EU Commission OKs 3 Billion Euro German Aid to Boost Clean Tech Production
The European Commission has approved a German aid scheme worth €3 billion to boost manufacturing capacity for clean technologies. The Commission said on Thursday that the measure will help the transition toward a climate‑neutral economy. The programme is intended to support strategic investments that align with the Clean Industry Deal’s objectives and accelerate the…
February 5, 2026
Germany and Australia Strengthen Security and Climate Cooperation
On Thursday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) announced that Germany and Australia plan to deepen cooperation on security and climate issues. During a meeting in Canberra, the ministers discussed the challenges posed by a changing geopolitical environment and pledged to strengthen ties between Europe and the…
February 5, 2026
Icy Alerts in East Germany Block Flights at BER as Freezing Rain Sparks Traffic Chaos
On Thursday morning, freezing rain turned into slick ice in eastern Germany, causing traffic chaos in several regions. The German Meteorological Service reported that Berlin, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania were most affected, while parts of Saxony and Saxony‑Anhalt were also hit by similar conditions. The weather pattern behind the event is a high pressure…
February 5, 2026
AfD Loses Battle For Otto Wels Hall In Bundestag After Court Ruling
On Thursday, the Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the AfD faction’s request in the organ‑dispute case concerning the allocation of the Otto‑Wels hall in the Bundestag. The court ruled that the AfD faction is not entitled to that specific hall. The constitutional status of parliamentary factions does not grant a right to a particular meeting room; the AfD’s…
February 5, 2026
German Firms Rate Government Economic Policy Poorly in Latest Survey
German companies give the government’s economic policy a poor overall rating. On average they assign a grade of 4.2 out of 6, according to a survey released by the Ifo Institute on Thursday. The criticism covers all policy areas and comes from every industry, with positive reviews being rare. Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the Ifo’s surveys, said: “Companies see…
February 5, 2026
Marriages Plunge to Lowest Level Since 1950 as Couples Decline to Say I Do
Only a handful of couples have said “I do” in Germany this year, a record low that the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Thursday.In 2024 a total of 349 200 marriages were registered. Three‑quarters (79 %) of the 698 400 married people were newly married, meaning they had never been divorced or widowed before. Almost all unions-97 %-were between…
February 5, 2026
German Manufacturing Orders Jump 7.8% in December, Strongest Monthly Gain Since Data Began
The real order intake in Germany’s manufacturing sector rose by 7.8 percent in December 2025 compared with November 2025, after being seasonally and calendar‑adjusted, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on Thursday based on provisional figures. When large‑order contracts were excluded, the increase was 0.9 percent. In the less volatile three‑month…
February 5, 2026
Young Union Spots Tens of Billions in Social Spending Savings, Pressures SPD in Reform Debate
Johannes Winkel, the chairman of the Junge Union (JU), is raising the stakes in the debate over social reforms, thereby intensifying pressure on coalition partner SPD. In an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”, he pointed out that the SPD has already made two significant concessions-an emergency fund for infrastructure and a pension package.…
February 5, 2026
Green Party Demands Repatriation of Maja T from Hungary After 8-Year Prison Sentence
Helge Limburg, the political spokesperson for the Greens’ Bundestag faction, has demanded that the non‑binary individual known as Maja T. be returned to Germany. Maja T. was convicted on Wednesday in Budapest of eight years’ imprisonment. In an interview with the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Limburg warned that German police agencies-such as the Saxon State…
February 5, 2026
Hagel Urges Longer Working Hours and Delayed Retirement to Match Swiss Productivity
Manuel Hagel, the CDU’s leading candidate for Baden-Württemberg, has argued that workers should put in longer hours and retire later. He told the “Handelsblatt” that Germans work roughly 200 fewer hours than their Swiss neighbours and urged the creation of incentives for extra work, such as overtime that would be exempt from taxes and social‑security…
February 5, 2026
Juso Chief Urges SPD to Embrace Class Struggle Ahead of Leaders’ Retreat
Before the SPD leadership retreat, Juso chair Philipp Türmer urges his party to adopt a tougher stance. In a guest op‑ed for the “Tagesspiegel” Thursday edition, Türmer writes that the SPD must “fight the class struggle and win”. He argues that capital gains do little to strengthen the social security system or to increase the general tax base.…
February 5, 2026
German Interior Ministers Clash Behrens Questions Dobrindt Cyber Dome Plans
Niedersachsen’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) expressed criticism of Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) over his proposals concerning a “cyber dome” and the organisation of intelligence services. When asked about the concept, Behrens admitted that she still does not understand what a cyber dome actually entails. She added that she…
