Bundestag and Bundesrat: Health Insurance Reform, Heating Law Scrapped, E-Scooter Liability
Germany's parliament and upper house have passed several decisions directly affecting citizens, from health insurance to broken smartphones.
Category Politics
Political news, decisions and debates from Germany, Europe and the world, reported with clear source attribution.
savings package and Heating Law Passed – Wegner Resigns
Bundestag and Bundesrat have passed the healthcare savings package and the new heating law. Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner announced his resignation, as reported by ZDFheute.
Warken defends savings law: Financial gap closed
Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has defended her controversial savings package for the healthcare system against massive criticism. In an interview with the F.A.Z., she emphasized that the compromises were very good and that the financial gap had been closed.
Bundestag suspends pay raise for lawmakers
The Bundestag has suspended the planned increase in lawmakers' salaries for July. MPs are thus foregoing around 500 euros more per month.
Bundestag overturns strict heating rules – gas and oil heating allowed again
The Bundestag has passed the Building Modernization Act, which again permits the continued operation and new installation of gas and oil heating systems. Bundesrat also approved the law.
Berlin Mayor Wegner Withdraws from Top Candidacy
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has withdrawn his candidacy for the top spot in the state election in September, citing ongoing criticism over his communication during the January power outage.
German Bundesrat Wants to Criminalize Denial of Israel’s Right to Exist
The Bundesrat has voted to make the denial of Israel's right to exist a criminal offense. The Bundestag is expected to decide on the bill, introduced by Hesse, after the summer break.
Future of Kai Wegner uncertain – open letter and CDU consultations
The political future of Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, is uncertain. CDU members are calling for his withdrawal.
German Parliament Passes Savings Package for Statutory Health Insurance
The Bundestag has voted for savings in the statutory health insurance system. Spending caps and higher co-payments are intended to prevent premium increases.
Bundestag approves construction of new gas-fired power plants – opposition votes against
The Bundestag has approved the construction of new gas-fired power plants. The opposition voted against the law, which will impose additional costs on consumers starting in 2031.
Chat Control: Scan Approval Clears Hurdle in EU Parliament
The controversial chat control proposal has cleared a key hurdle in the EU Parliament. The plan allows automated scans on end devices without breaking end-to-end encryption.
SPD Spokesman Criticizes Government Response to End of Ceasefire in Iran War
Ahmetovic, the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, has criticized the German government's reaction to the collapse of the ceasefire in the Iran war.
Greens and Left Party Sue to Block Rapid Health Insurance Reform Vote
The Greens and the Left Party have filed a complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court to stop the planned Bundestag vote on the health insurance savings package this Friday. According to Tagesspiegel, the opposition parties see their parliamentary rights violated after extensive amendments.
Debt brake: Commission divided – three reform proposals for Klingbeil
The expert commission tasked with reforming Germany's debt brake has failed to agree on a joint concept. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) will receive three different proposals next week.
NATO Summit in Ankara: Merz Aims to Show Strength
Friedrich Merz (CDU) will attend the NATO summit in Ankara from July 7 to 8. The heads of state and government of the 32 NATO members plan to decide on stronger support for Ukraine and give Europe more responsibility for security.
Frei defends reform package: ‘A huge step forward’
Head of the Chancellery Thorsten Frei (CDU) has defended the federal government's planned reforms against criticism. On ZDF's 'Berlin direkt', he promised noticeable relief for many people.
Klingbeil defends higher new borrowing in federal budget
Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) has defended the planned increase in new borrowing for the federal budget next year. At the same time, he announced a stricter austerity course.
Klingbeil defends reforms, warns of burdens for all
Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) defended the black-red coalition's reform plans in an ARD summer interview and acknowledged that there would be burdens for everyone. The SPD chairman pointed to years of reform backlog and announced a stricter austerity course.
Baltic Sea in poor condition: Schneider dives for marine protection
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) took part in a dive to search for ghost nets during his summer trip to the Baltic Sea. According to FAZ, the Baltic Sea is in poor condition, and an action plan is intended to remedy the situation.
Reform Plans: IG Metall Calls It an Attack on Workers’ Rights
The reform plans of the Union and SPD are facing sharp criticism from the opposition, business associations, and unions. While employers praise the policy shift, IG Metall describes it as an attack on workers' rights.
