Bild: Evil laughs (Daniela Klette) | Das Böse lacht (Daniela Klette)
FAZ: The new Bundestag elects Julia Klöckner as president | Der neue Bundestag wählt Julia Klöckner zur Präsidentin
Handelsblatt: The electric risk | Das Elektro-Risiko
RND: Safe Black Sea shipping: What Russia is demanding | Sichere Schwarzmeer-Schifffahrt: Welche Forderungen Russland stellt
SZ: Klöckner calls for respectful debates | Klöckner fordert respektvolle Debatten
Tagesspiegel: New Bundestag President Klöckner: „Optimism must sweep the country“ | Neue Bundestagspräsidentin Klöckner: „Optimimus-Ruck muss durchs Land gehen“
taz: The Merkel coalition | Die Merkl-Koalition
Welt: CDU politician Klöckner new Bundestag president | CDU-Politikerin Klöckner neue Bundestagspräsidentin
New Bundestag President Julia Klöckner calls for respectful debate in parliament: In her inaugural speech, she said that liberal democracy should not be taken for granted. It must be defended against all those who want to shake it to its very foundations. She pledged to ensure civilized cooperation in parliament. At the same time, Klöckner emphasized the crucial role of the Bundestag. She stressed that parliament is not a subordinate authority of the government that merely rubber stamps draft legislation. The job of MPs is to steer the government and not the other way around. She also called for greater efforts to get more women into politics. Klöckner criticized the current electoral law. A reform that significantly reduces the size of the Bundestag while remaining fair and comprehensible must be possible, she said. In this federal election, 23 first-vote winners were not able to enter the Bundestag. tagesschau.de, zeit.de, sueddeutsche.de, zdf.de
The oldest member of parliament, Gregor Gysi, opens the constituent session. In his speech, he addressed challenges such as the war in Ukraine and the reorganization of the European security architecture, and called for peace with less armament. He called on the new Bundestag to do more to promote a two-state solution in the Middle East conflict. Gysi proposed that „non-partisan committees“ be established for pensions, tax justice, health insurance and bureaucracy reduction; these should discuss „openly, honestly and without the public“ and present the results to the public afterwards. Gysi has proposed the end of the war and International Women’s Day as new national holidays. He also called on the future chancellor to apologize to the East Germans for mistakes made in the process of German reunification. „That would really help to bring about inner unity,“ he said. There was no applause from the CDU/CSU, little from the SPD and the Greens, only the Left Party was enthusiastic about their Gysi. zeit.de, tagesschau.de
CDU and SPD reaffirm desire to form government: CDU leader Friedrich Merz said he expects challenging talks. Money alone cannot solve the country’s problems. He called on the SPD to change direction in migration, economic and energy policy. CSU leader Markus Söder said in Munich that he firmly expects the black-red negotiations to be successful. Söder does not currently see any insurmountable hurdles. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil emphasized that everyone involved would have to pull themselves together and work constructively together after the tough election campaign. CDU deputy Karin Prien said she was optimistic after recent coalition talks. haz.de, zdf.de
- CDU and SPD apparently agree on tighter restrictions on migration and deportations; rejections at the border. zeit.de
- Unity in foreign policy. zdf.de
Israel demands release of hostages and threatens Hamas with complete destruction: If the radical Islamic Palestinian organization continues to refuse to hand over hostages, Israel will conquer territories and eliminate Hamas members, says Defense Minister Israel Katz. This will continue until the group is completely defeated. spiegel.de
Russia and Ukraine are ready for a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea and concerning energy infrastructure: The agreement is based on separate negotiations that both sides had with the US. The US government had previously announced that it would lift existing sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. The White House said it would continue to mediate between Russia and Ukraine with the aim of achieving a lasting peace. tagesspiegel.de, zdf.de, spiegel.de
RTL/ntv-Trendbarometer by Forsa: CDU/CSU 26 percent (-1), AfD 23 percent, SPD 15 percent (-1), Greens 12 percent, Left Party 10 percent (-1), BSW 4 percent (+1), FDP 4 percent, others 6 percent. n-tv.de
- Rejecting asylum seekers even against the will of neighboring European countries: 43 percent in favor, 51 percent against.
