Bild: Kessler twins die together / Kessler-Zwillinge gemeinsam in den Tod
FAZ: JU leader refuses to back down in pension dispute / JU-Vorsitzender will im Rentenstreit nicht nachgeben
Funke: Merz rejects speculation about end of coalition / Merz weist Spekulationen über Ende der Koalition zurück
Handelsblatt: The pension rebellion / Die Renten-Rebellion
RND: Epstein files: Republicans force Trump into a 180-degree turn / Epstein-Akten: Republikaner zwingen Trump zu 180-Grad-Wende
SZ: Söder wants new pension negotiations / Söder will neue Verhandlungen bei Rente
Tagesspiegel: Merz increases pressure: Chancellor insists on pension package – and rules out minority government / Merz macht Druck: Kanzler beharrt auf Rentenpaket – und schließt Minderheitsregierung aus
taz: The CDU will do anything for pensions… by Friedrich Merz / Die Union tut alles für die Rente… von Friedrich Merz
Welt: New signals emerge in pension dispute / Jetzt kommen neue Signale im Rentenstreit
PENSION DEBATE
Chancellor Friedrich Merz firmly rejects speculation about a possible end to the black-red coalition due to the pension package dispute: At the *Süddeutsche Zeitung* economic summit, Merz reaffirmed that the alliance with the SPD will still exist in a year. Merz explicitly ruled out a minority government by the Union; media had previously reported that such a scenario was already being discussed within Union circles. Background: internal disagreements over the planned pension reforms.
sueddeutsche.de, handelsblatt.com, zdfheute.de
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for a swift agreement on the pension package by the end of the year so the planned „active pension“ can start in early 2026. He announced further talks in the coming days.
- Family Minister Karin Prien calls for postponing the vote on the pension package. She argues for fair solutions in parliament and stresses the need to focus more on intergenerational issues.
- CSU parliamentary secretary Reinhard Brandl rejects postponing the Bundestag vote on the pension package. He is counting on a compromise within the coalition, he told DLF, and warns against turning the decision into a risk for the governing alliance.
- Labour Minister Bas reaffirms the goal of continuing to link pensions to wage developments and rejects calls to tie them to inflation. The SPD wants to secure the pension level beyond 2031.
- Young Union politicians continue to insist on changes to the draft law. Young Group chairman Pascal Reddig told *Stern* that nothing had changed: they still consider the package in its current form unacceptable.
- The Left Party is considering supporting the coalition’s pension package. However, party leader Ines Schwerdtner made clear that a „yes“ is only possible if the reform is not watered down. n-tv.de
- The Greens announce they will reject the pension package. While they share the goal of a stable pension level, they criticise the lack of structural reforms and insufficient consideration for the younger generation.
GAZA
UN Security Council approves international stabilization force for Gaza: 13 members in New York voted in favor of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan; Russia and China abstained. The resolution provides for monitoring the ceasefire and a political transitional administration in Gaza. Several Arab states signaled willingness to send soldiers but demand a mandate based on the resolution. Hamas meanwhile declared it would not disarm and considers international troops a party to the conflict. faz.net, zdfheute.de, n-tv.de
- Germany lifts restrictions on arms exports to Israel after about three and a half months. The government cites the stable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas; exports will once again be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the move and urged other states to follow.
- Despite the ceasefire that has been in place for weeks, Israel’s army says it has killed two Palestinians in Gaza. The military stated they had crossed border markers and placed suspicious objects near Israeli positions; the remaining suspects fled.
- In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces sharp criticism over his plans for an investigative commission into the Hamas attacks of October 2023. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and civil society groups accuse him of preventing an independent inquiry by appointing the commission himself.
- In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to houses and cars belonging to Palestinian residents in a village. This followed clashes with security forces while settlers were defending an unauthorized outpost on a nearby hill.
