Bild: Gil Ofarim to join the jungle camp / Gil Ofarim ins Dschungelcamp
FAZ: Spahn and Miersch signal a second pension package / Spahn und Miersch stellen zweites Rentenpaket in Aussicht
Funke: Berlin’s mid-sized businesses increase pressure on the Senate / Berliner Mittelstand erhöht Druck auf den Senat
Handelsblatt: AfD divides the business community / AfD spaltet die Wirtschaft
RND: Death toll from fire in Hong Kong high-rise complex rises to over 40 – hundreds missing / Zahl der Toten bei Brand in Hongkonger Hochhauskomplex auf mehr als 40 gestiegen – Hunderte Vermisste
SZ: Outrage over Witkoff phone call / Empörung über Witkoff-Telefonat
Tagesspiegel: Leaked phone call between Witkoff and the Kremlin: Trump defends US envoy / Geleaktes Telefonat zwischen Witkoff und Kreml: Trump nimmt US-Gesandten in Schutz
taz: Arriving in work / Ankommen in Arbeit
Welt: Monetary Fund warns Germans against complacency / Währungsfonds warnt Deutsche vor Selbstgefälligkeit
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is pushing for a tougher EU line toward Moscow: She advocated for new sanctions to strip Russia of further resources for the war and to flank the ongoing U.S. initiative for ending the war in Ukraine with increased pressure. At the same time, support for Kyiv must be expanded both militarily and financially, she said after a video conference with EU foreign ministers. Kallas stressed that any future agreement would only be viable if Russia made substantial concessions, such as on troop numbers and military spending. There are currently no signs from Moscow of any willingness for a ceasefire, she said. stern.de
- Sweden is calling on the EU for a 20th sanctions package against Russia, primarily aimed at further curbing the Kremlin’s energy revenues. Foreign Minister Malmer Stenergard emphasized that Russian energy income is the main source of financing for the war and therefore must be hit particularly hard. She is also advocating for additional U.S. sanctions on the Kremlin.
- The EU welcomes the U.S. peace initiative for Ukraine but sees further need for action. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that a just and lasting peace, as well as security for Ukraine and Europe, must remain the goal. Undermining borders must not be legitimized, as this would open the door to further conflicts. tagesschau.de
- Ukraine’s ambassador Oleksiy Makeiev praised the U.S. initiative on Deutschlandfunk, adding that it was good that Ukraine’s supporting countries were recently at the negotiating table in Geneva. This resulted in a framework document that takes Ukrainian and European interests into account.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns against a peace of capitulation and one-sided concessions to Russia. He emphasized that Ukraine must continue to have strong armed forces and security guarantees. Decisions about Europe’s future must not be made over the heads of the affected states.
Haushalt
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling for patience regarding his reform course: He has announced further profound reforms while warning against excessive expectations. Germany faces complex challenges that do not allow simple solutions. He ruled out a course correction and emphasized that the government is sticking to its chosen path. The priority remains strengthening the competitiveness of the economy, for which the CDU/CSU and SPD have already initiated key measures. Opposition parties used the general debate on the chancellor’s budget to criticize the government. sueddeutsche.de, zeit.de, zdfheute.de
- AfD leader Alice Weidel sees the black-red government in an existential crisis and compared it to a sinking ship during the budget debate. She called for an end to the energy transition, tougher rules in social and migration policy, and imports of Russian oil and natural gas.
- The Greens attested to a rapid loss of trust in the government and criticized especially setbacks in climate policy. Parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann pointed to significant deficits in the climate policy course.