- Boris Pistorius is the favorite minister for Germans. n-tv.de
- Travel to the US even under Donald Trump: Yes 41 percent, No 43 percent, Generally no travel to the US 14 percent. n-tv.de
Bundeswehr admits difficulties in defending against spy drones: The troops have jammers and other tools, but it takes a certain amount of time for them to be ready for use. When doubts arise, the spy drone is gone before action is taken. A confidential paper from the Ministry of Defense stated that there were a total of around 630 drone sightings in the immediate vicinity of properties and military training areas of the Bundeswehr between 2021 and 2023. Only one drone was successfully repelled. In the recent past, drones have again been sighted more frequently around military installations. tagesspiegel.de
People in Germany are walking more often: According to the 2023 Mobility Study by the Ministry of Transport, a good quarter of all journeys were made on foot. This figure is 4 percentage points higher than in the previous survey in 2017. However, more than half of all journeys are still made by car, motorbike or other motorized vehicles. One reason for the decline in car use could be that fewer trips were taken overall and that fewer kilometers were traveled. Public transport and bicycle traffic remained relatively unchanged at just over 10 percent. However, the use of these means of transportation varies greatly between urban and rural areas. spiegel.de
Appeals for ambitious action in difficult times at the opening of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue: It is more urgent than ever to keep the 1.5-degree target from Paris in mind, especially because the headwind is noticeable, explained Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock; those who see climate protection as expensive or superfluous can’t count. Jennifer Morgan, the AA’s Special Envoy for International Climate Policy, also called for greater climate protection efforts. Representatives from around 40 countries are taking part in the two-day meeting. The aim of the consultations, which are taking place almost eight months before the UN conference in Belém, Brazil, is to inject new momentum into the international climate process. rp-online.de
Trial against former RAF terrorist Daniela Klette: The criminal proceedings against the 66-year-old have begun in Celle under strict security measures. The public prosecutor’s office accuses her of attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and armed robbery. The trial does not involve any terrorism-related charges. Klette called the proceedings politically motivated. She spoke of defamation and incitement against her and her two still-fugitive accomplices, Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub. Klette is considered a member of the third generation of the left-wing extremist Red Army Faction (RAF), which disbanded itself in 1998. The trial at the Verden District Court is taking place in the state security court of the Celle Higher Regional Court for security reasons. tagesspiegel.de, lto.de
More News:
- NRW: Dutch government discusses cross-border collaboration in cabinet. wdr.de
- Niedersachsen: Cabinet paves the way for changes to the Tariff Compliance Act. n-tv.de
- Saxony: Budget constraints force government to U-turn on border police promise. rnd.de
- Hessen: FDP proposes hardship clause for property tax. echo-online.de
- Bavaria: Agreement on relaxation of shop closing times moves closer. infranken.de
- Hessen: State parliament disagrees on best vote-counting method for local elections. n-tv.de
- Brandenburg: Summit held to reach agreement on costs for rescue trips. rbb24.de
- Bremen: Free tampons could become standard in secondary schools. butenunbinnen.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: FDP demands transparency in Northvolt funding. n-tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: Opposition demands presentation of the all-day framework concept. n-tv.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: More money for members of the state parliament; salaries to rise by 5.8 percent. ndr.de
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Tourism association under pressure; crisis talks. n-tv.de
EU Commission announces support for raw materials projects in Germany: Almost 50 projects in the EU are to be supported, three of them in Germany. The companies should benefit from faster approval procedures and easier access to capital. The German projects include the extraction and processing of lithium. At present, the EU is dependent on imports from China, among other countries, for many important raw materials. handelsblatt.com
Negotiators from the EU Parliament and EU states agree on new driving license rules: In the future, either a medical examination or a self-assessment must be presented when a driving license is issued in all EU states. The originally planned requirement for over-70s to renew their license every five years has been dropped. A standardized digital driver’s license for all EU citizens should be available by the end of 2030 at the latest. The new rules still have to be formally adopted by the member states and the EU Parliament before they can come into force. tagesschau.de, heise.de
Turkish government extends ban on assembly in Ankara until April 1: Due to the mass protests, this will remain in force until next Tuesday. The reason for the protests is the detention of the opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu. Despite the ban, tens of thousands demonstrated again on Tuesday for the seventh evening in a row; authorities have again arrested numerous people. Istanbul police used plastic bullets as well as tear gas against the protesters. More than 1,400 people have been arrested in connection with the demonstrations in recent days. Imamoglu is considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most important rival and is currently in pre-trial custody; he has been suspended from his post as mayor of Istanbul. He is facing allegations in connection with corruption and terrorism investigations. zdf.de, faz.net
