Germany

Women’s share on German company boards slips slightly: study

The proportion of women who sit on supervisory boards at German-listed companies has edged down slightly, according to a new study by the group Women in Supervisory Boards (Fidar). Women…

Read More Here

People in Germany are driving more again

In a reversal of a trend, people in Germany are driving more again. According to data from the the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), personal cars registered in Germany covered 594…

Read More Here

Libyan ICC war crimes suspect arrested in Germany

German authorities have arrested a Libyan war crimes suspect accused of being a senior official for a notorious prison where inmates were routinely tortured and sometimes sexually abused, the International…

Read More Here

Flights ever more expensive from German airports — analysis

Prices for air passengers traveling from airports in Germany within Europe are continuing to rise, even those for budget airlines, according to an analysis by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The average…

Read More Here

Germany outlines emergency draft plans

A bill to be put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius would allow the Cabinet, with parliamentary agreement, to call up conscripts if a situation arises that requires a rapid…

Read More Here

Syrian juvenile charged with Taylor Swift concert plot

Germany has charged a Syrian juvenile with supporting a foreign terrorist organization for helping to plan a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year, the prosecutor…

Read More Here

Germany to stop funding migrant rescue ships in Mediterranean

Germany is cutting financial support for charities that rescue migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean, saying it will redirect resources to addressing conditions in source countries that spur…

Read More Here

Germany to hire 11,000 more military personnel this year

The German government will provide funds for an extra 11,000 military personnel by the end of the year, an increase of around 4%, tabloid Bild reported, citing government sources. The…

Read More Here

Poland may introduce partial controls on German border in summer

Poland is likely to introduce partial controls on its border with Germany in the summer if the number of migrant crossings continues to grow, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told…

Read More Here

Germany will need thousands more troops under new NATO targets, says defence minister

Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, will require an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 additional troops to meet NATO's updated defense requirements amid the growing threat from Russia, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said…

Read More Here

Germany to Make It Easier to Declare Countries Safe in Curbs on Asylum

The German government plans to make it easier to declare certain countries of origin safe under a push to reduce the number of asylum seekers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said…

Read More Here

Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security

By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to…

Read More Here

Trump spurs questions about safety of Germany’s gold in New York

The safety of Germany's gold reserves held overseas and in New York in particular, until recently mainly a talking point for the country's far-right party and gold bugs, is becoming…

Read More Here

Germany and Ukraine reach deal for long-range weapons production

Ukraine and Germany have agreed to future military cooperation in which Berlin will help finance long-range weapons production on Ukrainian soil. The deal came as Zelenskyy warned that Russia had…

Read More Here

German government restricts migrant family reunification, path to citizenship

Germany's government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.…

Read More Here

Germans narrowly back weekly working hours limit over daily cap

A narrow majority of German residents support replacing the current daily working hours limit with a weekly cap, according to a new YouGov survey. The poll, conducted for dpa, found…

Read More Here

Germany warns draft may return if troop numbers fall short

Germany may return to conscription if too few people volunteer for the military, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned Wednesday. Speaking in his first parliamentary address since the new government took…

Read More Here

Germany says it will step up military role in NATO amid increased uncertainty

NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defence of Europe as the Atlantic alliance faces a future more uncertain than 70 years ago when Germany…

Read More Here

Merz Names New Foreign Minister

Johann Wadephul, a veteran conservative and defense policy expert, is set to become Germany’s next foreign minister at a crucial juncture in Europe’s relationship with traditional allies and adversaries. His…

Read More Here

German doctor charged with murder of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor has been charged with murdering 15 of his patients using a cocktail of lethal drugs. Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old of setting fire…

Read More Here

New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path

The next German government consisting of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will abolish a 3-year expedited path to citizenship…

Read More Here

Germany is back, says Merz, after sealing government deal

Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz have reached a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy, five months after the previous government collapsed. Merz, 69, said their agreement…

Read More Here

Far-right Alternative for Germany leads opinion poll for first time

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Wednesday finished top of a German opinion poll for the first time, hours before the next governing coalition in Berlin was set to…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Germany temporarily halts resettlement of UN refugees

Germany has temporarily suspended any further admission of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the dpa news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency…

Read More Here

What is in the huge German spending plan agreed by parties?

German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz reached an agreement with the Greens on Friday on a massive increase in state borrowing just days ahead of a parliamentary vote next week. This should…

Read More Here

Germany’s military faces severe staffing shortages and aging personnel

An official report on the state of the German military painted a grim picture this week, with a whopping 28% of positions among the lower enlisted ranks unfilled as of…

Read More Here

Germany’s Merz wants European nuclear weapons to boost US shield

German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he would like talks with France and Britain about sharing their nuclear weapons, but not as a substitute for U.S. nuclear protection of…

Read More Here

Germany’s next government wants to do ‘whatever it takes’ to boost defence

The prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending. Centre-right election winner Friedrich Merz,…

Read More Here

Mannheim attack: ‘It’s daily news now, here in Germany’

Like many towns and cities in Germany's western states this week, Mannheim should be full of revelers celebrating the final colorful and joyous days of the annual Carnival season. Though its…

Read More Here

German police on alert after ISIS calls for carnival attacks

Police are on high alert ahead of Germany’s traditional carnival celebrations this week after social media connected to the ISIS militant group called for attacks targeting revelers in Cologne and…

