BERLIN: More than half a million newly naturalized citizens will have the opportunity to vote in a German national election for the first time this weekend.
Almost a third of the new Germans are originally from Syria. Most of them left their home countries in the last decade, fleeing war, political instability and economic hardship. In 2015-2016 alone, more than 1 million migrants came to Germany, most from Syria, but also from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Since the last national election in 2021, the number of naturalizations in Germany has risen sharply: More than 500,000 people were naturalized between 2021 and 2023, according to the country’s Federal Statistical Office.
While the numbers for 2024 are not yet available, experts estimate that more than 250,000 people were naturalized in Germany last year.
Many of the new citizens who will vote for the first time in Germany on Sunday have expressed a mix of excitement, hope for change, and a feeling of empowerment about their voting rights. Some worry about the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party.
For the new Germans originally from Syria, the election is weighted with extra significance. Many of them fled their country because of the civil war that followed former president Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protests calling for greater democratic freedom. He was toppled in November, but whether Syria will now become a democracy remains unclear. In the meantime, they are able to vote in multi-party elections in their new home.
Here’s what five of the newcomers say about voting in Germany:
Logeen Faour Shahna, 24, wants to give other migrants a voice
Originally from Idlib in Syria, Faour Shahna arrived in 2015 and is now studying mathematics at Berlin’s Technical University. She says her new German passport gives her a sense of security as she is now no longer afraid of being deported. She wants to go vote on Sunday, “because every vote counts.”
“It may be that others still see me as a foreigner, but I also want to pass on the voices of foreigners (and show) that not everyone is the same. You should not see us as foreigners, but as human beings, and you should see what we will do for the German state in the future.
“I am clearly against AfD. ... I think there are also many others who are against AfD, whether they were born as foreigners or whether they are German. I don’t think they’ll ever rule Germany. Otherwise we would be back in the 1930s.”
Syamend Al Othman, 31, hopes the next government will boost the economy
Al Othman, a Syrian Kurd, came to Germany in 2014. He currently works in online marketing but dreams of opening his own coffee place in Berlin. He says he and his wife are just like other Germans, working, paying their taxes, not committing any crimes, and visiting family on weekends. He hopes that the next government can make sure that ” Germany’s economy will get better again.”
“This is my first national election after becoming a German. Of course it has a lot of meaning for me that my wife and I have an influence on German elections, that we also decide who governs us.
“I talked to my father (in Syria) the other day. My father has never voted. And that’s why we think it’s so important. It’s nice that we can vote and that we also have democracy here in Germany. There is still not much real democracy in Syria and no elections yet, because Assad has only been gone for a few weeks and we still need time to get democracy in Syria.”
Ketevan Asatiani-Hermann, 35, says voting is more important than ever as democracy is under threat
Asatiani-Hermann came to Germany from Georgia, in the Caucasus, in 2011 and was naturalized in October. She is married to a German and lives in Magdeburg, where she has a job as a social worker helping migrant teenagers integrate in society. She voiced concern that discrimination of migrants may further grow after a deadly attack by a Saudi physician on a Christmas market in Magdeburg that killed six and injured more than 200.
“I have never felt before that democracy is under such threat. This is a very good time for me to perhaps contribute with my vote to ensure that people vote for democracy and that hate and racism are not promoted. ... It also gives me a sense of affirmation and that I’m allowed to have a say ... I’m very pleased that I’ll have that opportunity this year.
“I very much hope that the next government will ensure that there is more cohesion in our society again. That it’s not so much about them and us anymore and that people who are different for whatever reasons won’t get excluded.”
Sedra Hanina, 23, wants Germany to provide more security especially for women wearing hijab
Hanina came from Damascus in 2016, when she was 15 years old. She’s married, has one daughter, and studies chemistry in Berlin. The young woman hopes that the next government will provide more security, especially for women like herself who wear the hijab, as she often feels badly treated. But most of all she is excited to vote for the first time in her life.
“It’s a big challenge that you have to find out which party, which advantages, which disadvantages, what the goals of the respective party are. And I’m actually really looking forward to seeing what happens after the elections and which party wins.
“I hope there will be more of a focus on social justice, integration, and freedom of people ... that everyone is treated the same as everyone else, no matter where you come from, how you look, and how you act. The main thing is that everyone is treated equally.”
Hassan Salameh, 40, says German passport, right to vote are a reward for his efforts to integrate
The pharmacist and father of two small children is originally from Aleppo. Since his arrival in Germany in 2014, he studied German until he was fluent, worked to get his pharmacy degree recognized, found a job and waited for more than three years until his application for German citizenship was approved.
” I see the German passport as a reward after such a long time of efforts, difficulties, hope and stress — we’ve put so much effort into making sure that we make a future for ourselves as a small family.
“For me, the moment when I go to vote for the first time is very, very special. ... It is a responsibility for us and for society to make the right decision this time to ensure our future, security and wellbeing, and that Germany continues to lead in Europe.”
