Bild: Child benefit for 59 children who don’t even exist | Kindergeld für 59 Kinder, die es gar nicht gibt
FAZ: Macron considers early ceasefire in Ukraine “feasible” | Macron hält baldige Waffenruhe in Ukraine für „machbar“
Funke: Discussion about a new special fund for the Bundeswehr | Diskussion um ein neues Sondervermögen für die Bundeswehr
Handelsblatt: Merz’s billion-euro poker | Merz‘ Milliarden-Poker
RND: Almost eleven years after the disappearance: new search for missing aircraft MH370 | Fast elf Jahre nach dem Verschwinden: Neue Suche nach verschollenem Flugzeug MH370
SZ: Merz considers new special fund | Merz erwägt neues Sondervermögen
Tagesspiegel: Struggle for billions for the Bundeswehr: Merz rules out rapid reform of the debt brake | Ringen um Milliarden für Bundeswehr: Merz schließt rasche Reform der Schuldenbremse aus
taz: Territory marked | Revier markiert
Welt: German government allows Afghans to re-enter the country | Bundesregierung lässt wieder Afghanen einreisen
Union appeals to SPD willingness to form a government quickly: CDU leader Friedrich Merz renewed his goal of bringing the coalition negotiations to a successful conclusion by Easter; he assumes that this is possible with the Social Democrats. CSU leader Markus Söder called for quick and solid negotiations. In the agreements, the relevant issues would have to be discussed, but the parties would not have to thrash out all the details. CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt said that top-level talks between the CDU and SPD should take place this week if possible. zdf.de
- Merz held talks with outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday morning; details of the 90-minute meeting were not given. Merz had announced confidential talks with Scholz on how the transition phase can be structured until the future government takes office. tagesschau.de
- Merz has been re-elected as the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. In a secret ballot, he received 98 percent of the votes. When he was first elected as parliamentary party leader in February 2022, Merz received 89.5 percent. handelsblatt.com
- CSU state group has unanimously re-elected chairman Alexander Dobrindt.
- The AfD faction confirmed previous leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla; the faction decided to accept the controversial politicians Maximilian Krah and Matthias Helferich. Both are known for playing down the horrors of National Socialism. tagesschau.de
- The Left Party has reconstituted itself as a parliamentary group. It is thus the legal successor to the previous group of the Left Party. Heidi Reichinnek and Sören Pellmann were provisionally confirmed in office. It was decided that in future the two party leaders Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken will also have executive voting rights.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil insists on a membership vote on the coalition with the CDU: „The members have the last word. The members will make the final decision,“ Klingbeil said at a meeting of the SPD faction, according to Süddeutscher. The survey could shake Friedrich Merz’s timetable for completing the government formation by Easter. Klingbeil has also admitted to internal criticism of his plan to be elected faction leader on Wednesday. faz.net
Agreement between Israel and militant Islamist Hamas in the dispute over the release of Palestinian prisoners: The release of the prisoners from Israeli jails is to take place at the same time as the handover of further bodies of Israeli hostages. The exchange could take place as early as Wednesday. The Israeli portal Ynet-News reports that Hamas will hand over the bodies to Egypt. The Red Cross will then bring the bodies to Israel. Israel had postponed the release of more than 600 Palestinians until the release of the next hostages without propaganda stagings was secured. n-tv.de
Ukraine and USA agree on an agreement for the delivery of rare earths: The contract is to be signed in the next few days and stipulates that the income from the extraction of Ukrainian raw materials will flow into a bilateral investment fund. Half of the money is to be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine after an end to the Russian war of aggression. The agreement does not include US security guarantees for Ukraine, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had originally demanded. US President Donald Trump had pushed for the treaty; critics accuse the US of using the agreement to blackmail Ukraine. n-tv.de
- On Friday, according to US President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is now to come to Washington. Part of the talks is likely to be an agreement on US access to minerals. stern.de
- Selenskyj thanked representatives of numerous states who had gathered on the third anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression and „stayed true to principle“ on such an important day. This will help Ukraine to achieve peace faster, „an honest peace that guarantees that there will never be another aggression.“
- In a joint telephone call, Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron praised Trump for his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. They agreed that President Trump’s leadership in working towards a lasting peace in Ukraine is to be welcomed. spiegel.de
- The cost of repairing war damage in Ukraine caused by Russia has risen to $524 billion, according to a study by the World Bank, the UN, the EU Commission and the Ukrainian government. The areas most affected are housing, transport, energy, trade and education. With each day that Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine, the reconstruction of the country becomes more expensive. spiegel.de
