Germany

UPDATED: Several thousand evacuated in southern Germany floods; Search for 3rd victim of Friuli floods in Italy

A firefighter died while trying to rescue trapped residents and several thousand people were forced to leave their homes as heavy rain caused flooding in southern Germany. The 42-year-old man…

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German MEP’s Controversial Comments on Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann’s inflammatory comments about Chancellor Olaf Scholz crossed a line, Germany’s Social Democrat leadership said. SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil on Thursday demanded an apology from the liberal Free Democratic…

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German mood turned against EU, survey shows before European vote

Public opinion in Germany has shifted against the European Union in the last year, a survey by insurer Allianz showed on Wednesday, just over a week before elections to the…

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Influx of Syrians pushes German naturalisations to record level

Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people last year, due largely to a jump in the number of Syrians who qualified for a passport after fleeing their country…

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President Macron’s Germany Visit: EU Policy Implications and Defense Concerns

The upcoming state visit by President Macron to Berlin, Dresden, and Muenster marks the first French presidential visit to Germany in 24 years. This visit holds great significance as it…

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Escalating Political Violence in Germany

Politically motivated crime in Germany last year reached its highest level since the government started tracking it more than 20 years ago, with the greatest threat coming from people with…

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Germany’s far-right party AfD faces backlash over SS remarks, lost allies.

The leading candidate for Germany's far-right party in the European election stepped back from campaigning on Wednesday to try to quell the backlash after declaring that the SS, the Nazis'…

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German court to hear prince’s alleged plot to overthrow Germany’s government

A would-be prince, a former judge and parliamentarian and retired military officers are among nine alleged conspirators who stand trial on Tuesday for a suspected "Reichsbuerger" plot to overthrow Germany's…

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Scholz says Germany needs strong military recruitment

Germany must find ways to convince people to sign up for a career in the military, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, as the country looks at conscription as a possible way…

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Angela Merkel memoirs to be published in November

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's memoirs will be published on November 26, the publisher, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, announced. It comes nearly three years after the end of Merkel's 16-year tenure and her thoughts…

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Only captains will be permitted to speak to referees at Euro 2024

Captains will be the only ones allowed to speak to the referee and discuss a decision during matches at the upcoming European Championship in a bid to facilitate clearer communication,…

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German final inflation confirmed at 2.4% in April

German inflation inched up in April to 2.4%, the federal statistics office said on Tuesday, confirming preliminary data. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, had…

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Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections – but is it playing into the far right’s hands?

Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just…

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Ice cream sellers in Germany probed over Mafia money

Authorities in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said they had charged three men with money laundering. The three are alleged to have used an ice cream parlor in the…

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German economy likely to stagnate in 2024, IW forecasts

Germany's economy will stagnate in 2024 despite a stronger than expected start to the year, and will continue to lag behind European peers, according to German economic institute IW. Manufacturing…

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Another German politician attacked

A senior figure in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party became the latest target in a string of attacks on German politicians when a man struck her from behind with a bag…

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Scholz pledges Germany’s steadfast backing for the Baltic states

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Berlin is firm in its resolve to defend the Baltic states against Russian aggression. His comments came on a visit to Lithuania, where German troops…

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Condemnation and concern in Germany after a series of assaults on politicians

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Union leaders denounced on Saturday a recent spate of attacks on politicians in Germany, including one that sent a member of the European Parliament…

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Germany: Births, marriages hit lowest level since 2013

The number of births and weddings in Germany last year fell to its lowest level in years, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis.…

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Germany hit hard as foreign investment falls in Europe, EY survey shows

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Europe fell 4% last year, with Germany seeing a sharp 12% drop in projects amid concern over its economic slowdown and energy security, a survey…

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Russian man arrested after two Ukrainians stabbed to death in Germany

A Russian man has been arrested after two Ukrainian men were stabbed to death in southern Germany. The two Ukrainians were killed at a shopping centre in the village of…

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“We need hope” – German chancellor launches EP election campaign

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ’s centre-left Social Democrats, or SPD, launched their official campaign for the 9 June EU election with a rally in Hamburg, under the mantra "we need…

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Germany arrests suspected members of Nigerian dating mafia

German police on Wednesday announced that eleven suspected members of a criminal syndicate from Nigeria, the Black Axe, were arrested during nationwide raids The gang is internationally famous for different criminal activities such…

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Germany to resume cooperation with Palestinian UNRWA agency

The German government plans to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) in Gaza, the foreign and development ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The decision…

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German police shoot machete-wielding man at the University of Mannheim

Police in Germany shot a man who was allegedly wielding a machete at the University of Mannheim on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, a 31-year-old German national, later died in hospital. The…

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Germany arrests aide to far-right MEP on suspicion of China espionage

German police have arrested an assistant to a European Parliament member on suspicion of “an especially severe case” of espionage for China, prosecutors said on Tuesday, appearing to refer to…

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Germany detains three individuals accused of spying for China

The German Federal Prosecutor's office on Monday said three German nationals were arrested under the strong suspicion of having worked for Chinese secret service. Prosecutors believe the three may have been involved in research projects…

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Germany arrests two for alleged military sabotage plot on behalf of Russia

Two German-Russian nationals have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting sabotage attacks, including on U.S. military facilities, in an effort to undermine military support for Ukraine, prosecutors said…

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Bavaria bans smoking cannabis at Oktoberfest beer festival

Authorities in Germany's southeastern state of Bavaria announced that they will ban smoking cannabis at the popular Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich. It comes after Germany's federal government partially legalized marijuana for…

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Unbeaten Leverkusen execute flawless plan to win maiden Bundesliga title

Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition. The team made sure of their first trophy in 31 years…

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Germany’s transport minister threatens weekend driving ban over climate law delay

