German Federal Agencies See Record Sick Leave Surpassing National Average
Employees in Germany’s most important federal agencies are sick more often than the national average. According to data from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, published by Politico, staff in the top tier of federal institutions missed an average of 15.2 days in 2024 due to illness, whereas workers in lower‑level agencies were absent 21.1 days on average. The…
February 23, 2026
Germany Secures Third Spot in Global Economy 2025 Despite Ongoing Crisis
Despite a continuing economic crisis, Germany secured its place as the world’s third‑largest economy in 2025. According to calculations released on Monday by the German Institute for Economic Research (IW), the value of all German goods and services reached $5.1 trillion. The United States tops the ranking with $30.8 trillion, followed by China at $19.5 trillion.…
February 23, 2026
Klingbeil Advisor Warns of Investment Stagnation Despite New Special Fund
Despite the new Special Fund for Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality (SVIK), economist Jens Südekum warns of a long‑term stagnation in investment. “It must not continue to the point where each year a wave of unspent investment funds builds up” he told “Der Spiegel”.He was referring to nearly €30 billion of planned federal investment spending that…
February 23, 2026
German Business Sentiment Improves as Companies Show Optimism
The sentiment among German companies has recently shown a slight improvement. The Ifo business climate index rose to 88.6 points in February from 87.6 points in January, according to the Ifo Institute’s announcement on Monday. Observers had anticipated only a marginal increase. Overall, firms reported greater satisfaction with their current operations, and expectations…
February 23, 2026
German Foreign Minister Shocked By Hungary’s Blockade Of EU Aid For Ukraine
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) expressed surprise at Hungary’s recent blockade of EU aid to Ukraine. Speaking before consultations with fellow EU officials in Brussels, he said, “I am astonished by Hungary’s position”. He added that Germany would discuss the issue with its Hungarian counterpart and that they do not think it is correct for…
February 23, 2026
DAX Opens in the Red Amid Customs Concerns
30 a..m. German time-about 0.5 % below Friday’s closing level. The strongest performers were Commerzbank, Henkel and RWE, while SAP, Zalando and Airbus fell to the bottom of the list. Consorsbank’s chief market analyst Jochen Stanzl said the market is being hit “twice over” at the start of the week: first by new tariff fears, and second by the looming…
February 23, 2026
Juso Leader Rejects Under‑14 Social Media Ban
Philipp Türmer, the chair of The Left (Juso), rejected proposals to ban social‑media platforms for users under 14. In an interview with RTL and ntv, he said he didn’t know of any workable concept for such a ban, adding that current measures should instead target the “real big criminals” rather than children. By “real big criminals” he was…
February 23, 2026
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas skeptical of swift Ukraine peace
EU external affairs commissioner Kaja Kallas said she still sees no serious effort from Russia to bring the Ukraine war to an end.On Monday, before a European Union foreign‑minister meeting in Brussels, she expressed a lack of optimism that the United States would share her outlook. The Russian negotiators stated that their actions were not taken seriously and that they were…
February 23, 2026
Dudenhöffer Fires Blame at Germany’s Auto Hub
Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, a leading industry analyst, sharply criticized Germany as a motor‑vehicle manufacturing hub. “The biggest problem for domestic conglomerates is Germany” he told the Bavarian media group. “Our country is too expensive and uncompetitive. We have been losing competitive strength for too long”. He accused the political establishment…
February 23, 2026
Greenland Dismisses Trump’s Plan to Send a Hospital Ship to the Arctic Island
President Donald Trump offered to send a field‑hospital ship to Greenland, an idea that was met with outright refusal by both Greenland and Denmark. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen acknowledged the proposal, explaining that the country operates a public health system that provides free care for all citizens. He emphasized that this model is an…
February 23, 2026
SPD Demands Halt of EU‑US Customs Deal After Trump’s Tariff Rollout
The parliamentary manager of the SPD Bundestag faction, Dirk Wiese, has called for a suspension of the ratification process for the planned trade agreement amid new tariff announcements by U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking to Politico, Wiese said that “given the current situation and the ruling, we must now pause the ratification process”. He added that…
February 23, 2026
Berlin Homeless Shelter System Exposed as Highly Susceptible to Abuse – Business Model Under Scrutiny
Berlin’s system for housing homeless people is extremely vulnerable to abuse, according to the investigative reporting of the “Tagesspiegel”. Private companies running such shelters make substantial profits, while residents and nearby neighbors complain about overflowing trash and infestations. “Running a business with these accommodations is a…
