it would lose its signature flavor before arriving at its destination you can find the refreshing fall special across the country since the wine continues fermenting even after bottling vintners package it with holes on top to let gas escape and prevent the boozy brew from becoming an accidental Molotov cocktail why not try a glass of federweisser right at its source on the side of the Rhine crisp bubbles on your tongue and shoulders warmed by the autumn sunshine this fizzy white wine is the product of the season’s first grapes federweisser is sold on roadsides from wood barrels and plastic jugs across Germany’s wine regions but it’s particularly good in the vineyards along the Mosel and Rhine rivers Federweisser translates to “feather white,” so called because of its cloudy because the drink’s rapid fermentation meant it would lose its signature flavor before arriving at its destination Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of Gastro Obscura in your inbox you can sample the fizzy wine at its source Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders Supermarket chain Aldi Süd has announced the construction of a further 1,500 charging stations in the parking lots of its stores This would mean that more than 75 per cent of the discounter’s stores would have at least one charging point 200 stores are to receive a new charging station around 300 charging stations are to be built and put into operation each year the announced expansion would be completed in 2024 or 2025 gave the starting signal for the project with a symbolic first charging station in Passau the project already started in July this year With the branch in Landau in der Pfalz (Maximilianstraße) and in Cologne (Poller Kirchweg) there already seem to be the first locations with the High Power Chargers Aldi Süd will proceed according to a similar logic as before: fast charging points are to be set up primarily at branches located near freeways or in larger cities Cheaper AC chargers are planned in rural areas and in smaller towns is the charging capacity of the DC rapid chargers: While the DC expansion initiated in summer 2018 primarily involved 50 kW chargers charging points with up to 150 kW are now to be set up there will no longer be a CHAdeMO at the High Power Chargers – which each provide two rapid charging points The AC charging points each have two charging points with up to 22 kW each The partner companies for this major project are Alpitronic Wallbe/enercity and the Tokheim Service Group (TSG) Charging is to be exclusively with green electricity photovoltaic systems will also be installed on the roofs of the stores The discounter does not provide any information on the investments in the charging infrastructure project Aldi Süd currently already operates around 100 free charging points in the store parking lots there should be charging stations at a total of 380 stores A company spokesperson told the magazine WirtschaftsWoche in August that the company was preparing “a customer-oriented development of charging facilities” Further details of the Aldi Nord project have not yet been revealed aldi-sued.de, wiwo.de (both in German) I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology Edited by Brian Byrne. All material ©2005-2025 Kilcullen Diary as published and individually to the contributors concerned. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Diary. Submissions and Letters welcome. Email us or phone/text 086 8267104 The Editor reserves the right to refuse to publish any material Is that really John Miles at the town hall square of Landau (Rhineland Palatinate) A Saturday morning in Landau: out of seemingly nowhere instruments start to play John Miles himself appears playing his guitar and starts singing his famous hit “Music” He runs towards a fire truckgrand piano ontop of the vehicle for the dramatic ending of the song An ordinary flashmob is no longer enough for the SWR1 team led by project manager Tom Lügger and the head of “SWR1 hit-parade” Niels Berkefeld This year they wanted a highlight - and what could get people more excited than the star of the song himself director Tom Lügger and project manager Niels Berkefeld used their chance backstage at the "Night of the Proms" where John Miles is traditionally present "We first brought forward our idea to the creator of the show," said Berkefeld John Miles himself did not even think twice when the idea was brought up to him "The challenge appeals to me," he says in an interview The superstar found the idea of having only one attempt for the perfect show so exciting that he accepted the invitation immediately