- The Left accuses the government of pursuing budget policies that favor a massive redistribution from the bottom up. The black-red coalition has set the wrong priorities for the budget.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees Germany and Europe under pressure: Given the changing U.S. role in the Ukraine war, Europe is forced to redefine its international role and take more responsibility for its own defense. In the budget debate, he stressed that the geopolitical landscape is shifting at unprecedented speed and the goal must be to make NATO significantly more European. He sees the defense budget rising to 108 billion euros as proof of the seriousness of this course and as a contribution to planning security for the Bundeswehr. tagesschau.de
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for a unified European position in the Ukraine war: Decisions about Europe’s own security must be made in Europe, Wadephul said, referring to the U.S. peace plan. It is crucial for Europe that all questions affecting its own security be decided by Europeans themselves. At the same time, he expressed concern about cuts in humanitarian aid in his ministry and suggested reconsidering these in the future. While the SPD emphasized Germany’s reliability, the Greens accused the coalition of lacking credibility. stern.de, web.de
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announces the admission of more Afghans with approval: After a positive security check, particularly those 1,200 Afghans currently in Pakistan who already hold approval will be allowed to enter. For another roughly 700 at-risk individuals without legally binding approval, chances of admission are slim, according to the Interior Ministry. The background is the new government’s decision to partially resume the previously halted admission process. faz.net, tagesschau.de
CSU leader Markus Söder is urging the coalition to reach a quick agreement in the pension dispute: The negotiating positions of CDU, CSU and SPD are deeply entrenched, restricting the room for compromise, Söder said on ZDF. He warned against further delays and emphasized the legitimate concerns of younger generations regarding long-term predictability of pension levels starting in 2031. zdfheute.de
- Union lawmakers around the Junge Gruppe continue to threaten to withhold support for the pension package. Pascal Reddig is demanding that the vote be postponed to April in order to first wait for recommendations from the pension commission. tagesspiegel.de
- Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn is calling for a second pension package to ensure the long-term stability of old-age security. The current law includes first reform steps but is not enough, according to Spahn. Therefore, a pension commission will be established this year so that the coalition can begin a comprehensive „pension package two“ by mid-2026.
- SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch categorically rejects any cuts to the planned 48 percent pension level guarantee. He refers to the lifetime achievements of contributors and their personal stakes.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announces a letter to the EU regarding Germany’s position on the combustion engine phaseout: After the coalition committee agreed on a position on Thursday, Merz intends to send Germany’s stance directly to the EU Commission president and the EU Council president. According to Merz, the coalition wants a broad relaxation of the ban and to adopt the stance of the state premiers. This would allow new registrations of combustion engines even after 2035 if they run on climate-friendly fuels. welt.de, tagesspiegel.de
Germany increases its ESA contribution to five billion euros: Research Minister Dorothee Bär announced that the funds will primarily go to satellite communications, Earth observation, and navigation. Germany has traditionally been one of the largest contributors to the ESA budget. At the ESA ministerial meeting in Bremen, member states are discussing Europe’s future role in space and funding for the next three years. ESA chief Josef Aschbacher is pushing for higher investments to prevent Europe from falling behind technologically. zeit.de, faz.net
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warns against the rise of anti-democratic forces: Populists are achieving electoral successes and participating in governments, putting core elements of liberal democracy—such as an independent judiciary, press freedom, and social diversity—under pressure, he said before the Spanish parliament in Madrid. The appeal of seemingly simple answers is growing, particularly among young people. He also stressed that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine threatens the foundations of democracy and freedom in Europe from the outside. web.de
Further reports:
- Housing Minister Verena Hubertz on state support for housing projects: „Those who apply quickly will benefit.“ handelsblatt.com
- CSU leader Markus Söder wants to extend EV subsidies to hybrid cars. handelsblatt.com
- Police union warns of a challenging New Year’s Eve: too few officers, growing readiness for violence, increasingly dangerous explosives. welt.de
- Poll on the black-red coalition: a majority of citizens do not believe the government will serve a full term. rnd.de
- Tax assessment goes digital: paper copies only available on request from 2026. n-tv.de
- Lignite mining regions face further population decline. deutschlandfunk.de
