Bild: New scandal over Bürgergeld revealed | Neuer Skandal ums Bürgergeld enthüllt
FAZ: Trump wants to talk to Putin about „land“ and „power plants“ | Trump will mit Putin über „Land“ und „Kraftwerke“ sprechen
Funke: Dissidents want to stop financial package in the Bundestag | Abweichler wollen Finanzpaket im Bundestag stoppen
Handelsblatt: Audi cuts 7,500 jobs | Audi streicht 7500 Stellen
RND: Only a third women, hardly any young people: Who is negotiating Germany’s future | Nur ein Drittel Frauen, kaum junge Menschen: Wer Deutschlands Zukunft verhandelt
SZ: „Coalition of the willing“ is growing | „Koalition der Willigen“ wächst
Tagesspiegel: Bundestag decides on new mountain of debt | Bundestag entscheidet über neuen Schuldenberg
taz: The last one to leave, turn off the light (FDP) | Der Nächste macht das Licht aus (FDP)
Welt: Vote on new debt will be a nail-biter | Abstimmung über neue Schulden wird zur Zitterpartie
Federal Constitutional Court rejects urgent applications against vote on debt package: Karlsruhe justified its decision by weighing up the consequences, according to which the reasons for such an interim order do not prevail. Several MPs had argued that the consultation period for the hundred-billion-euro debt package was insufficient. Whether the course of the proceedings actually violated the rights of the members of parliament is something the constitutional court wants to clarify at a later date. lto.de, spiegel.de, welt.de
CDU/CSU and SPD seek necessary two-thirds majority in Bundestag: There are members of parliament in the parliamentary groups of the CDU/CSU, SPD and Greens who do not want to vote in favor of the planned changes to the German constitution. Friedrich Merz, the parliamentary leader of the CDU/CSU, has admitted that it will be a close call to achieve the required two-thirds majority. Several members of their own ranks have expressed reservations about the proposed legislation or have already declared their opposition. The vote in the Bundestag is scheduled for Tuesday morning; the Bundesrat will decide on Friday. tagesschau.de
Friedrich Merz puts the brakes on expectations of a swiftly formed government: So far, Merz has been pushing for the government to be in place by Easter. But because there are a lot of contentious issues, thoroughness takes precedence over speed, Merz explained; he would rather negotiate for an extra week than have a coalition agreement that leaves too many questions unanswered. Merz expects long negotiations with the SPD about a coalition agreement that will also involve tough cuts. The need for savings in the coming budgets will not be reduced by the decisions on the financial package, but will in fact increase in the long term, according to Merz. n-tv.de
Israel launches new attacks against Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip despite ceasefire: Israel’s army has resumed massive attacks on the Islamist Hamas in the coastal area. In agreement with the political leadership, the army is carrying out extensive attacks on the terrorist organization’s positions, the military announced on Monday night. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the army had been ordered to take strong action against the terrorist organization Hamas, justified, among other things, by the lack of progress in the mediation talks. Hamas described Israel’s action as a violation of the ceasefire agreements. rnd.de, tagesspiegel.de
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will talk on the phone on Tuesday. The Kremlin has confirmed a phone call; preparations are being made, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. No information was provided on the content of the conversation. Trump had previously said that the conversation would focus on details of a possible end to the war in Ukraine. He spoke of the „distribution of certain assets“ between the two sides, such as land or power plants. The White House is confident that the planned phone call between President Donald Trump and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin will bring Russia closer to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. zdf.de, handelsblatt.com, tagesschau.de
Bild Sunday Trend by Insa: CDU/CSU 29 percent (+0.5), AfD 22 percent, SPD 15.5 percent (-1), Greens 11 percent (+0.5), Left Party 10.5 percent, BSW 5 percent (+0.5), FDP 3 percent (-0.5), others 4 percent. bild.de
Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser calls for tougher action on violence against women after the crime in Gera: Statistically, a woman is the victim of an attempted murder almost every day in Germany. Former Prime Minister of Thuringia Bodo Ramelow called for femicides to be named as such and for a legal right to help to be finally implemented. Katrin Göring-Eckardt, deputy speaker of the Bundestag, wrote on Twitter that the Gera attack was not an isolated incident, but part of a systematic problem. tagesschau.de
According to a Bertelsmann study, the Bürgergeld reform should also include the administration of the job centers: The study showed that less and less money is being spent on employment promotion and more and more money on administrative tasks. According to the study, administrative costs have increased by an average of 39 percent to 6.5 billion euros over the past ten years, partly due to rising salaries. Expenditure on support for recipients of the Bürgergeld remained at 3.8 billion euros over the same period. morgenpost.de, zdf.de