18 Months in Prison for Attack on Election Campaigners in Delmenhorst
A court in Delmenhorst has sentenced a man to 18 months in prison without parole for attacking three Green Party election campaigners in Bookholzberg in January 2025, seriously injuring one of them. The court deemed the attack right-wing extremist.
US Supreme Court Ends Agency Independence – EU Data Privacy at Risk
The US Supreme Court has declared the independence of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unconstitutional. The ruling threatens the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) and could paralyze data flows between the continents.
Günther praises black-green coalition as success model in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein's Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) has praised the cooperation with the Greens in the state government as trusting and successful. At the same time, he announced his intention to position himself on climate and environmental protection issues in the 2027 election campaign.
Merz’s World Cup Was ‘Coordination Error’ – Government Defends Itself
Friedrich Merz (CDU) posted a controversial tweet after Germany's World Cup exit. According to Tagesspiegel, the chancellery now calls it a 'coordination error'.
350 Publishers Demand Emergency Program for Free Press
The Media Association of the Free Press warns of an existential crisis for independent journalism. 350 publishers are calling on politicians to safeguard press freedom with an emergency program.
Steinmeier warns against withdrawal from UN, calls for more commitment
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned against a German withdrawal from the United Nations and called for greater engagement, criticizing proposals to cut contributions as shortsighted and fatal.
S21: Berlin’s North-South S-Bahn to Close for 2.5 Years
Passengers in Berlin face a roughly 2.5-year closure of the north-south S-Bahn line between Hauptbahnhof and Potsdamer Platz due to construction of the new S21 line, according to a federal government response to a Green Party parliamentary inquiry reported by Tagesspiegel.
Union warns SPD against pure redistribution in tax reform
Union parliamentary group vice-chair Mathias Middelberg has warned the SPD against turning the planned income tax reform into a pure redistribution exercise. Such a reform would not help the economic recovery, the CDU politician told the German Press Agency.
Coalition Struggles Over Tax Reform: Relief for Normal Earners Planned
The German government is planning a tax reform aimed at relieving middle-income earners. According to the coalition agreement, those with small and medium incomes are to be relieved.
Greens Accuse German Government of Complicity in Heated Mood
At their party conference in Sassnitz, the Greens sharply criticized the black-red federal government and blamed it for the heated mood in the country.
Black-Red Coalition: Hot Phase for Reform Package Begins
The black-red coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD is entering a decisive week for its major reform package. The coalition committee is set to advance key projects on Wednesday.
Offenbach: New Coalition Reshuffles City Administration
The change at the top of Offenbach's city administration is complete. The new full-time municipal board is in place, as reported by the FAZ.
NS victims wait: Shame grows with each passing day
Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz promised a 'humanitarian gesture' for Polish Nazi victims – but nothing has happened. The federal government is exposing itself to a serious suspicion, the newspaper comments.
Coalition Leaders Discuss Reforms
The leaders of Germany's black-red coalition will meet at the Chancellery on Sunday to discuss fundamental reforms, according to ZDFheute.
Left slams capital pension – CDU defends reform
In a current affairs debate in the Bundestag, the Left Party sharply criticized the federal government's planned capital pension. The CDU defended the project.
Reform Offensive: Summer Fairy Tale or Hot Air?
The black-red coalition wants to push through several major reforms before the summer break—on pensions, health insurance, and long-term care. The author sees chances for a real breakthrough but warns of the sticking points.
German government educates about disinformation and shows countermeasures
The German government is informing on its website about disinformation, how it works, and the countermeasures being taken. Especially since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the targeted spread of false information has increased.
Disability Equality Act: Activists Demand More Obligations for Companies
The German government is planning a reform of the Disability Equality Act. Disability rights activists criticize that the draft contains hardly any binding requirements for the private sector.
Unions and Employers Consult with Head of Chancellery Frei
Representatives of unions and business associations are meeting with Head of the Chancellery Thorsten Frei (CDU) at the Chancellery on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the federal government's reform plans. Friedrich Merz (CDU) is not taking part in the meeting.
Daniel Günther Calls for Resignation of Left Party Co-Chair Pantisano
Schleswig-Holstein's Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) has demanded the resignation of Luigi Pantisano, the newly elected co-chair of the Left Party, after Pantisano compared the CDU to fascists in a newspaper interview.