Interest in Stasi files remains consistently high: Even 35 years after reunification, tens of thousands of people still want to access their Stasi files; between July 2023 and June 2025, the Federal Archives registered almost 40,000 first-time applications and a total of around 3.5 million since 1991. In addition to older applicants who are re-examining their biographies in retirement, younger people are increasingly requesting access for family history reasons. Processing times have dropped to a maximum of 15 months. tagesspiegel.de
Thuringia’s Constitutional Court confirms exclusion of extremists from legal training: Applicants who violate the liberal-democratic order may be excluded from the legal traineeship. The judges rejected an AfD parliamentary group lawsuit against the regulation. The encroachment on professional freedom is proportionate, they said, to safeguard trust in the judiciary and ensure the functioning of the legal system. However, the unconstitutional actions must be significant—a party membership alone is not enough. sueddeutsche.de
Further news:
- Berlin: Business community calls on Governing Mayor Kai Wegner to support Expo 2035. tagesspiegel.de
- Hamburg: Parliament approves plans for rebuilding Kü̈hne Opera House in HafenCity. hamburg.t-online.de
- Berlin: Square in front of Berlin state parliament to be named after late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer. morgenpost.de
- Hessen: 50,000 protesters expected at founding meeting of AfD youth organization in Gießen. faz.net
- Saxony: Attempt to recall Bautzen mayor Karsten Vogt fails. saechsische.de
- Bavaria: Cannabis ban in Munich’s English Garden overturned. tagesschau.de
- Bavaria: Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann wants more powers for the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution. pnp.de
- Berlin: Ban on Palestine Congress was unlawful. zeit.de
- Bavaria: Parking on sidewalks in Munich to be allowed. sueddeutsche.de
- Bavaria: Deutsche Bahn stingy with compensation after Garmisch-Partenkirchen train accident. sueddeutsche.de
EU Parliament pushes for age limits of 16 for social media: Younger children under 13 would be prohibited from using platforms even with parental consent, while 13- to 16-year-olds could only use them with parental approval. Lawmakers are also calling for a ban on addictive and gambling-like app features. The resolution is not legally binding but is intended to increase political pressure on the EU Commission. n-tv.de, heise.de
Search for successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres begins: The UN Security Council has called on member states to submit applications. Guterres’ second term ends in 2027. Known candidates so far include former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi. Guterres has led the UN since 2017; serving more than two terms is uncommon. zeit.de
Further reports:
- The joint EU budget of around 190 billion euros for next year enters into force. spiegel.de
- EU continues to rely on voluntary participation in chat monitoring. taz.de
- EU Parliament postpones deforestation regulation: forest protection remains on hold. ga.de
- EU Parliament initially fails in objection to Western Sahara labeling. euractiv.de
- EU Court of Auditors: EU countries recycle too little waste. sn.at
Turkish journalist and political commentator Fatih Altayli convicted of threatening Erdogan: Judges found it proven that he threatened President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to state agency Anadolu. He is to serve four years and two months in prison. Altayli had commented almost daily on Turkish politics on a YouTube channel with 1.5 million subscribers. The 63-year-old denies the allegations. He has been in pretrial detention since June. The verdict is not yet final. faz.net, n-tv.de
The IMF sees a slight recovery in the German economy: After two years of recession, the International Monetary Fund expects Germany’s economy to grow by 0.2 percent in 2025. In 2026, the increase is expected to be one percent, and around 1.5 percent in 2027. The IMF sees risks in inefficient public spending. It criticized, for example, the temporary VAT reduction on restaurant visits and warned against similar measures. handelsblatt.com
AI is widely used in everyday life: Two-thirds of the German population now use applications with artificial intelligence, according to a Forsa survey commissioned by the TÜV Association. A year ago, the share was just over half. Young people in particular frequently rely on programs like ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot, mostly for research purposes. TÜV Association head Joachim Bühler warns that the safety culture is not keeping pace with the rapid spread and calls for more public education. zeit.de
Further news:
- Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla: Work on construction sites will be reduced around the Christmas holidays. zeit.de
- Hamburg’s street magazine „Hinz & Kunzt“ launches the world’s first digital edition; payment system via QR code. radiohamburg.de
- Allianz reportedly wants to replace more than 1,500 positions in call centers with AI. spiegel.de
- Co-managing director Stefan Ottlitz is leaving „Spiegel“. dwdl.de
In Germany, people love rules — but they love exceptions just as much. Take quiet hours: officially, you shouldn’t drill, mow, hammer, or vacuum during Ruhezeiten. Unofficially? Your neighbor will vacuum exactly when you’re on a video call, mow the lawn at the first ray of sunshine, and renovate their entire bathroom on a Sunday “ohne Lärm, natürlich.” It’s not hypocrisy — it’s cultural balance.