UKRAINE
Ukraine plans to buy up to 100 Rafale fighter jets: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed in Paris on deeper security cooperation, including radar systems, drones, and the SAMP/T air-defense system. Zelensky stressed the agreement strengthens Ukraine’s defense capability against Russia. Macron reaffirmed French support for Kyiv and called for further EU aid as well as anti-corruption reforms. In late October, Ukraine signed a similar declaration with Sweden on a possible purchase of Gripen jets. tagesschau.de
- Kyiv is short more than 135 billion: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen moves Russian funds for Ukraine toward the finish line.
- The Kremlin sharply rejects statements by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius about possible Russian action against a NATO country. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow does not seek confrontation with the alliance and criticized the comments as war-promoting rhetoric by European politicians.
- US sanctions on the Russian oil industry have already led to a decline in state revenues in Russia, according to the US Treasury. Measures against Rosneft and Lukoil are also intended to reduce export volumes long-term and limit Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
- US President Donald Trump is open to new Russia sanctions currently being prepared in Congress. The measures would target companies doing business with Russia; Trump is also considering extending them to Iran.
- According to state Russian media, Russian troops are now present in six African states, including Mali, Niger, and Libya. Moscow says the deployment supports African governments in fighting jihadists but also uses the presence to expand its geopolitical influence westward.
GMS Sunday poll: CDU/CSU 25 percent (-1), AfD 26 percent (+1), SPD 14 percent (-1), Greens 12 percent (+1), Left Party 11 percent (+1), BSW 3 percent, FDP 3 percent, others 6 percent. (Compared to six weeks ago) gms-gmbh.com
Health Minister Nina Warken is open to a practice fee in the planned primary care system. The goal is to achieve effective management of healthcare services, easing the burden on specialists and shortening waiting times. Warken also floated the idea of offering a bonus for patients who rely exclusively on general practitioner care. The primary care system is anchored in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD and aims to channel access to specialists more strongly through GP practices. n-tv.de
Further reports:
- Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil sees a willingness to negotiate in China on access to raw materials.
- CDU/CSU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn on the firewall: „A human chain alone won’t bring down the AfD.“
- German Navy purchases weapons control and communication systems from Lockheed Martin.
- Illnesses on board: German Navy ship „Berlin“ stuck in Bermuda.
- Trade unions demand a seven percent wage increase for public-sector employees in the federal states.
- Government aircraft malfunction: Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer must abort flight to the U.S.
- BSW members met representatives of a Kremlin-linked network during a trip to Russia.
Federal Police provide update after station operations: During a nationwide security operation at 41 train stations, the Federal Police confiscated around 300 dangerous items over the weekend. According to the agency, more than 11,600 people were checked, leading to about 40 investigations into violent crimes and 140 cases under weapons legislation. Around 1,900 officers were deployed between Friday evening and early Sunday morning. The operation was part of an ongoing series of controls, most recently conducted in October with similar results. tagesschau.de
- The Police Union has called for an increase in station staff as well as the use of AI-supported video surveillance and better lighting. Train stations must not become places of fear, a GdP spokesperson told BR.
More news:
- Brandenburg: Minister-President Dietmar Woidke expects the coalition with the BSW to continue.
- Berlin: Interior Senator Iris Spranger wants to allow phone surveillance in cases of illegal weapons possession.
- Lower Saxony: AfD lawsuit against former Oldenburg police chief partially successful.
- North Rhine–Westphalia: Bad Salzuflen city council wants to remove AfD deputy mayor Sabine Reinknecht two weeks after her election.
- Berlin: SPD state executive Mehmed König leaves the party and attacks Martin Hikel.
- Bavaria: Court reviews cannabis ban in Munich’s English Garden.
- Hesse: Interior Minister Roman Poseck calls on the public to visit Christmas markets.
