Gauland Defends AfD Against Nepotism Charges in Fiery Response
Alexander Gauland, the honorary chairman and co‑founder of the AfD, speaks out against accusations of nepotism within his party. In an interview with the news magazine Focus, the 85‑year‑old said, “We have a very hard time finding loyal employees”. He added that the AfD’s widespread exclusion has made it difficult for party members who wish to pursue…
February 25, 2026
SPD Migration MPs Claim Exclusion From Program Debate as Party Workgroup Demands Transparent Seat Allocation
The SPD’s working group on migration and diversity has criticized the appointment of the party’s internal program committee. This committee is intended to lead and coordinate work on the new policy programme. “It is almost shameful that the federal SPD, in 2026, establishes a programme committee in which expertise on diversity and migration is hardly…
February 25, 2026
Schweitzer Warns Germany Against Overly Aggressive Trade Policy Toward China Ahead of Merz Trip
Shortly before Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) was set to travel to China, Rhineland‑Palatinate premier Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) warned against too much economic isolation from the People’s Republic. Speaking to “Handelsblatt”, he said, “China is an important trade partner” adding that without access to Chinese markets German products would…
February 25, 2026
DAX Kicks Off Trading Day with Gains as Report Season Builds to Peak
30 AM German time-an increase of roughly 0..2 % from yesterday’s closing level. Siemens Energy, MTU Aero Engines and Commerzbank led the gains on the index, while Fresenius, Heidelberg Materials and Beiersdorf were at the bottom of the list. Thomas Altmann of QC Partners noted that the market is looking forward to the release of Nvidia’s quarterly report.…
February 25, 2026
Apollo Economist Remains Optimistic About US Economy Amid Tariff Uncertainty
Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok remains optimistic about the United States economy, even as new uncertainty surrounds U.S. tariff policy. Speaking in a Handelsblatt podcast, he said the U.S. economy is expected to pick up steam in the coming quarters, citing three key drivers. First, the recent tax cuts for businesses embedded in the federal budget are delivering a…
February 25, 2026
Germany Sees Drop in College-Ready Students 341,700 Qualify for 2025
In 2025, about 341,700 German students received university‑entrance qualification, either the general Abitur or the Fachhochschulreife. This figure represents an eight‑percent dip compared with the previous year, a decline of roughly 29,900 individuals. The sharp drop is almost entirely attributable to the phasing out of the eight‑year Gymnasium (G8) programme in 2024 and…
February 25, 2026
Germany Road Fatalities Surge to 2,814 in 2025
In 2025, 2,814 people died in road‑traffic accidents in Germany, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday. That represents a 2 % increase or 44 more deaths than the 2,770 reported in 2024. The number of injuries in 2025 remained roughly unchanged from the previous year, with 366,000 people hurt. Light injuries rose…
February 25, 2026
German Construction Orders Surge 6.8% in 2025, Reflecting Strong Economic Momentum!
The real inflow of orders in Germany’s construction main trade rose by 6.8 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, while the nominal inflow, amounting to €113.0 billion, was 9.2 percent higher than in 2024, reported the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday. In building construction, real order inflows grew 7.5 percent and nominal inflows…
February 25, 2026
German Firms Resurrect Job Cuts as More Companies Plan Workforce Reductions
German firms are increasingly planning to cut staff. The Munich‑based Ifo Institute’s Employment Barometer slipped to 93.1 points in February, down from 93.4 in January, the institute announced on Wednesday. Klaus Wohlrabe, who leads the Ifo surveys, explained: “The hesitation in the labour market is rising again. Many companies are planning to lay off more…
Jens Südekum, adviser to Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil of the SPD, expressed his regret that economist Ulrike Malmendier’s contract will not be renewed. “In I regret her departure very much” he told the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday edition). He noted that before her 2022 appointment the Council of Economic Experts suffered a long…
February 25, 2026
German Minister Demands End Of China Investment Bans Ahead Of Merz Visit
Gitta Connemann, chair of the German Economy and Climate Ministry’s parliamentary committee (MIT) and parliamentary secretary to the minister, is demanding concrete changes that would benefit German companies during Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to China. In a conversation with the news outlet Politico, she outlined the current barriers faced by foreign…
February 25, 2026
Trump Urges Iran to Drop Nuclear Plans in First State‑of‑Union Speech
During his inaugural address of his second term, US President Donald Trump urged the Iranian regime to abandon its nuclear weapons plans. “I would prefer to resolve this problem diplomatically, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s largest supporter of terror-which they truly are-to possess nuclear weapons” the president told the nation.…