Public prosecutor rejects dismissal of proceedings against Querdenken movement founder Michael Ballweg on grounds of insignificance: A conviction of Ballweg is likely, the prosecutors explained. The presiding judge at the regional court had proposed the dismissal of the proceedings on grounds of insignificance. Ballweg is said to have raised more than a million euros through public appeals, but to have deceived thousands of donors about the use of the funds. His lawyers have always rejected the accusations. zdf.de
More Germany News:
- Hamburg: Red-Green exploratory talks to continue midweek. n-tv.de
- Brandenburg: Health Minister Britta Müller presents roadmap for hospital reform. tagesspiegel.de
- Bavaria: State media funding is slow to reach schools in Augsburg. augsburger-allgemeine.de
- Baden-Württemberg: Dismissed Hessian state secretary Lamia Messari-Becker moves to Karlsruhe University. zeit.de
- Hessen: Frankfurt’s Kulturcampus is coming, but in a smaller form. faz.net
- Saxony: Right-wing extremist Finley P. back in custody in Görlitz. mdr.de
Aid pledges in the billions at Syria donor conference: Of the 5.8 billion euros, 4.2 billion is given as grants and 1.6 billion euros as loans, EU Commissioner Dubravka Šuica announced in Brussels. According to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU will provide almost 2.5 billion euros. Germany pledged an additional 300 million euros in aid. The United States made no specific commitments at the meeting in Brussels. faz.net, n-tv.de, zdf.de
EU Commission criticizes US announcement to cut funding for foreign broadcasters such as Voice of America or Radio Liberty: The decision carries the risk of playing into the hands of common enemies, the EU Commission said; the EU cannot financially support everything. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says the foreign broadcaster Radio Free Europe, which is also affected, is a beacon of freedom. A possible European solution is now being discussed. Peter Limbourg, the director of Deutsche Welle, believes that Europe has a duty to ensure press freedom worldwide. He said that US President Trump’s plan is a blow to all those who support independent journalism; the US government is opening the floodgates to disinformation and propaganda and strengthening autocracies. faz.net
Over 90 industry associations and companies in the EU are calling for sovereign wealth funds to invest in key technologies: In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, they call for the construction of computer chips or data lines to be promoted, as should the development of online platforms or artificial intelligence. In view of geopolitical developments, Europe must become more technologically independent at all levels of its critical digital infrastructure. Europe’s current multiple dependencies create security risks and endanger both sovereignty and economic growth. heise.de
Migrants die or go missing after boat accident southeast of Cyprus: Two people have been rescued, the island’s radio reported. More than ten are still missing. A large-scale rescue operation is underway. According to initial findings, the boat came from Syria. The circumstances of the accident are still unclear. n-tv.de
Hungarian parliament to vote on banning Pride parades: A majority in favor of the ban is considered a sure thing, as the right-wing populist government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has a two-thirds majority. Orban had already announced the ban in February. Hungary’s government has already restricted access to information about non-heterosexual orientations and banned any kind of advertising in which homosexuals or trans people appear as part of normality. web.de, tagesschau.de
Riots in small town of Kocani in North Macedonia after fire in nightclub kills 59: Demonstrators demolished a café that is said to belong to the owner of the burnt-down club. According to the interior ministry, the club had no operating license. Hundreds of people also gathered in front of city hall. The mayor of Kocani announced his resignation. A seven-day period of national mourning has been in effect in North Macedonia since Monday. faz.net, spiegel.de, zdf.de
M23 rebel militia in Congo cancels participation in peace negotiations: The reason given was the latest EU sanctions against members of the group; in addition, the Congolese military has not ceased hostilities in the east of the country as agreed. The negotiations were scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Angola’s capital, Luanda. Angola is acting as a mediator in the conflict. On Monday, the EU imposed punitive measures on high-ranking representatives of the M23 militia and sanctions on Rwanda. Rwanda is accused of supporting the rebel group with soldiers and weapons. zeit.de (cancellation); zeit.de (sanctions)
US President Donald Trump threatens Joe Biden with pardons with investigations: Trump claimed on his platform Truth-Social without presenting any evidence, among other things, that Biden did not sign the relevant decrees himself, but used a mechanical signature aid. The pardons are therefore null and void. The people concerned would have to expect investigations at the highest level. Shortly before the end of his term, Biden had pardoned several of Trump’s critics as a precaution, including all members of the committee investigating the storming of the Capitol in 2021. The move was intended to prevent the future administration from launching politically motivated investigations. The use of mechanical signature aids by U.S. presidents is common practice; there is also no constitutional basis for reversing a predecessor’s pardons. rnd.de, spiegel.de, n-tv.de
