Germany updates: Lawmakers curb refugee family reunification

Lawmakers have voted to suspend family reunification rights for refugees who do not hold full asylum status. Meanwhile, as Germany faces labor shortages, figures show much of its workforce is untapped.

SPD’s Klingbeil re-elected but not without internal dissent

Lars Klingbeil was r…[Read more]

Teen in Germany charged over Taylor Swift stadium plot

German federal prosecutors have charged a teenager with aiding in the preparation of a suspected terrorist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last summer.

Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe on Friday said judges had indicted a teenager accused of having helped…[Read more]

German military deems Russia ‘existential risk’ to nation and Europe, Spiegel reports

The German military deems Russia an “existential risk” to the country and Europe, according to a Spiegel news magazine report that cites a new Bundeswehr strategy paper.
The confidential document warns that the Kremlin is aligning both its industrial and…[Read more]

Germany, England and France in talks with Iran

Foreign ministers meet in Geneva to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme

As the war between Israel and Iran enters its second week, three European foreign ministers are meeting today with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to de-escalate the situation. One of the aims of J…[Read more]

Germany updates: Population growth on the decline

As of the end of 2024, Germany’s population stood at just under 83.6 million, an increase of 121,000 compared to the previous year. This marks a slowdown from 2023, when the numbers grew by 338,000.

Germany says US tariffs costing millions daily amid trade talks

German Economy Minister Katherina…[Read more]

Germany sees limited financial leeway on next EU budget, policy paper shows

Germany wants the European Union’s next seven-year budget to keep a lid on spending, according to a policy paper seen by Reuters on Saturday, with Berlin arguing members do not have room to boost the scope of their contributions.
The German economy, Europe’s largest, has…[Read more]

New German–Ukrainian defence partnership

Germany and Ukraine plan to jointly produce long-range weapons systems. Following talks in Kyiv, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy listed cruise missiles, drones and rockets as key elements of the new cooperation.

Germany will provide funding, while Ukraine w…[Read more]

Germany tackles explosive wartime legacy at sea

Unexploded WWII bombs are still regularly found across Germany. But hundreds of thousands of tons of wartime munitions also lurk off its shores. Now Berlin is stepping up moves to clean up this perilous toxic waste.

An estimated 1.6 million metric tons of conventional munitions lie in Germany’s…[Read more]

Eurostar vows to run direct trains from UK to Germany and Switzerland

Cross-Channel rail operator, which is trying to fend off rivals for its London depot space, regards early 2030s as feasible

Eurostar has vowed to run direct trains from the UK to Germany and Switzerland, as it attempts to fend off potential competitors eyeing its London depot…[Read more]

Germany granted citizenship to a record number of people in 2024, led by Syrians

Germany granted citizenship to a record 291,955 people last year, a 46% increase from 2023, with Syrians making up the largest group, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday.
Reforms in the citizenship law contributed to the jump, the…[Read more]

Germany: Court to rule on press freedom for banned magazine

The right-wing extremist magazine Compact was outlawed in 2024, but it’s available on newsstands again after winning an appeal. Now, Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will have the final word.

In 2024, then Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned Compact magazine. She…[Read more]

Merz says Israeli actions in Gaza ‘no longer justified’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the fight against “Hamas terrorism” does not justify the suffering of civilians in Gaza. He no longer “understands what Israel is trying to achieve.” DW has more.

German Chancellor Merz says ‘no longer understands’ Israel’s goal in Gaza

German…[Read more]

Germany’s socialist Left Party is flying high

Shortly after the new government has taken office, the smallest opposition party in the Bundestag is taking stock of its recent success at a party conference in Chemnitz. Its motto is “We are the hope.”

For months, the socialist Left Party has been rubbing its eyes in amazement: It won an unexpected…[Read more]

German Chancellor Merz says Berlin back with voice in Europe

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has met top EU officials, promising that Europe’s biggest economy was back to help steer the bloc at a tough time. Follow DW for our latest updates on news from and about Germany.

AfD lawmaker Krah investigated over China bribes, money…[Read more]

Germany hits back at Marco Rubio after he panned labeling of AfD as ‘extremist’

Far-right German party was labeled a ‘confirmed rightwing extremist group’ by country’s domestic intelligence service

Germany’s foreign ministry has hit back at the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, following his criticism of Germany’s decision to label the far-rig…[Read more]

Europe marks VE Day with Trump on its mind

“Celebration? What celebration? It feels more like a funeral” – the damning words of a former senior Nato figure to describe this week’s ceremonies marking Victory in Europe Day.

The top-level diplomat who spent years at the transatlantic defence alliance asked not to be named in order to speak freely,…[Read more]

Germany updates: Almost 50% of Germans back AfD ban — poll

Forty-percent of respondents to an INSA survey were in favor of banning the far-right party. Meanwhile, Germany’s incoming interior minister has vowed tighter border controls.

German Air Force receives Israeli air defense system
The chief of the German Air Force was in Israel this w…[Read more]

First German woman in space returns to Earth

Scientist Rabea Rogge landed back on the coast of California after four days of orbiting above the Earth. The mission included three other astronauts, all associates of billionaire Chun Wang.

Rabea Rogge, a 29-year-old robotics researcher from Berlin who became the first German woman in space,…[Read more]

Bosnian Serbs declare German official persona non grata

German Secretary of State for European Affairs Anna Lührmann was expelled from the Serb entity of Bosnia in retaliation for German sanctions against the Bosnian Serb leadership.

Bosnian Serb police on Friday expelled a top German foreign ministry official from Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia…[Read more]

German parties press on with government formation despite differences on migration

Germany’s conservatives and Social Democrats (SPD) agreed on Wednesday to go into the next round of negotiations on forming a coalition government despite deep differences remaining on areas from immigration to consumer protection and criminal justice.
Sector…[Read more]