Bild: SPD wants much higher taxes | SPD will noch viel höhere Steuern
FAZ: Solidarity surcharge is constitutional | Solidaritätszuschlag ist verfassungskonform
Funke: BVG collective bargaining dispute: Majority want stricter rules for strikes | BVG-Tarifstreit: Mehrheit wünscht sich strengere Regeln für Streiks
Handelsblatt: Dax companies on record course | Dax-Konzerne auf Rekordkurs
RND: In the shadow of a possible peace with Ukraine: Is the „Moscow connection“ back again? | Im Schatten eines möglichen Friedens mit der Ukraine: Ist die „Moskau-Connection“ wieder da?
SZ: The solidarity tax remains | Der Soli bleibt
Tagesspiegel: Taxes, migration, military service: Merz and Klingbeil face tough talks | Steuern, Migration, Wehrpflicht: Merz und Klingbeil vor harten Gesprächen
taz: The world goes crazy, we read on | Die Welt dreht durch, wir lesen weiter
Welt: Constitutional Court ruling: Solidarity tax remains | Verfassungsgerichtsurteil: Solidaritätszuschlag bleibt
Open points in coalition negotiations: CDU, CSU and SPD want to continue their talks on Friday. After the conclusion of negotiations in 16 working groups, the party leaders want to discuss the remaining contentious issues. There are still widely differing views on migration, finance and social issues. The SPD is calling for a tightening of rent controls and a speed limit on highways. According to reports, the CDU and SPD are committed to strengthening electric mobility; it is unclear whether there should be purchase incentives and whether the incoming government will continue to support the EU-wide phase-out of combustion engines from 2035. There is broad agreement, for example, on the goal of developing Germany into a NATO hub and strengthening European security architecture. The parties want to avoid breaking up the railways, but a fundamental reform is on the cards. Rail infrastructure is to be comprehensively modernized. welt.de, spiegel.de
Thousands of Palestinians protest against the war: For the second day in a row, several thousand Palestinians took part in demonstrations in Gaza City, among other places, calling for an end to the war with Israel and calling on the Hamas terrorist group to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The protests were directed primarily against the leaders of Hamas abroad. Many demonstrators accuse them of not caring about the population of the Gaza Strip, which was largely destroyed in the war. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said that people have the right to demonstrate, but they should focus on the „criminal aggressor“ Israel. rainews.it, diepresse.com
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are preparing for a meeting: Representatives from around 20 countries are expected in Paris for the „coalition of the willing“ talks. After negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Russia and Ukraine agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire. Macron called on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire without „preconditions“; Russia had formulated new „conditions“ after promising a partial ceasefire in talks with the US, once again demonstrating its „will to war“. Macron announced new military aid for Ukraine worth two billion euros. zeit.de, zdf.de
YouGov Sunday poll: CDU/CSU 25 percent (-2.3), AfD 24 percent (+3.2), SPD 15 percent (-1.4), Greens 12 percent (+0.4), Left Party 10 percent (+1.2), BSW 5 percent, FDP 3 percent (-1.3), others 4 percent. (compared to the federal election) yougov.de
Federal Constitutional Court rejects complaint against solidarity surcharge: The supplementary tax can remain in its current form, Karlsruhe ruled, rejecting a complaint from six FDP politicians. The surcharge was introduced in 1995 to help cover the costs of German reunification and has been reformed several times since then. The court said that it is still not possible to determine whether this additional need has been eliminated. Speaking on DLF, FDP finance expert Florian Toncar called the decision a „warning“; the court had made it clear that the legislature could not simply let special levies like the solidarity tax continue. Trade associations are calling on the CDU and SPD to abolish the solidarity tax following the Karlsruhe ruling. lto.de, spiegel.de
Public debt rose in 2024: The federal government, states, municipalities and social security, including all extra budgets, had debts of 2,509 billion euros at the end of 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office; that is 2.6 percent more than at the end of 2023. The federal government’s debts alone were up 2.1 percent by the end of December. This was mostly due to the special fund earmarked for the Bundeswehr. handelsblatt.com
Germany to simplify procedure for returning Nazi-looted art: The federal states, municipal umbrella organizations and the federal government have agreed to set up an arbitration court. In the future, it should also be possible for one party to a dispute to appeal to it alone. Up to now, there has been an advisory commission that only convened when the current owner of a work of art and the heir of the former Nazi-era owner agreed to it. deutschlandfunkkultur.de
Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticizes US withdrawal from Paris climate accord: By disputing and ignoring the facts, the consequences of climate change will not disappear, said Scholz at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue. This also applies to the responsibility of the United States as the historically largest emitter of greenhouse gases. US President Donald Trump had ordered his country’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement shortly after his inauguration. faz.net, zdf.de
Memorial service for deceased CDU politician Bernhard Vogel: The states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia have commemorated the deceased CDU politician Vogel at a state memorial service in Mainz. Vogel was the only German politician to have served as the prime minister of two federal states: first in Rhineland-Palatinate and then in Thuringia after reunification. The head of the Rhineland-Palatinate government, Alexander Schweitzer, praised Vogel as an outstanding statesman and bridge-builder between East and West. Thuringia’s Prime Minister Mario Voigt called Vogel a politician of the century. mdr.de, n-tv.de
Large-scale raid against Eritrean group for acts of violence in Germany: Investigators have carried out raids against an Eritrean group in six federal states and in Denmark. The federal prosecutor’s office announced that the raids were carried out on suspicion of founding and membership of a domestic terrorist organization. The raids came in the wake of riots at an Eritrea festival in Giessen and at a seminar held by an Eritrean association in Stuttgart. The searches were directed against 17 people in leading positions in the so-called „Brigade N’Hamedu“. This is an internationally networked group that wants to overthrow the government in Eritrea. There were no arrests. tagesschau.de
More News:
- Hamburg: SPD politician Carola Veit re-elected President of the City Parliament. ndr.de
- Brandenburg: SPD Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke calls for rejections at the border. welt.de
- Brandenburg: State parliament takes a stand against right-wing extremism in schools. n-tv.de
- Hessen: Coalition drafts financial plans for 2025 based on the old debt brake. hessenschau.de
- Baden-Württemberg: Increasing number of children and young people carrying out knife attacks. faz.net
- Thuringia: BSW member of parliament Sigrid Hupach has had her immunity lifted; she is alleged to have driven a car into a flower pot in front of a citizens‘ advice bureau in Erfurt and then driven off.
- NRW: Parliament selects independent police commissioner. wdr.de
- Schleswig-Holstein: State politicians wrestle with investment strategy. n-tv.de
- Brandenburg: The state parliament unanimously calls for a VAT reduction for the hospitality industry during the crisis. tagesspiegel.de
- Thuringia: Blackberry coalition of CDU, BSW and SPD wants to create 166 new government jobs – despite budget constraints. n-tv.de
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Mayors sign letter to Prime Minister calling for less bureaucracy. ndr.de
- Saxony: AfD politician Alexander Wiesner recalled as chairman of the Committee for Constitutional Affairs, Justice and Europe. merkur.de
- Berlin: Oliver Nöll, the city councillor for social affairs in Berlin-Kreuzberg, voted out after defecting from the Left Party to join the SPD. tagesspiegel.de
- NRW: Housing market problems intensify. n-tv.de
- NRW: State government warns against „too high expections“ for the federal government’s investment package. n-tv.de
- Berlin: Warning strike by transport workers to run until Friday morning. rbb24.de
- Hessen: Parliament evacuated briefly due to technical fault; fire protection system activated. n-tv.de
- Bavaria: The Dietfurt Chinese Carnival becomes part of state’s intangible cultural heritage. sueddeutsche.de
EU presents strategy for preparing for war-related crises: Citizens should always have a minimum three-day supply of water, food and other essential goods in stock. The probability of a crisis caused by armed conflict, cyber attacks, natural disasters or epidemics is increasing, according to the „Strategy for preparing for war-related crises“. EU Resilience Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said that knowing what to do in an emergency also means avoiding panic. In addition, there should be a „national preparation day“ to raise people’s awareness of possible crisis situations. The EU also recommends that students regularly practice for an emergency in class. faz.net, handelsblatt.com, welt.de
Renewed protests against arrest of Erdogan rival Ekrem Imamoglu: Thousands of people in several Turkish cities have once again protested against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and CHP politician Imamoglu. The opposition called for a mass rally in Istanbul on Saturday. CHP leader Özgür Özel said the aim was to support Imamoglu, protest against his arrest and demand early elections. The Istanbul city council has appointed the current deputy mayor, Nuri Aslan, as acting mayor in place of Mayor Imamoglu. welt.de, spiegel.de, tagesspiegel.de
Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser wants to discuss the voluntary return of Syrians to their homeland while in Jordan: Faeser explained that for many people, the hope for peace after the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad is also linked to the hope of returning and rebuilding their country. Germany wants to continue its support for Jordan in receiving and caring for refugees, but at the same time also wants to discuss the possibilities of voluntary return to Syria. Faeser and Austria’s Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner are currently in Jordan’s capital Amman for talks. spiegel.de
