Political news, decisions and debates from Germany, Europe and the world, reported with clear source attribution.
The AfD leads the Union by seven points in a new poll. The FDP gains one percentage point after Wolfgang Kubicki's victory in the party leadership race, but remains below the five-percent threshold.
According to FAZ, Union and SPD want to suspend the automatic increase in parliamentary salaries this year. The monthly allowances were due to rise from 11,833 euros to 12,330 euros on July 1.
Markus Söder (CSU) is calling for greater involvement of the German states in federal government decisions, pointing to the failed tax-free bonus for employees as an example where states were bypassed.
Katharina Beck, the Green party's financial policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, has entered the debate on income tax reform. Instead of blanket subsidy cuts, she advocates closing fairness gaps in the tax system. Specifically, she calls for raising the basic tax-free allowance to relieve low earners.
Former Torsten Albig (SPD) has recommended that his party consider minority governments tolerated by the AfD. Former Olaf Scholz rejects the proposal and reaffirms the firewall against the AfD.
Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has described criticism of the so-called firewall against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as disturbing. In a video marking the anniversary of the Basic Law, he urged keeping the party away from power.
The extension of the Bundesrat building in Berlin-Mitte will be completed even later than planned. According to Spiegel, construction time has now reached almost ten years.
Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is set to chair the planned North-South Commission, which aims to strengthen ties with developing and emerging economies, according to a report by Tagesspiegel.
German investigators have broken up a smuggling ring that allegedly organized multi-million-euro deliveries for Russia's defense industry. The network systematically circumvented Western sanctions, according to Welt.
Saxony-Anhalt's Minister Schulze (CDU) has made clear that there will be no ministers from the AfD or the Left Party under his leadership. At the same time, he called on the SPD to finally address spending cuts.
Saxony's Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has spoken out in favor of higher taxes on large fortunes and inheritances in an interview. He justifies this with the need to relieve lower and middle incomes.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has declared the Day of the Basic Law a day of honor for volunteer work. According to Der Spiegel, he is traveling across Germany to lend a hand himself.
Former Torsten Albig (SPD) has recommended that his party consider minority governments tolerated by the AfD. He points to Denmark, where Social Democrats work with right-wing populists.
Germany's Federal Court of Auditors has sharply criticized the Foreign Office for granting millions in federal funds to the Muslim aid organization Islamic Relief Germany, despite the government's own concerns about its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is set to chair a new North-South commission on the future of development policy, according to a report by Tagesspiegel citing government sources.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged the governing coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD to focus on domestic and economic policy as well as welfare state reform. The country is capable of reform, Steinmeier said.
The Bundestag passed a justice reform package on Thursday that digitizes the police certificate of good conduct and expands online procedures for notaries. In the future, the document will be delivered as a PDF directly to citizens' BundID accounts.
The SPD is opposing cuts to development aid. According to Spiegel, the party is issuing a clear warning against savings in this area.
Giorgia Meloni sees the new European asylum system as confirmation of her migration policy, as reported by FAZ. However, Italy continues to go its own way in dealing with private sea rescuers.
According to the ZDF Politbarometer, 89 percent of Germans consider fundamental reforms necessary, but 75 percent see no willingness in the population to bear the costs. Only a third would be prepared to accept personal sacrifices.
The Frankfurt public prosecutor's office has searched further premises of supporters of the voter initiative 'Frankfurt – Sozial!'. There is suspicion that signatures from users of a home emergency call system were forged to get Peter Feldmann's electoral list onto the ballot for the local election.
Carsten Schneider (SPD) has pushed back against criticism of renewable energy in a dispute with Katherina Reiche. He warned that blocking the energy transition harms the national interest.
The city council in Raunheim has approved the recall motion against Mayor David Rendel (SPD) by a large majority. Rendel can now either resign voluntarily within a week or face a citizen referendum.
The Bundestag approved the pharmacy reform proposed by the black-red coalition on Thursday. Pharmacies will now be allowed to offer vaccinations, preventive check-ups, and rapid tests, according to the newspaper.
The Bundestag has passed a draft law to further develop pharmaceutical care, the federal government announced. The aim is to secure a nationwide network of pharmacies and expand their competencies.
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) wants to allow victims of domestic violence to divorce without the usual one-year separation period. A draft law specifies the hardship clause.
The Young Union (JU) has warned the CDU against losing its profile as a family party. The background is planned cuts to parental allowance, which are causing discontent within the Union.
EU Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has ruled out any easing of EU sanctions against Russia. The European Union (EU) has lowered its growth forecast for 2026 and warned of rising inflation, according to Euronews.
AfD politician Bernd Baumann picked up a CDU brochure about his party at the party headquarters and called it "full of lies" in a TikTok video. The CDU immediately responded to the social media attack, as reported by the FAZ.
Magdeburg's Mayor Simone Borris has rejected allegations of political interference following the cancellation of a planned reading by author and FragDenStaat project leader Arne Semsrott.
The Bundestag has extended the deadline for the 65-percent renewable energy quota for new heating systems. According to Tagesspiegel, the regulation will not take effect on July 1 as planned, but no earlier than November 1.
A resolution by the parliamentary SME group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary party is causing a stir. According to Zdfheute, the tax reform is in danger of failing.
Germany's government-appointed pension commission is set to present its recommendations at the end of June. After a report about a possible retirement age of 70, the commission and the government immediately denied the claims, according to Tagesschau.
The AfD has failed in the Bundestag with its motion for a parliamentary investigative committee into the Nord Stream sabotage attacks. Several parliamentary groups rejected the proposal, accusing the party of electioneering.
North Rhine-Westphalia's state premier Hendrik Wüst (CDU) visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial during a trip to Poland and laid a wreath. The visit comes as CDU leader Friedrich Merz struggles with reforms in Berlin and Wüst is being discussed as a possible successor.
The German government plans to acquire a stake in KNDS, the manufacturer of the Leopard tank. According to the Tagesspiegel, the share is expected to reach 30 percent in the medium term.
Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) presented plans to the Bundestag's Defense Committee for reorganizing arms procurement, aiming for faster decisions and higher procurement volumes, according to Deutschlandfunk.
The federal government has introduced a law that would allow oil and gas heating systems to operate for significantly longer. Hamburg's Greens are demanding stricter rules, citing a state-level opt-out clause, as reported by FAZ.
Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) and Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) answered questions from lawmakers during a 90-minute government question time in the Bundestag on Wednesday, as reported by Phoenix.
Misbah Khan, deputy leader of the Green Party parliamentary group, has warned the German government against cutting parental allowance. Families are being increasingly burdened, Khan said on Deutschlandfunk.