Five newly naturalized Germans will head to the polls
https://arab.news/m7rcm
Five newly naturalized Germans will head to the polls
- For the new Germans originally from Syria, the election is weighted with extra significance
- Many of them fled their country because of the civil war that followed former president Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protests calling for greater democratic freedom
India’s wealthy embrace a new luxury symbol: water
- Tap water in India is not fit for human consumption
- Wealthy opt for premium water as wellness craze boosts industry
NEW DELHI: At an Indian gourmet food store, Avanti Mehta is organizing a blind tasting of drinks sourced from France, Italy and India. No, this isn’t wine, it’s water.
Participants use tiny shot glasses to check the minerality, carbonation and salinity in samples of Evian from the French Alps, Perrier from southern France, San Pellegrino from Italy and India’s Aava from the foothills of the Aravalli mountains.
“They will all taste different ... you should be choosing a water that can give you some sort of nutritional value,” said Mehta, who is 32 and calls herself India’s youngest water sommelier, a term usually associated with premium wine. Her family owns the Aava mineral water brand. Premium water is a $400 million business in the world’s most populous nation and is growing bigger as its wealthy see it as a new status symbol that fits in with a spreading wellness craze.
Premium Indian mineral water costs around $1 for a one-liter bottle, while imported brands are upwards of $3, or 15 times the price of the country’s lowest-priced basic bottled water.
Clean water is a privilege in the country of 1.4 billion people where researchers say 70 percent of the groundwater is contaminated. Tap water remains unfit to drink, and 16 people died in Indore city after consuming contaminated tap water in December.
Many in India see bottled water as a necessity and standard 20 US-cent bottles are available widely at convenience stores, restaurants and hotels. The market is worth nearly $5 billion annually and is set to grow 24 percent a year — among the fastest in the world.
Bottled water demand in United States or China is driven by convenience, making it a $30 billion-plus market in each country which will grow just 4-5 percent each year, Euromonitor says.
In India, the premium water segment is leading the surge in demand, accounting for 8 percent of the bottled water market last year compared to just 1 percent in 2021, Euromonitor said.
“Distrust of municipal water in some areas has escalated the demand for bottled water. Now, people understand how mineral water has more health benefits. It’s expensive, but the category will boom,” said Amulya Pandit, a senior consultant at Euromonitor specializing in the drinks market.
Among its consumers are New Delhi-based real estate developer B.S. Batra, who says his family uses only premium water at home to get more minerals and safeguard health.
“You feel different, more energetic during the day,” said Batra, 49, an avid badminton player.
“I consume mineral water even with whisky at home, and kids use it for their smoothies.”
Water lures Bollywood star, wealthy
The popular 20-cent plastic bottled water is mainly made by Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Indian market leader Bisleri. In addition, Indians who can afford it, install purifiers in their homes which clean the water but also remove most minerals.
Imported and local premium waters are luring wealthy consumers and businesses alike.
Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar and her sister have launched Backbay — selling 750 ml cartons of mineral water for $2.2; Indian conglomerate Tata is expanding its premium water portfolio, and retailers and businesses are reporting higher sales.
Tata Consumer Products, also Starbucks’ partner in India, sells 20-cent bottled water, but premium water is its priority as it sees affluent, health-focused consumers willing to spend on the drink without worrying about the price, CEO Sunil D’Souza said in an interview.
“I don’t have to push water uphill...I see a long, long, long runway for the business,” he said.
Tata’s premium “Himalayan” mineral water factory — which a Reuters photographer visited — is located in the foothills of the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh state. Workers there largely keep a hands-free watch on machines filling plastic and glass bottles with water sourced from a natural underground aquifer.
Looking for springs
Most Indians prefer still water, and the sparkling variant remains niche. Tata said it plans to launch a sparkling Himalayan water, and is also scouting for natural springs for expanding its other offerings. At three Foodstories Indian gourmet stores, sales of premium waters tripled in 2025. Customer demand prompted the chain to import “light and creamy” Saratoga Spring Water from New York, which costs 799 rupees ($9) for a 355-milliliter (12-fluid-ounce) bottle, and stocks sold out within days, said co-founder Avni Biyani.
Indian mineral water brand Aava’s sales touched a record 805 million rupees ($9 million) last year, growing 40 percent a year since 2021. Tata said its basic and premium water portfolio will grow 30 percent a year, after growing tenfold to $65 million in six years.
Imported waters, which attract an over 30 percent tax, are pricier than Indian brands. Nestle’s Perrier and San Pellegrino, and Danone’s Evian retail for over 300 rupees, or $3.20, for a 750 ml bottle.
Nestle declined to comment, while Danone said the Indian bottled water market was growing at a “robust” pace but imported waters “tend to be niche and boutique.”
“When you open your tap, you’re not getting an Aava, Evian ... And that is what you’re essentially paying for,” said water sommelier Mehta.
At the water tasting session, some participants said they enjoyed the experience but many found the price hard to swallow.
“To be honest, it is kind of expensive,” said executive Hoshini Vallabhaneni, one of 14 people at the event. “For everyday use — it will burn a hole in the pocket.”
