CDU Economic Council Calls for New Federalism Commission as Municipal Finances Crumble
The CDU Economic Council has called for a new federalism commission amid severe financial problems faced by local governments-a topic currently on the agenda of the Prime Ministers’ Conference in Berlin. Wolfgang Steiger, general secretary of the council, told Bayern’s newspapers that more and more municipalities are falling into acute financial distress. He…
March 5, 2026
DAX Climbs into Gains Amid Middle Eastern Turmoil
On Thursday, the DAX moved into the green zone by midday after a weak start to the trading day. Around 12:30 p.m., the benchmark index had been calculated at roughly 24,300 points-up 0.4 percent above the previous day’s closing level. At the top of the equities list were Adidas, Symrise, and MTU, while the bottom included Deutsche Post, Qiagen, and Fresenius. Rumours…
March 5, 2026
Ex Monopoly Commission Chief Urges Vigilance as Gas Prices Rise
Former head of the Monopol Commission, Achim Wambach, urged both the federal government and the Federal Cartel Office to keep a close eye on gasoline‑price developments and to prepare for potential market interventions. In an interview with the “Rheinische Post” (Friday edition), Wambach noted that “when world‑market prices rise, station prices rise as…
March 5, 2026
Bundbank Announces Lower 2025 Annual Loss Even as Balance‑Sheet Deficit Persists
The Deutsche Bundesbank reported a balance‑sheet loss for the fiscal year 2025.The loss amounted to €8.6 billion, the bank announced on Thursday in Frankfurt. The central bank viewed the result positively because the annual deficit had fallen by more than half compared with 2024, signalling a clear improvement in earnings.Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel explained that,…
March 5, 2026
Germany’s Students Take to Streets Nationwide Protest Military Service Plans
In several German cities, thousands of students took to the streets on Thursday to protest the federal government’s latest military‑service decisions. The call for demonstrations came from the “School Strike Against Conscription” coalition, which, as it did in December, urged students not to attend school that day and instead strike against conscription and…
March 5, 2026
Linke Demands Return Of 9 Euro Ticket Amid Rising Fuel Prices
Sören Pellmann, the chair of the Left’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag, said to RTL and ntv that the party is pushing for a new 9‑Euro ticket in response to the latest spike in gasoline prices. He explained that the goal is to “create an offer that provides alternatives”.Pellmann rejected a return to the fuel‑discount scheme that the former government…
March 5, 2026
Study Finds Rising Oil Prices from Iran War Could Massively Slow German Growth
Rising oil prices driven by the Iran conflict could sharply slow German growth.In a simulation released Thursday by the Institute of German Economics (IW), a rise to US $150 per barrel would cut Germany’s GDP by 0.5 % in 2026 and 1.3 % in 2027, translating into a loss of more than €80 billion over the two years. Even a smaller jump to US $100 would have noticeable…
March 5, 2026
Bundestag Approves Germany UK Friendship Pact Signed By Merz Starmer
The German Bundestag has approved the “Friendship Treaty” between Germany and the United Kingdom, which was already signed last summer by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The accompanying bill was passed on Thursday with the backing of the governing coalition and the Greens; the alternative for the far‑right AfD was a “no”…
March 5, 2026
DAX Drops Early as Market Volatility Rises
The German stock index DAX opened Thursday morning in the red. At about 9:30 a.m. local time the benchmark had settled at roughly 24,070 points, a drop of 0.6 % from the previous day’s close. Merck, Airbus and Heidelberg Materials were the strongest performers, while Deutsche Post, Qiagen and Continental slipped to the bottom of the list. Thomas Altmann of QC Partners…
March 5, 2026
Syrian sentenced to 13 years after knife attack on Berlin Holocaust memorial
Just short of a year after the knife attack on a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, the suspect has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. The Kammergericht found the 20‑year‑old Syrian guilty of attempted murder, among other charges. He is alleged to have traveled from Leipzig to Berlin on 21 February 2025 with the intention of attacking so‑called…
March 5, 2026
Linnemann Calls for Market Power Control Over Fuel Prices After Rejecting Fuel Price Cap
Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s Secretary‑General, rejected a proposed fuel‑price cap and called for tighter oversight. He told RTL and ntv that market power must be checked, noting that the big companies didn’t just purchase gasoline and diesel yesterday-these contracts had been in place for weeks, even months. Linnemann warned against announcing daily policy…
March 5, 2026
German Smartphone Time Spikes to Record Levels
The amount of time that Germans spend on their smartphones has risen again. A survey by the IT industry association Bitkom found that, on average, users keep their devices on for 180 minutes each day in 2026 – compared with roughly 150 minutes in 2024. Youth use their phones the most. People aged 16 to 29 spend an average of 216 minutes per day on their smartphones,…