More news:
- Finland: Helsinki is radically cutting social benefits; pressure on the unemployed and migrants is increasing. welt.de
- France: Start of new nuclear power plants postponed by several years; cost plan by the end of the year. n-tv.de
- Lithuania: Investigators blame Russia for attack on Ikea store in Vilnius. spiegel.de
- Sweden: Strict prosecution of brutal youth crime. faz.net
- Great Britain: Plastic debris in the water and on land after a ship collision in the North Sea. spiegel.de
- France: Submarine turbines in Normandy are to generate electricity from the tides. heise.de
- Switzerland: National Council vetoes class actions. srf.ch
- Iran: Reformist politician Mehdi Karroubi is to be released from house arrest after 14 years. faz.net
Ifo and OECD lower economic forecast for Germany:
- For this year, economic researchers at the Ifo Institute are now only expecting gross domestic product to grow by 0.2 percent. Previously, they had expected an increase of 0.4 percent. Among other things, political uncertainties in Germany and the US are creating significant risks. For 2026, economists expect stronger economic growth of 0.8 percent again. t-online.de
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has reduced its growth forecast for the German economy to 0.4 percent. Only Mexico is doing worse within the group of the 20 most important industrial and emerging market economies. tagesschau.de
Wage talks for federal and municipal governments fail: Unions and employers were unable to agree on a conclusion in the third round in Potsdam, said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser; now arbitration is to be called upon. Verdi leader Frank Werneke accused the employers of a lack of willingness to compromise. Verdi and the civil servants‘ association are demanding eight percent more pay for the 2.5 million employees, but at least 350 euros more per month. It was recently reported that the federal government and local authorities had offered a 5.5 percent increase in wages, a higher 13th month’s salary and improved shift allowances. spiegel.de, zdf.de, faz.net
More news:
- Audi will cut 7,500 jobs and reduce bonuses. infranken.de
- New bank loans should simplify Baywa restructuring. tagesspiegel.de
- Software maker SAP introduces headnotes for employees. handelsblatt.com
- Astrazeneca wants to take over Esobiotec for cell therapy development. n-tv.de
- Number of start-ups has increased. zeit.de
- AI brings growth to the economy, but no „productivity miracle“. n-tv.de
- Alphabet apparently offers $33 billion for Wiz. handelsblatt.com
- People in Germany suffer from tooth decay and tooth loss less often. n-tv.de
- US free TV channel comes to an end: The world’s dictators rejoice faz.net
- Comedian Conan O“Brien will host the Oscars again in 2026 web.de
- Kennedy Center: A culture of grace in Trump’s zeit.de
- Symbol of reconstruction: Oberursel commemorates the 50-pfennig woman with 1000 Oaks monopol-magazin.de
- „Der Friedensreiter“: A silent film from 1918 is being shown in Münster that was thought to have been lost for decades. wdr.de
- Oprah Winfrey gives fashion tips: „I assure you: There is no such thing as too comfortable“ faz.net
- Until Tuesday: Court orders publication of Harry’s visa documents rnd.de
- Wife of the deceased real estate king: Nathalie Benko is apparently filing for divorce manager-magazin.de
- Worsening eyesight – major concern for Elton John: Can he hardly sign his name anymore? web.de
From Baghdad to Berlin: Journey, Friendship, and Germany’s Challenges
In the latest episode of Plus Forty Nine, we talk to DJ Tofee and his German friend Oliver. Tofee came to Germany from Iraq, built a new life here, and learned German so well that he now relies entirely on the language in his daily life. Since he doesn’t speak English, Oliver takes on the role of translator, giving us insights into Tofee’s story, the challenges of his journey, and the friendship that connects them. We also take a look at the ongoing coalition negotiations in Germany and what the planned stricter border controls could mean for expats. Additionally, we discuss the wave of strikes currently affecting daily life for many people and explore why Germans drive the way they do.
- IOC recommendation: Olympics 2028 – boxing should return to Los Angeles sportschau.de
- Farewell to the IOC: Power seeker Thomas Bach in the shadow of Putin – Under his leadership, the IOC has made a great deal of money. At the same time, it lost an invaluable asset in dealing with Russia’s unscrupulous machinations in world sport. faz.net
- Quarter-final clash in the Nations League – „Half a Roman“ Völler warns of Italy: „A tough nut to crack“ sportbuzzer.de
- Bayern: Scouting at the competition? Kompany undertakes surprising business trip – sat in the Prinzenpark in Paris on Sunday for the PSG game sport.de
- Collapse in the League Cup: Liverpool gamble away another title sport.de
- Two debutants: Argentina without Messi against Brazil kicker.de
- World Cup final: farewell to the Bö brothers – „biathlon will be different“ sportschau.de
Hiking in Ireland: St. Patrick’s Way is a quiet alternative for pilgrims welt.de