„The Atlantic“ publishes chats of high-ranking government officials: The published screenshots of the entire chat history contain numerous details about the exact times of the attacks and the aircraft used. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth is said to have distributed them in the messenger service Signal in the run-up to the air strikes against the Houthi militia on March 15. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had apparently been added to the chat group by mistake. The magazine decided to publish the entire chat, after US President Donald Trump and other members of the administration had denied that confidential information had been exchanged in the chat. Trump adviser Elon Musk is also to be involved in clearing up the secret chat affair, the White House stated. Meanwhile, criticism has come from the ranks of Republicans. faz.net, tagesschau.de; faz.net (Musk)
More news:
- Armenia: Parliament votes by a large majority in favor of the EU accession process. dw.com
- Estonia: Parliament votes to abolish voting rights for the Russian minority in local elections; around 80,000 Russian citizens affected. zeit.de
- Moldova: Pro-Russian governor of Gagauzia Evghenia Gutul arrested for financial and electoral offenses. nau.ch
- Poland: Law restricting the right to asylum signed into law; migrants are only allowed to apply for asylum at the border in the event of an emergency and only if they have entered Poland legally. spiegel.de
- Denmark: US Vice President J.D. Vance only wants to visit US base in Greenland; Foreign Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the change of plan. zdf.de
- Greece: Diplomatic upset after anti-Turkish speech at military parade for national holiday. spiegel.de
- Lithuania: Authorities assume „human error“ in the crash of DHL aircraft at the end of November. stern.de
- Finland: New program aims to improve fitness of military conscripts. stern.de
- Belgium: Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt stops refugee resettlement program. grenzecho.net
- Sweden: 28 billion euros for military build-up. zeit.de
- Switzerland: Rich Americans are moving their assets to Switzerland. watson.ch
- Sudan: Army reports recapture of airport in capital Khartoum. spiegel.de
- Niger: Junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani is the new president; a new charter replaces the constitution. deutschlandfunk.de
- Somalia: US military has once again bombed positions of the terrorist militia IS. nau.ch
- Bangladesh: 800 torture sites of the former government found; interim head of government Muhammad Yunus accuses overthrown predecessor Sheikh Hasina of instigating a regime of fear. faz.net
- Thailand: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra survives a vote of no confidence based on accusations that she was influenced by her father, Thaksin Shinawatra. derstandard.de
Trade association calls for more leeway for Sunday opening hours: President Alexander von Preen told the Funke newspapers that municipalities and retailers should be able to decide this freely, for example, in consultation with their staff. Sundays open for business have so far been the exception and are regulated differently in the federal states. tagesschau.de
More news:
- Biontech co-founders Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin receive the German National Prize 2025. tagesschau.de
- Hamburger Hochbahn presents the first production-ready hydrogen bus. ndr.de
- Strike against counterfeiting gangs: Amazon takes millions of products off the market. n-tv.de
- DGUV survey: Stress at work is on the rise. handelsblatt.com
- Offices are being converted into apartments: „The overall potential is huge“ sueddeutsche.de
Leipzig Book Fair opens its doors to visitors: Until Sunday, more than 2,000 exhibitors from 45 countries will present their new publications. German Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth, said that the fair stands for something that should apply to cultural policy as a whole – namely, great diversity in order to appeal to a broad audience. tagesschau.de
More news:
- Berlusconi’s MFE announces takeover bid for ProSiebenSat.1. dwdl.de
- Offices are being converted into apartments: „The overall potential is huge“ sueddeutsche.de
- Job cuts, legal disputes and embarrassing mistakes – the crisis continues at RBB dwdl.de
- 2,040 exhibitors from 45 countries: Leipzig Book Fair begins in difficult times tagesschau.de
- Why Alice Merton is suing Kanye West musikexpress.de
- No spontaneous visits to son: Angelina Jolie not wanted in her New York apartment n-tv.de
- „We love you so much!“ Kai Havertz has become a father for the first time n-tv.de
- Olympics: Ski mountaineering – this sport has made it to the Olympics welt.de
- Alvarez opens early – Brazil beaten: Argentina sets a big exclamation mark behind the World Cup qualification with a 4:1 kicker.de
- Friendly relationship – Iran announces friendly against Russia right after qualifying for World Cup sportbuzzer.de
- Season finale in the Euroleague: Bayern Munich’s chances of making the playoffs are still very much alive sportschau.de
- Retrospective WCH gold possible for Wellinger after Norwegian ski suit scandal sportbuzzer.de
- Classic in France: Road World Champion Pogacar starts at Paris-Roubaix sportschau.de
GEZ: Dog to pay broadcasting license fee rnd.de