CDU leader Friedrich Merz rules out a reform of the debt brake in the near future: However, the CDU is open to talks on a further special fund to finance the defense budget. CSU leader Markus Söder said that a reform of the debt brake would no longer be decided by the old Bundestag; however, one could consider deciding to increase the existing special fund for the Bundeswehr. At the faction meeting, Merz said that reforming the debt brake was „a fairly extensive and difficult task“. He had always said that a review of the budget should be followed by a discussion of changes to the debt brake, but that it must remain enshrined in the constitution. tagesschau.de, n-tv.de
Germany recorded higher levels of new debt last year despite record revenues: The expenditure of the federal government, states, municipalities and social security exceeded revenues by around 119 billion euros, according to the Federal Statistical Office. This means that the government deficit was 15.0 billion euros higher than in 2023. Revenues totaled around 2,013 billion euros, thus exceeding the two trillion euro mark for the first time. Measured against economic output, this results in a deficit ratio of 2.8 percent for 2024. tagesschau.de
Uniper wants to reimburse the government for 2.6 billion euros in aid in March: In doing so, the company is complying with a requirement of the EU Commission. Uniper ran into difficulties in 2022 when Russia stopped its gas supplies. To prevent bankruptcy, Germany paid 13.5 billion euros in aid and took over almost the entire company. n-tv.de, faz.net
Germany has taken in more people at risk from Afghanistan. A plane from Pakistan landed in Berlin with 155 Afghans on board. More than half of them are coming through the federal admission program for particularly vulnerable individuals, the Ministry of the Interior explained; the remaining passengers entered through other admission programs. Thorsten Frei, parliamentary secretary of the CDU/CSU, said that Germany should rather deport Afghans to their home country than bring them to Germany. Dirk Wiese, deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group, defended the measure, saying that many of the people who had now entered the country had worked for the German armed forces during its deployment in Afghanistan. He said it would be wrong to abandon these local employees. n-tv.de, spiegel.de
Attack threats against carnival events: According to Cologne police, publications on the IS terrorist militia’s website naming the Weiberfastnacht event on the Alter Markt in Cologne, Rosenmontag in Nuremberg and a music festival in Rotterdam as possible targets are aimed at unsettling the population. However, the operational concept for the carnival days will be adjusted again. According to the „Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger“, security circles in North Rhine-Westphalia consider the IS threats to be „deliberate scaremongering“. The police in Nuremberg said they had no evidence of specific plans for an attack or of a specific threat. rnd.de, n-tv.de
More news:
- Brandenburg: Parliament wants to reduce the size of the Parliamentary Control Commission. rbb24.de
- Berlin: Trial of alleged Hamas underground cell has begun. stern.de
- Berlin: Enquete Commission on dealing with anti-Semitism and hostility towards Muslims to start soon. n-tv.de
- Hesse: Hanau is to be granted city district status. faz.net
- Hamburg: Senate decides on new climate adaptation strategy. ndr.de
- Berlin: Brandenburg Gate to be lit up orange on Wednesday in memory of the Bibas family. tagesspiegel.de
- Bremen: Ban on feeding pigeons comes into force on June 1. weser-kurier.de
- Bavaria: FDP state leaders Martin Hagen and Katja Hessel announce their withdrawal. n-tv.de
- Hessen: Julia Frank wants to become the leader of the Green Party. faz.net
EU Commission wants to make European steel industry more competitive: It is a key industry for the European single market and important in the fight against climate change, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The aim is to ensure that the steel industry remains viable and can position itself sustainably. A plan developed with industry representatives is to be presented by spring. European steel companies have been calling for support from European politicians for some time. After taking office in January, US President Donald Trump announced 25 percent special tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from Europe. derstandard.at, n-tv.de
UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 continued in Rome: The first meeting in November in Colombia ended without an agreement. In particular, there were differences of opinion regarding the financing and implementation of previous resolutions. The negotiations in Rome are initially scheduled until Thursday. The United States is not participating. It did not join the 1992 biodiversity agreement and was only represented as an observer at later conferences. zdf.de
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces higher defense spending: 2.5 percent of gross domestic product is to be spent on defense by 2027, and three percent after that. This is to be financed by a reduction in development aid. Starmer spoke of the largest permanent increase since the end of the Cold War. It is necessary, he said, because tyrants like Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin only respond to strength. Currently, the UK spends 2.3 percent of its gross domestic product on defense. zeit.de, handelsblatt.com
Serbian police search offices of civil organizations critical of the government: The senior prosecutor in Belgrade justified the raids with investigations into allegedly embezzled funds from the US development agency USAID. All documents relating to the organizations‘ cooperation with USAID have been confiscated. The CRTA think tank affected by the raid spoke of a serious attack on fundamental civil rights. Police, prosecutors and large parts of the judiciary in Serbia are under the control of the autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic. spiegel.de