Germany’s transport minister is threatening to ban driving on weekends to meet climate goals if the ruling coalition does not pass the Climate Protection Act by July. “The fact that…

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Lufthansa suspends Tehran flights, Middle East on alert for potential Iran attacks

German airline Lufthansa announced it had suspended flights to Tehran due to the situation in the Middle East, which is on alert for possible Iranian retaliation for a suspected Israeli…

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Germany population growth to remain flat

A study released by the Bertelsmann Foundation on Tuesday showed that Germany is expected to see a slight 0.6% increase in population by 2040.The forecast is based on births, deaths and migration provided by the…

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German company bankruptcies hit another record high

The Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH) has reported that insolvencies by German partnerships and corporations rose to another record high in March. According to the IWH, there were…

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Suspect charged with planning ‘coup’ attempt in Germany

Prosecutors in the northern German city of Hamburg filed charges against a 66-year-old man accused of supporting a terrorist organization and aiding and abetting the preparation of a treasonable enterprise…

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German exports fall 2%

Germany’s economy has suffered another drop in overseas sales. German exports dropped by 2% during February, statistics body Destatis reports, worse than the 0.5% fall expected by economists. On an…

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Germany’s Lindner plays down coalition breakup fears

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner on Sunday evaded questions on whether his Free Democratic Party (FDP) was prepared to leave the country's ruling coalition over tough budget talks, saying the…

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Germany announces military overhaul

Germany's defence minister announced a restructuring of the military on Thursday, including a new central command and a dedicated branch for cyber space, furthering a Bundeswehr overhaul launched in response…

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German man claims he tipped off Madeleine McCann’s parents about main suspect in 2008

A witness against the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case claimed he tipped off her parents about him - a year after she vanished in 2007. Helge Busching, a…

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Several dead in coach crash on eastern German motorway

Several people were killed and more injured in a coach crash on a motorway near the eastern German city of Leipzig on Wednesday, police said."Several people were fatally injured in…

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German Bundesbank president warns against extremism, euro exit – FUNKE

FRANKFURT, March 23 (Reuters) - Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said right-wing extremists threaten Germany's prosperity, and an exit from the euro would be "an economic catastrophe for all of us",…

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Germany likely in recession as recovery delayed, says Bundesbank

FRANKFURT, March 21 (Reuters) - The German economy was likely in recession in the first quarter of 2024 as weak consumption and anaemic industrial demand continue to push the recovery…

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Far-right AfD peppers Germany’s top court with complaints, accused of blocking tactics

AfD files more legal challenges, questions than other parties Party's frequent cases burden German courts, ministries AfD says it's challenging violations of its political rights Accused of trying to snarl…

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Germany arrests two over suspected Islamist plot on Swedish parliament

Germany has arrested two suspected Islamic State (IS) members for allegedly planning an attack on the Swedish parliament in retaliation for Koran burnings in the Scandinavian country, the federal prosecutor's…

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Germany’s Scholz say Rafah assault would make regional peace ‘very difficult’

By Sarah Marsh AQABA, Jordan, March 17 (Reuters) - The large number of civilian casualties that would result from an Israeli assault on the Gaza city of Rafah would make…

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No recovery in sight for Germany economy, ministry says

BERLIN, March 15 (Reuters) - A tangible recovery in Europe's biggest economy is not yet in sight despite positive trends in industrial production, construction and foreign trade at the start…

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Germany on track to reach 2030 targets, environment agency says

BERLIN, March 15 (Reuters) - Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA) confirmed preliminary projections that Europe's biggest economy's greenhouse emissions fell by around 10% year-on-year in 2023, putting the country on…

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Investment in Germany by foreign firms drops to decade low, study finds

By Rene Wagner BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Investment in Germany by foreign firms was at its lowest level in a decade last year, an IW institute study showed on…

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German government needs tighter conflict-of-interest guidelines, activists say

By Christian Kraemer BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - The German coalition government needs tighter guidelines for tackling conflicts of interest, though it has been transparent about the influence of lobbying…

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German train drivers announce 6th strike in pay dispute

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) - Train drivers from German rail company Deutsche Bahn announced a sixth round of strikes from Monday until Wednesday in a long-running dispute over pay. Germany has faced…

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German local councils demand reopening of bunkers and building of modern shelters

German local councils on Saturday called for the government to refurbish out of use bunkers. The comments were made by André Berghegger, the head of the Association of Towns and…

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Recovery of the German economy remains a test of patience – DIW

By Maria Martinez BERLIN, March 7 (Reuters) - The German economy is not picking up as quickly as expected, the economic institute DIW Berlin said on Thursday, forecasting a recession…

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Strike wave hits German rail and airports as disputes mount

BERLIN, March 7 (Reuters) - Germany faced strikes on three fronts on Thursday, as train drivers, airport security workers and Lufthansa ground staff walked off the job, spelling further headaches…

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German institutes cut 2024 economic growth forecasts

By Maria Martinez BERLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Two German forecasting institutes cut their 2024 growth forecasts on Wednesday in the latest blow to the euro zone's largest economy. The…

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Why a leaked German military recording on Ukraine aid is causing an outcry

By Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke Russian media published a 38-minute audio recording of an intercepted online call between senior German military officials about how to support Ukraine in its…

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Frankfurt airport closed for departures on Thursday due to strike

BERLIN, March 6 (Reuters) - Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest, will be closed to passengers with planned departures on Thursday due to a security staff strike organised by Germany's Verdi union,…

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Germany to face travel chaos with rail, airport strikes to resume

By Rachel More BERLIN, (Reuters) - The German train drivers' union said on Monday it would commence a fresh round of nationwide strikes as a dispute with national train operator…

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