COP30
Germany announces new climate aid for particularly affected countries: Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said at the World Climate Conference in Belém that Germany will contribute 60 million euros to the Global Climate Adaptation Fund. The fund supports countries heavily affected by the consequences of climate change and is anchored in the Paris Climate Agreement. Schneider emphasized that international cooperation is essential to prevent hunger and poverty caused by climate impacts. Germany is maintaining its financial support for affected states, while its contribution to the new rainforest protection fund remains open. zdfheute.de
EUROPE + WORLD
EU Commission sees slightly stronger upswing for Germany: In its autumn forecast, the Commission expects German GDP to grow by 0.2 percent this year and by 1.2 percent in 2026; Germany remains slightly below the EU average of 1.4 percent. For the eurozone overall, the Commission expects growth of 1.2 percent in 2025 and 1.3 percent in 2026. The customs agreement with the U.S. concluded in summer has improved the economic outlook, it says, but the EU remains vulnerable to trade risks. spiegel.de
EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius warns of shortcomings in drone defense: Europe is not prepared for a potential drone attack from Russia. Only after more than two years has the EU realized that it can neither reliably detect nor cost-effectively counter Russian drones. Kubilius urged integrating Ukraine, as a battle-tested partner, more deeply into Europe’s defense architecture. Only then can the EU significantly strengthen its defensive capabilities against Russia. tagesspiegel.de
- EU Commissioner Kaja Kallas in an interview: „We are getting closer to our goal that Putin must give up.“
- Summit for more sovereignty: Digital dependence on the U.S. is a threat to Europe.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizes the financial regulation of banks in Europe as too strict.
- EU foreign policy: secret arrangements via Signal chats.
- Slovak PM Robert Fico considers forming a new „Friends of Peace“ group in the EU Parliament.
- EU states push back against fast-track approvals for arms factories.
- Data protection reform: EU states agree on faster GDPR enforcement.
- Health authorities warn: Europe is testing too little for HIV and hepatitis.
Protests in Prague and Bratislava against political course changes: On the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, tens of thousands demonstrated in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia against their respective governments. In Prague, protests targeted election winner Andrej Babiš, who opponents accuse of ties to mafia structures. In Bratislava, demonstrators demanded the resignation of left-nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico and more solidarity with Ukraine. The protests in both countries highlighted concerns about democratic standards and political independence in the region.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urges Western Balkan states to accelerate reforms for EU accession: In Belgrade, Wadephul met President Aleksandar Vučić, who highlighted cooperation with Germany on energy and infrastructure projects while maintaining Serbia’s close ties to Russia and China. In Montenegro, Wadephul praised significant progress and said EU accession in the coming years is achievable if reforms continue. Germany wants to support the candidate countries, Wadephul emphasized, but responsibility ultimately lies with the states themselves. derstandard.de, tagesschau.de
Schwarz Group launches multi-billion investment in AI data center in the Spreewald: Construction has begun in Lübbenau on an €11 billion data center, the largest single project in the company’s history. The center will primarily be used for AI training capacities and is scheduled to complete its first construction phase by the end of 2027. Board member Christian Müller emphasizes the strategic importance of the investment for the company’s digital division. Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger underlined the need for high-performance data centers to secure Germany’s position in the international AI competition. faz.net, n-tv.de
Further news:
- Google denies liability for AI-generated false statements.
- Significant regional differences in nursing home costs.
- Number of homeless people in Germany rises to a record high of more than one million; number of people living on the streets increases to 56,000.
- Siemens Healthineers presents new growth targets.
- Roland Berger and Ralf Schmitz — top restructuring experts join forces.
- Farmers’ association warns of price dumping on milk and dairy products in supermarkets.
- Bach Archive Leipzig identifies two previously unattributed organ works as early compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.
In Germany, nothing says “I trust you” like handing someone your empty glass bottle. Thanks to the Pfand system, giving your empties to a friend, a stranger, or the guy waiting at the U-Bahn isn’t just recycling — it’s a tiny act of social solidarity. Your bottle might fund someone’s morning coffee, their bus ride, or their weekend beer run. In Berlin, even trash has a social life.