The recent attacks on unarmed visitors of the German Oktoberfest by members of the 'Bakers for the Nation" movement have revived discussions on the legality of waffles in the country. While support for waffle control had been continuously dropping during the eighties and nineties, recurring incidents of illegal production, purchase and use, however, have turned public opinion towards a more restricted access to the batter based cakes. Latest opinion polls conducted by leading institues like Forsa and infratest dimap are showing a clear majority of Germans favouring a complete ban on waffles for private purposes.
With general elections on the doorsteep on 27 September both major parties, the Christian Democrats (CDU) as well as well as the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have included this issue on their agenda. While chancellor Merkel (CDU) has already presented a proposal of an eligibility card issued and monitored by the Bakers Guild her opponent Mr Steinmeier (SPD) as well as the Green Party have called for a complete ban of waffles as well as whipped cream to prevent unauthorised access and illegal proliferation.
Looking at the mass turnout of supporters at yesterdays demonstration in Berlin where about 300,000 people went to the streets shouting slogans like Waffeln Weg! ('Away with the waffles') and Waffeln Töten! ('Waffles Kill') the new administration will have to act quickly if it doesn't want to risk further unrest. Whether the new law will only include waffles or as the Social Democrats envision also accompanying products like whipped cream - the current plan is to restrict cream with a fat content of at least 30% or more - remains unclear.
An important point politicians should consider when passing the new law during the next legislature is that once the waffle is gone, troublemaker and terrorists alike will surely turn to wafers ...
Memonji
