Bild: How Karina saved Gottschalk“s life / So rettete Karina Gottschalks Leben
FAZ: Young group doesn“t want to vote unanimously against the pension package / Junge Gruppe will nicht geschlossen gegen Rentenpaket stimmen
Funke: Protection racket: Police appeal to business owners / Schutzgelderpressung: Polizei appelliert an Gewerbetreibende
Handelsblatt: Germany’s AI hope / Deutschlands KI-Hoffnung
RND: Class-struggle rhetoric at the Juso congress? Why employers accuse Minister Bas of entrepreneur-bashing / Klassenkampf-Rhetorik beim Juso-Kongress? Warum die Arbeitgeber Ministerin Bas Unternehmer-Bashing vorwerfen
SZ: Rubio wants a „real chance“ for Ukraine / Rubio will „echte Chance“ für Ukraine
Tagesspiegel: Record dissatisfaction with CDU and SPD in Berlin: Poll shows coalition without a majority / Rekord-Unzufriedenheit mit CDU und SPD in Berlin: Umfrage sieht Koalition ohne Mehrheit
taz: Boom! (arms industry) / Boom! (Rüstungsindustrie)
Welt: Young group doesn’t want to approve the pension law / Junge Gruppe will dem Rentengesetz nicht zustimmen
RETIREMENT DISPUTE
The Young Group continues to question the majority for the pension reform: In a statement, the 18 MPs confirmed their opposition but stressed that each member would decide individually. The Young Group rejects Chancellor Merz’s plan to keep the pension level at 48 percent beyond 2031, citing high costs. A test vote in the CDU/CSU group is planned for Tuesday, with the decisive roll-call vote in the Bundestag on Friday. handelsblatt.com, tagesspiegel.de, handelsblatt.com, spiegel.de, sueddeutsche.de, zdfheute.de
- CDU MP Daniel Kölbl from the Young Group says he wants to ensure that his vote does not cause the pension package to fail.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz expects a final vote on the pension reform on Friday and points to the combination of statutory pension and active pension set to take effect on 1 January 2026.
- SPD leader Bärbel Bas links the continuation of the black-red coalition to a successful vote on the pension reform; in her view, a failure would risk preventing other key projects from passing through parliament.
- CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann remains confident of achieving a Bundestag majority despite internal criticism. He also refers to a planned commission that will develop an extensive structural reform of the pension system.
- CDU/CSU deputy parliamentary leader Mathias Middelberg expects approval for the pension reform and says many critics recognise the government’s overall responsibility and therefore signal support; he has also received commitments from younger MPs.
- CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn remains vague on whether there is a secure majority but ties the Union’s expected approval to the SPD agreeing to abolish Bürgergeld. He refers to the coalition agreement and says that what has been agreed must be implemented „one-to-one“.
- Green parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann and party leader Felix Banaszak criticise a lack of intergenerational fairness despite agreeing with some elements and call it „bad governance“. The Greens rule out supporting the pension package.
UKRAINE WAR
France’s President Emmanuel Macron speaks of a possible turning point in Ukraine talks. He sees an opportunity for political realignment in Europe and emphasises that only Ukraine can negotiate over its own territory. Talks are in an early phase, but progress is possible. Zelensky called the revised US peace plan an improvement and said work would continue, even though territorial control remains the most difficult issue. zeit.de, faz.net, welt.de
- Macron and Zelensky have discussed ways to end the war with European partners and the US. Chancellor Merz and US envoy Steve Witkoff took part in the call. Zelensky stressed that any possible peace must be lasting and must not reward Russia for its aggression.
- Chancellor Merz reiterates that a possible peace agreement must not be negotiated against Ukraine’s will and warns against a dictated peace.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warns against a peace agreement reached mainly through pressure on Ukraine. She calls for strengthening Ukraine’s negotiation position through more pressure on Russia, including further sanctions.
- After recent talks between Kyiv and Washington about ending the war, US envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow on Tuesday for negotiations with Vladimir Putin.
Bild-Sonntag poll: CDU/CSU 24.5 percent (-1), AfD 27 percent (+1), SPD 14.5 percent (-0.5), Greens 11 percent, Left 10.5 percent, BSW 4 percent, FDP 3.5 percent (+0.5), Others 5 percent. bild.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls for unity with Poland during German-Polish government consultations. Both sides agreed on closer cooperation in security and defence. tagesschau.de
- Germany and Poland plan to expand their security cooperation significantly and to enhance joint defence projects with a new defence agreement next year.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urges Berlin to provide swift financial support for surviving victims of Nazi crimes. Germany considers the issue of reparations settled but emphasises that remembrance is never complete. The two governments agreed on a memorial for Polish victims in Berlin, and Germany returned stolen cultural assets to Poland.
- Both governments also plan to invest in modernising cross-border transport infrastructure, focusing on the Angermünde–Szczecin rail line and the Frankfurt (Oder) crossing.
Business organisations sharply criticise Labour Minister Bärbel Bas for a speech at the Juso congress, accusing her of „entrepreneur-bashing“. Employers’ associations describe her comments as an attack on social partnership. FDP leader Christian Dürr calls for her dismissal.
- President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honours 20 citizens with the Order of Merit for their volunteer work, calling volunteers a „bulwark against indifference“.
- Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says the security situation at Christmas markets is stable. There is an abstract threat but no concrete indications of planned attacks.
- Christian Drosten deflects AfD attacks during the COVID inquiry.
- The Robert Koch Institute reports a significant recent increase in HIV infections.
- The governing coalition plans a tax privilege for trade union membership contributions.
- Germany has transferred a suspected Libyan war criminal to The Hague.
- Eighty-two percent of people demand more digital government services.
Hessen: More than 50 police officers injured during protests against the new AfD youth organisation in Gießen. Around 25,000 people protested; police used batons, pepper spray and water cannons. Three people were arrested, and nearly 200 had their identities checked. welt.de, n-tv.de
- The „Widersetzen“ alliance accuses the police of excessive force and reports many injured demonstrators.
- Left Party leader Ines Schwerdtner explicitly supports the protests, calling the police actions inappropriate.
Brandenburg: Students will strike on Friday in Potsdam and Cottbus against the planned compulsory military service law. rbb24.de
Saxony-Anhalt: Nearly 20,000 rounds of Bundeswehr ammunition were stolen from a civilian truck parked at a rest stop in Burg. spiegel.de
The EU Commission is considering allowing low-emission and advanced biofuels in the post-2035 CO2 rules for new cars, potentially softening the effective phaseout of combustion engines. A new proposal could be presented in December. handelsblatt.com, zeit.de
Around 6,300 people worldwide were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war last year; about 90 percent were civilians. Several countries, including Poland and the Baltic states, plan to leave the landmine ban treaty due to perceived threats from Russia. . zeit.de, evangelisch.de, n-tv.de
The International Criminal Court rejects political interference after US sanctions against its judges and prosecutors, emphasising its independence.
- Belgium’s blockade of a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets plunges the EU into a new crisis.
- EU partners are losing patience with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
- EU states are examining a Frontex reform involving AI tools and a new border force.
- There is still no agreement on reforming EU air passenger rights.
- Restructuring plan for Thyssenkrupp Steel finalised. handelsblatt.com
- RTL plans to cut 800 to 1,000 jobs. dwdl.de
- Fewer trips to the USA: Spain defends its top spot as a favourite travel destination. n-tv.de
Ever notice how Germans can debate for hours about pensions, coalitions, or EU treaties — but the moment Christmas markets open, everyone agrees on one thing: Glühwein first, politics later. It’s the closest the country gets to a national ceasefire.