Two-Thirds of Consumers Plan 2026 Getaway Despite Price Surge
In a January 2026 Yougov survey commissioned by Postbank, two‑thirds of German consumers said they plan to travel in 2026 despite rising living costs. Of those with travel plans, roughly 66 % reported that they are cutting back on holiday spending. Half of respondents noted that they are more vigilant about expenses than usual, while about 11 % admitted to tightening their…
February 17, 2026
Iran Launches Rocket Exercises Towards Strait Of Hormuz
Iran has reportedly launched intense shooting exercises aimed at the Strait of Hormuz. According to several Iranian state‑media outlets, rockets were fired from Iranian land, along the coast and from islands, reportedly striking their intended targets in the Strait. Earlier that Monday morning, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began a maneuver that covered the Strait of…
February 17, 2026
German Economic Outlook Slips Slightly in Feb 2026 ZEW Survey
The ZEW economic expectations survey for Germany showed a slight decline in February 2026. The index fell to 58.3 points – a drop of 1.3 points from the previous month – according to the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), which reported the results on Tuesday in Mannheim. By contrast, the assessment of the current economic situation improved.…
February 17, 2026
Germany Weighs State Guarantees for Argentine LNG Imports
The German federal government is looking at ways to support LNG imports from Argentina through state guarantees. According to an answer from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWi) to a parliamentary question by left‑wing MP Tamara Mazzi, a pre‑emptive inquiry had already been lodged in late January concerning an LNG project in the Argentine…
February 17, 2026
Germany’s Population Forecast Reversed: Ten Percent Decline by 2070
A recent study by the Ifo Institute, which re‑examined the Federal Statistical Office’s latest population projections, shows that Germany’s population will fall by almost 10 % by 2070. That figure represents a sharp revision from the earlier estimate of a 1 % decline. “Because the population is shrinking faster and ageing more rapidly, political decisions…
February 17, 2026
Greens Accuse Reiche of Inaction Over Germany’s Low Gas Supply As Winter Threatens
The Greens have accused Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) of inaction over Germany’s low gas‑storage levels. “The situation is worsening as the cold weather sets in” said Michel Kellner, the Greens’ energy‑policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday issue). He added that in…
February 17, 2026
Karlsruhe Court Rejects Complaint Over Rent Control Extension
The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed a constitutional complaint regarding the extension of the rent‑price brake, the court in Karlsruhe announced on Tuesday. The complainant, a landlord of a Berlin apartment, had challenged the regulation of rent amounts at the start of a tenancy and the 2020 rent‑cap ordinance issued by the Berlin Senate. The First Senate Chamber…
February 17, 2026
DAX Opens Unchanged Ahead of ZEW Data
30 a..m., essentially matching the previous day’s closing level. The leaders of the daily price list were Scout24, Brenntag and Symrise, while Qiagen, Rheinmetall and Siemens Energy were at the bottom of the list. According to Andreas Lipkow, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, trading guidance from the United States remains thin after the holiday, even on this…
February 17, 2026
Hardt Says New Ukrainian Refugee Wave Possible From Ongoing Russian Attacks
The foreign‑policy spokesperson of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Jürgen Hardt, acknowledged the possibility of a new wave of Ukrainian refugees. He told RTL and ntv that this could be sparked by the ongoing Russian attacks on the country’s heating and power infrastructure. “There is already concern that, in the coming days and weeks, especially during the…
February 17, 2026
German Language Rules Home Life as Majority Speak Exclusively Native Tongue
In Germany households predominantly speak German. According to the Federal Statistical Office’s micro‑census results for 2024, about 77 % of residents used only German at home. Seventeen percent of households are multilingual, using German together with at least one other language. Among these, roughly a quarter (26 %) rely on German most often in their homes, while…
February 17, 2026
Germany’s CPI Holds Steady at 2.1 % in January 2026
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) confirmed the consumer‑price inflation rate for January 2026 at 2.1 %. Earlier in the month a provisional estimate had already been released. In December 2025 the index had risen by 1.8 %, and in November and October it had been 2.3 % each. Destatis President Ruth Brand said that overall price rises have accelerated at the start of…
February 17, 2026
BSW General Secretary Calls Pension Age 70 Debate a Scandal
Oliver Ruhnert, Secretary General of the BSW, sharply denounced the current proposals to raise the statutory retirement age and called for a fundamental overhaul of Germany’s pension system. In an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” he described the discussions about a potential retirement age of 70 as unacceptable: “The fact that the…