Denmark’s government plans complete smartphone ban in schools: According to a bill that is currently being prepared, private cell phones and tablets will no longer be allowed to be brought into school. The planned smartphone ban was originally recommended by a commission for the welfare of adolescents. The commission also advised limiting cell phone use by children under the age of 14; however, it said that this was not a matter for lawmakers, but rather for parents or guardians. spiegel.de
21 employees of Musk’s efficiency office Doge resign in protest. In a statement, they said they would not use their skills and technology expertise to compromise central government systems, put sensitive American data at risk or dismantle critical public services. The layoffs to date have affected, among other things, the care of veterans and other central federal services. tagesspiegel.de
More news:
- EU: Turkey is pushing for EU membership: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is presenting himself as Europe’s savior. tagesspiegel.de
- EU: Israel denies French-Palestinian EU politician Rima Hassan entry because of her controversial statements. t-online.de
- EU: Nuclear power production in the EU has increased slightly again; 22.8 percent share of total production. tagesspiegel.de
- France: President Emmanuel Macron reportedly wants to extend his country’s nuclear protection to Europe. t-online.de
- Austria: Coalition talks between ÖVP, SPÖ and liberal Neos on the home straight. rnd.de
- Belgium: One in five employees cannot see a doctor. grenzecho.net
- Albania: Prime Minister Edi Rama attacks the rule of law and the constitution in his own country. derstandard.at
- Netherlands: Mini nuclear power plants planned on the border with the NRW district of Kleve. rp-online.de
- Portugal: Nurses flee from poor pay. dw.com
- Spain: City of A Coruna „adopts“ courageous migrants from Senegal because they showed civil courage in an attack on a nightclub visitor. stern.de
- Syria: Interim government presents plan for the country’s future; Kurds are left out. tagesspiegel.de
- Iran: More money for state propaganda. dw.com
- South Korea: President Yoon Suk-yeol shows no remorse and proclaims his innocence. faz.net
- Taiwan: Suspicious ship detained after damage to undersea cable. tagesschau.de
- Chile: 80 percent of households without electricity due to damage to a transmission line. t-online.de
- USA: Consumer sentiment drops noticeably: Wall Street suffers from economic data and tariff threats. n-tv.de
Bundesbank posts a loss of around 19.2 billion euros for the past year: It is the first loss since 1979. In 2023, the Bundesbank was able to offset the minus with reserves, but that was no longer possible last year. Once again, no payments will be made to the federal budget. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel expects further losses in the coming years, but believes the worst is over. The background to this is interest rate development. zdf.de, faz.net
Business community calls for better conditions for business: The next government must turn things around, said Peter Adrian, President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). He said that Germany is currently only partially competitive as a business location for companies. A lot of trust has been destroyed in the past, he said, and must be rebuilt. The Building Energy Efficiency Act and the Energy Efficiency Act must be rolled back to the status quo prior to the coalition government. In addition, the reporting requirements for companies should be reduced. welt.de
Munich Airport will be on strike Thursday and Friday in public service wage dispute. The airport announced that a large proportion of a total of over 1,600 planned connections would probably be canceled. Strikers already hit the airports at Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf at the beginning of the week. On Tuesday, public sector employees in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bremen and Bavaria, among other places, also stopped work. sueddeutsche.de, handelsblatt.com
More news:
- Reinsurer Munich Re increases dividends and buys back shares. handelsblatt.com
- Porsche presents two new board members. sueddeutsche.de
- Despite e-car boom: Tesla sales collapse by 50 percent. tagesschau.de
- Thyssenkrupp wants to take submarine division public. handelsblatt.com
- Sandoz Family Foundation sells Novartis shares. n-tv.de
- Proportion of smokers worldwide has fallen significantly in 20 years. handelsblatt.com
- Annual figures: Fewer orders and lower sales in construction sueddeutsche.de
- Bureaucratic hurdles? Arms industry complains about long security checks. tagesschau.de
- The Springer gap: Millions in bonuses for the board – and small change for the rest kress.de
- Audio platform Podimo wants to become the „first port of call for creatives“ meedia.de
- Oscar ceremony to feature new music program in 2025: For the first time, the nominated songs will not be performed on stage. Instead, the Academy has announced several performances by international stars. wdr.de
- After Amazon takeover: James Bond’s casting director quits faz.net
- Munich State Painting Collections: Minister demands transparency in the dispute over Nazi-looted art monopol-magazin.de
- UNESCO World Heritage: Anniversary of Berlin’s Museum Island – Highlights until 2030 morgenpost.de
- Because of Donald Trump: Crown Princess Victoria cancels major royal summit in Greenland ksta.de
- „Screw this government!“: Trump legally turns trans actress Hunter Schafer into a „man“ n-tv.de
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- Nations League: First Winkler, now Berger – second DFB goalkeeper injured sportschau.de
- After BSW’s election defeat: Bundesliga manager Ruhnert set to make comeback at Union Berlin rnd.de
- After a year in Rome: Mats Hummels wants to play in Germany again from the summer sportbuzzer.de
- Racism accusation against star coach: The fall of José Mourinho sportbuzzer.de
- Surprise after the World Cup: German biathlon coach resigns with immediate effect sportschau.de
- EU Parliament calls for withdrawal: UCI stands by Rwanda as host of Road World Championships sportschau.de
New TikTok trend – „Angel Hair“ chocolate: 31 euros per bar t-online.de