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticizes US delegation’s trip to Greenland: The US is exerting unacceptable pressure on Greenland, Frederiksen said. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted claims to the island. US representatives are planning a delegation trip to Greenland on Thursday, including Vice President J.D. Vance will be there; the trip will be led by his wife, Usha Vance. The group will also include National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Energy Minister Chris Wright. Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute B. Egede had emphasized that there would be no official meetings with the members of the delegation. The integrity of Greenland and its democracy must be fully respected. spiegel. de, n-tv.de
US government is investigating a possible group-chat glitch in handling top-secret military planning. The trigger for this is a report by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who was added to an online group chat in which detailed plans for the subsequent attacks on the Houthi militia had been shared. Chat members included Vice President J.D. Vance, US President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said Goldberg’s information was likely authentic. Security adviser Mike Waltz has taken responsibility for the journalist gaining access to the group chat. web.de, faz.net
More news:
- Hungary: Thousands of people demonstrate in Budapest against the ban on Pride. zeit.de
- Austria: Family reunification for refugees will be limited rather than stopped. derstandard.de
- Austria: Former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser sentenced to four years in prison for embezzlement. tagesschau.de
- Denmark: Government announces compulsory military service for women from 2026. spiegel.de
- Belgium: Progress in the fight against corruption, according to the OECD. grenzecho.net
- Belgium: New Russian hacker attack. vrt.be
- North Macedonia: Anger after disco fire; when corruption costs lives. zdf.de
- Liechtenstein: Government wants to extend deadline for Radio Liechtenstein. vaterland.li
- Switzerland: Private radio station to show political ads. radio.li
- Spain: Mallorca is sending a cry for help to the government in Madrid due to housing shortages. lessentiel.lu
- France: Two aerobatic team planes crashed during an exercise; pilots were able to save themselves with the ejection seat. spiegel.de
- Switzerland: Former Fifa President Joseph Blatter and former Uefa President Michel Platini cleared of corruption charges. kicker.de
- Estonia: AI wins essay competition. faz.net
- Sudan: Hundreds of civilians killed in air strike on Tora market in North Darfur. spiegel.de
- Zimbabwe: Natural resources such as baobab and other plants are a potential source of income for small farmers and wild gatherers. zdf.de
- Iran: National football team has qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the USA. spiegel.de
Ifo business climate improves as expected: The Ifo Institute in Munich reported that the business climate index rose by 1.4 points to 86.7 points in March compared to the previous month. Both the manufacturing and service sectors, as well as trade and construction, assessed their situation somewhat more positively; however, expectations remain modest. zeit.de, n-tv.de
More news:
- Road construction sees strong growth: Construction industry starts the year with a significant increase in orders. n-tv.de
- Dramatic crash: Tesla sales have halved in the EU. zdf.de
- Lidl founder pitches startup plans: Dieter Schwarz wants to turn Heilbronn into a startup hotspot n-tv.de
- EU Environment Agency: Europeans are buying more clothes than ever faz.net
- German industry: European market can more than compensate for dwindling US exports zeit.de
- Ifo business climate: Optimism returns to boardrooms – The current business climate index rose to 86.7 points, up from an adjusted 85.3 points the previous month. In February, the leading indicator stagnated. tagesschau.de
- Why the Snap CEO is deliberately making new employees fail on their first day at work t3n.de
- Possible danger in Vienna: Van driver threatens to attack ORF station spiegel.de
- Dispute over unsubscribe button: Sky loses third court case golem.de
- Racism in the comment sections mmm.verdi.de
- Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal released after arrest wdr.de
- The Studio on Apple TV+: Seth Rogen on Hollywood sueddeutsche.de
- Crown Princess Mette-Marit has to cancel her visit to Leipzig book fair due to chronic illness promiflash.de
- Head of the Berlin Wall Museum: Berlin woman has her tenth child at the age of 66 spiegel.de
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- Protests in Australia: Brisbane to build new stadium for 2032 Olympics after all sportschau.de
- After concerns – Municipal council gives green light for Karlsruhe to host World Games kicker.de
- Fraud trial: Swiss court acquits Blatter and Platini for a second time zeit.de
- DFB women in the Nations League – Bayern jewel Kett set for debut: National coach Wück makes far-reaching decision n-tv.de
- Para Alpine Skiing: Anna-Lena Forster scores a double in the season finale – two World Cup victories in the slalom sportschau.de
- „Probably my proudest moment“: Darts star Nathan Aspinall gets emotional after winning title sport.de
In the ICE: Woman forgets 15,000 euros in pink neck pouch – but recovers it again after it’s handed in by an honest passenger welt.de