Read More Here

German election: Merz’s CDU wins election, AfD second

Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU conservative alliance has won the general election with 28.6% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by Germany's federal electoral body. The far-right Alternative for Germany…

Read More Here

A guide to Germany’s political parties

Here's a look at Germany's political parties — CDU, CSU, SPD, FDP, Left Party, Greens, AfD, BSW — who they are and what they want. Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social…

Read More Here

Germany offers maternity leave for women after miscarriage

The German Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, on Thursday evening passed a law that extends maternity leave protection to women who suffer a miscarriage after 13 weeks of pregnancy.…

Read More Here

Merkel Criticises Leader of Her CDU Party for Cooperating With German Far-Right

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the leader of her Christian Democrats (CDU), Friedrich Merz, for drawing on support from the far-right to pass a motion in parliament, in a…

Read More Here

Violent human traffickers halted in Germany and Hungary

The German Criminal Inspectorate (Karlsruhe Kriminalinspektion) and the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation THB Unit (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda Emberkereskedelem Elleni Osztály), supported by Europol, have dismantled a criminal network involved…

Read More Here

Germany and US have long been allies – that could change with Trump

By Sylvia Taschka, Professor of Teaching of History, Wayne State University Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in November 2024, the German…

Read More Here

Currently ‘no prospect’ of charges against Madeleine McCann suspect: German prosecutor

The German prosecutor investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann has said there is currently no prospect of charges being brought against the main suspect in the case, Sky…

Read More Here

Chinese buyers interested in unwanted German Volkswagen factories

Chinese officials and automakers are eyeing German factories slated for closure and are particularly interested in Volkswagen's sites, a person with knowledge of Chinese government thinking told Reuters. Buying a…

Read More Here

Vote for CDU-CSU, Italy’s foreign minister tells Italians living in Germany

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his centre-right party Forza Italia urged Italians living in Germany to support the conservative alliance in the country's snap election scheduled on Feb 23.…

Read More Here

German police investigate suspected Russian espionage at military bases

German police have launched an investigation into suspected cases of Russian espionage after drones were spotted over several military installations in Bavaria, according to a statement on Monday. Against the…

Read More Here

Germany’s trade surplus with US reaches record high as Trump tariffs loom

The German trade surplus with the United States is heading towards a record level just before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives at the White House, an analysis of statistics office…

Read More Here

Two police officers in Berlin injured in explosion

Two police officers have been injured, one seriously, following an explosion on Thursday night outside a police building in Berlin. Authorities in the German capital said the officers were on a routine security…

Read More Here

Olaf Scholz: German election ‘will not be decided by social media owners’

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has urged voters not to let the “owners of social media channels” decide next year’s snap election, after Elon Musk repeatedly endorsed the far-right party…

Read More Here

NYPD bolstering security in New York City after deadly Christmas market attack in Germany

The NYPD is taking action, out an abundance of caution, after a car plowed into people visiting a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing several and injuring many…

Read More Here

What is known so far about the Magdeburg market attack

Here is what we know so far about the man who was arrested as the suspected driver in a car-ramming attack on Friday at a Christmas market in the German…

Read More Here

German Christmas markets get creative as prices hit new highs

For Eva Henschke, Germany's Christmas markets are a chance to temporarily forget about the colder, darker days with a hot mug of mulled wine or eggnog and a bratwurst off…

Read More Here

Germany draws up list of bunkers amid Russia tensions

Germany is drawing up a list of bunkers that could provide emergency shelter for civilians, the interior ministry has said, at a time of rising tensions with Russia. The list…

Read More Here

Germany’s SPD, Greens, conservatives propose Feb 23 for election

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and conservatives have proposed Feb. 23 as a date for a new election, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The Rheinische Post newspaper first reported the date.…

Read More Here

Germany may hold election sooner than planned, Scholz says

Olaf Scholz could hold a vote of confidence in his leadership that would pave the way for new elections sooner than planned, he said Sunday night following pressure from across…

Read More Here

German retailers expect higher revenues this Christmas season, HDE forecasts

The German retail sector is expecting a slight increase in sales this Christmas season compared with the previous year, the German Retail Association (HDE) said this week. Revenue in November…

Read More Here

German coalition collapses: What comes next?

Germany's coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours after…

Read More Here

German President: I am prepared to call new elections

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday he was prepared to dissolve parliament and clear the way for new elections following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, warning…

Read More Here

Germany faces snap election as Scholz’s coalition crumbles

Germany's ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours…

Read More Here

Germany’s cabinet approves draft law on voluntary military service

Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law that would allow the army to gauge the readiness of the country's 18-year-olds to serve in the Bundeswehr as it looks to…

Read More Here

Germany arrests eight suspected members of right-wing group plotting revolt

German police have arrested eight suspected members of a right-wing militant group driven by racist ideology and conspiracy theories who had been training in warfare for the downfall of the…

Read More Here

Why is Germany’s coalition under strain and could it fall apart?

The parties in Germany's ruling coalition are under pressure to assert themselves after regional election defeats, dismal polling numbers and questions over whether they can form a joint response to…

Read More Here

Manhunt under way in Berlin after bag of explosives left at train station

German police are searching for a man who abandoned a bag of explosives at a Berlin train station and ran away after being stopped by federal officers, according to police.…

Read More Here