The fact that the flashmob once again went smoothly is not a given "More than 100 people need to be coordinated while the regular/weekly farmers market takes place," explains director Tom Lügger On top of all of that there are 20 cameras that record everything and need to be supervised so they don’t film each other." The SWR1 crew and the singers of "PopCHORn" are by now a well-rehearsed team they have known each other since the first flashmob in Kaiserslautern Due to the cooperation with the State Youth Orchestra of Rhineland Palatinate this year's age range was between 12 and 70 which John Miles particularly liked according to Lügger 15:43Lesezeit: 2 Min.Bildbeschreibung ausklappenZufrieden: Radfahrer in BremendpaDeutschland wird zunehmend fahrradfreundlicher – zu diesem Ergebnis kommt eine Umfrage des Allgemeinen Deutschen Fahrrad-Clubs Besonders in Berlin hat sich im vergangenen Jahr viel zu Gunsten der Radfahrer getan In diesem Test zum „Fahrradklima“ fielen besonders die Städte Frankfurt Landau in der Pfalz und Gaildorf positiv auf Bundesverkehrsminister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) zeichnete am Dienstag die laut ADFC fahrradfreundlichsten Städte aus Bremen führt unter den Städten mit mehr als 500.000 Einwohnern vor Hannover und Frankfurt Karlsruhe ist auf dem ersten Platz bei Städten mit mehr als 200.000 Einwohnern – vor Münster und Freiburg Göttingen liegt vorn bei Städten mit mehr als 100.000 Einwohnern und lässt Heidelberg und Oldenburg hinter sich Nordhorn (mehr als 50.000 Einwohner) liegt vor Bocholt und Konstanz Baunatal (mehr als 20.000 Einwohner) vor Meckenheim und Westerstede sowie Wettringen (bis 20.000 Einwohner) vor Reken und Rutesheim die seit Corona am meisten für den Radverkehr getan hat geht an Berlin: Dort sahen 80 Prozent der Befragten Hinweise für mehr Fahrradfreundlichkeit während der Pandemie Der Fahrradclub hat für den neunten Städtevergleich 27 Aspekte abgefragt wie die Akzeptanz als Verkehrsteilnehmer öffentliche Fahrräder oder das Sicherheitsgefühl An der Online-Umfrage beteiligten sich rund 230.000 Menschen gilt aber als Stimmungsbarometer und hat die Aufmerksamkeit des Verkehrsministers Um externe Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre widerrufliche Zustimmung nötig. Dabei können personenbezogene Daten von Drittplattformen (ggf. USA) verarbeitet werden. Weitere Informationen . Dem Fahrradclub mit seinen mehr als 200.000 Mitgliedern geht die Entwicklung zu langsam. 80 Prozent finden die Radwege zu schmal, 75 Prozent halten mangelnde Falschparker-Kontrollen auf Radwegen für ein Problem und 69 Prozent fühlen sich beim Radfahren nicht sicher. Die Fahrrad-Vereinigung und Scheuer forderten, dass Bundesländer und Kommunen Geld aus dem „Sonderprogramm Stadt und Land“ und aus dem Förderprogramm „Radnetz Deutschland“ nutzen sollen, um die Radinfrastruktur zügig auszubauen. Der US-Präsident will die verrotteten Gebäude von Alcatraz wieder zu einem Hochsicherheitsgefängnis umbauen Bereits in der Vergangenheit war die Anlage bekannt für ihre hohen Kosten Im vergangenen Oktober hob die Polizei in Nordrhein-Westfalen zwei illegale Fabriken aus in denen massenweise gefälschte Markenzigaretten hergestellt wurden Nun müssen sich 19 Verdächtige vor Gericht verantworten Die Plattform hat mithilfe von Künstlicher intelligenz Gesichter von Prominenten auf die Körper von Pornodarstellern gesetzt Solche Deepfake-Videos werden zunehmend zum Problem 1994 komponiert Goebbels das Auftragswerk „Surrogate Cities“ ein neunteiliges Werk mit multimedialem Konzept Aktuelle Produktionen: „Eislermaterial“ mit Joseph Bierbichler und dem Ensemble Modern und „Hashirigaki“ eine europäische Koproduktion unter anderem mit dem Deutschen Schauspielhaus Hamburg und dem Hebbel-Theater Berlin nennt Goebbels als Lieblingstugend „Rhythmus“ als Motto „in meiner Arbeit für alles mindestens vier Gründe zu haben“ und als Lieblingsfarbe „MTV“ TeilenVerschenken Merken Drucken Anhören Zur StartseiteSchlagworte: Die fünfteilige Doku „Inside CDU“ verrät einiges über Friedrich Merz, Markus Söder, Carsten Linnemann und das Gefüge der Union: Wieso Linnemann von allem mal genug hatte, Söder die Grünen jagt und Merz auf Schulden setzt. Mit vier Auszeichnungen räumt die „New York Times“ bei den Pulitzer-Preisen ab. Auch das „Wall Street Journal“ erhielt die wichtigste Journalismus-Auszeichnung der Welt. Pariser Theatervergnügen: Verballhornte Glückskekssprüche Ludovic Lagarde hat Olivier Cadiots fiktionalen Erzähltext „Médecine générale“ für die Bühne des Théâtre des Abbesses adaptiert Einmal mehr brilliert ihr Stammschauspieler Laurent Poitrenaux.