Political news, decisions and debates from Germany, Europe and the world, reported with clear source attribution.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) has sharply criticized the federal government's planned nursing care reforms, calling them 'inhumane.' She announced she would not agree to the proposals by Nina Warken (CDU).
The AfD has unveiled plans for a comprehensive administrative overhaul in Saxony-Anhalt. Sven Schulze sharply criticized these proposals.
Brandenburg state parliament on Tuesday remembered the East German uprising of June 17, 1953. Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke (SPD) and Dietmar Woidke (SPD) called for the defense of freedom and democracy.
SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has sharply criticized former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück's considerations of possible cooperation with the AfD. According to 'Spiegel', Klüssendorf sees 'no basis' for such a move.
Germany and Poland plan to sign a defense agreement on June 17, announced German Ambassador to Miguel Berger at the Impact'26 conference in Poznań, as reported by Polish news agency PAP.
The German government has drafted a text for a Bundestag mandate to participate in an international military mission in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Spiegel. A decision could come as early as next week.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has rejected criticism of the deportations to Afghanistan, calling them part of German migration policy.
SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has dampened hopes for a comprehensive reform package from the federal government before the summer break, speaking on Deutschlandfunk.
The European Union has tightened its sanctions against Russia. According to Deutschlandfunk, the EU foreign ministers agreed on new measures targeting Russia's war economy during a meeting in Brussels.
At the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, host Emmanuel Macron is courting US Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected.
In 1950, a millionaire and a communist both thought the allowances were too high – a rare alliance. Today, MPs are forgoing a raise, as FAZ reports.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has promised US Donald Trump that Germany will take part in a protection mission off Iran. According to Spiegel, two German navy ships are awaiting deployment for mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz.
The women's rights organization medica mondiale is calling on the German government to make combating sexualized violence in war a political priority. The appeal comes against the backdrop of a rising number of wars worldwide.
The Interior Ministers' Conference (IMK) in Hamburg will now also involve the Defense Ministry, as Die Zeit reports. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is expected on Friday to discuss civil defense capabilities and hybrid threats.
Katrin Staffler, the German government's care commissioner, opposes scrapping the 100,000-euro income threshold for children of nursing home residents, reports Deutschlandfunk.
The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of AfD lawmaker Lars Haise. According to Spiegel, the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office has applied for a penal order against Haise on suspicion of copyright infringement.
The Left Party has warned against cuts to the welfare state and called for further protests. According to Zeit, party leaders Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken sharply criticized the federal government's pension commission.
Three months before the Berlin state election, the CDU leads in a poll while the SPD falls to fifth place. The current black-red coalition would lose its majority, according to a Civey survey.
The coalition's promised Bafög reform is unlikely to materialize. Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) has given up hope – and faces sharp criticism from SZ readers.
Union politician Günter Krings calls on the SPD to implement the agreed reform of the Working Hours Act. "Contracts that you sign should be kept," Krings told WELT TV.
The black-red coalition is divided over whether to abolish the 100,000-euro income threshold that currently protects children of people in need of care from financial liability.
The number of asylum applications in Germany has plummeted by 52 percent year-on-year – almost twice the EU average. For the first time since 2011, the country has slipped behind Spain, France, and Italy to fourth place among destination countries.
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) wants to prevent far-right extremists from influencing the judiciary through the election of lay judges. Honorary lay judges would in future have to explicitly commit to upholding the constitution, as reported by Tagesspiegel.
The CDU's Seniors' Union has made clear that the upcoming pension reform is of central importance for the stability of the governing coalition. Hubert Hüppe, chairman of the Seniors' Union, also called for painful cuts to civil servant pensions.
A photo of CDU parliamentary group leader Guido Heuer and AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund is causing a stir in the state election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt. The CDU speaks of a confrontational situation, but a video fuels doubts about this portrayal.
Karl-Josef Laumann, labor minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, has announced he will quit the CDU if the party cooperates with the far-right AfD.
The Frankfurt Greens approved the coalition agreement with the CDU, SPD, and Volt with 80 percent of the vote at their party conference. According to FAZ, nearly 200 members debated for four and a half hours, mainly over the loss of the mobility department.
Months before the Berlin election, the fronts in the housing election campaign are hardening. The Left and Greens are demanding housing expropriation and strict rent caps, as reported by Welt.
Daniel Peters, the CDU's top candidate in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, has not ruled out forming a minority government after the state election in September, citing Scandinavian examples.
Friedrich Merz (CDU) attended a public oath-taking ceremony of more than 100 Bundeswehr recruits in Medebach, Sauerland, on Saturday and praised the role of the armed forces.
The CDU in Saxony-Anhalt has unanimously adopted its election program for the state election in September at its party congress in Dessau-Roßlau. Top candidate Sven Schulze focuses on migration, the economy, and internal security, as reported by MDR.
Luigi Pantisano, deputy parliamentary group leader of the Left Party, is running for co-chairmanship next weekend. He hopes for broad support and wants to anchor the party more strongly in the workplace.
Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn is calling on the SPD to implement the planned working time reform. After the economic summit at the Chancellery, he emphasizes the need for more flexibility in weekly working hours.
Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (Greens) sees the black-red federal government in a crisis of trust. In an interview with dpa, he calls for a major joint project to restore Germany's competitiveness.
Kurt Beck, former SPD chairman, sees alarming parallels to the Weimar Republic in the context of the AfD's rise. He calls for a debate on the value of democracy and the threats posed by extreme political currents.
The Conference of Justice Ministers has spoken out in favor of better protection for local politicians against insults. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) supports a restriction of Section 188 of the Criminal Code.
Left-wing MP Becker has criticized a lack of transparency in the Bundeswehr's personnel planning, questioning the planned increase to 260,000 soldiers, as reported by Deutschlandfunk.
Friedrich Merz warned of hybrid attacks and demanded a faster strengthening of the Bundeswehr during a recruit swearing-in ceremony in Medebach on Saturday.
Former German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück (SPD) advocates for a new approach to the AfD. Instead of a ban procedure, he relies on a strategy of deradicalization and tougher measures against individual actors.
The German military is training on the Pabradė training ground in Lithuania with drones, tanks, and electronic warfare. According to Zeit, the Brigade is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027, permanently stationing 5,000 soldiers abroad.