German minister to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks – DW – 06/07/2025
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Guten Tag! DW is bringing you updates from across Germany, where Trump's tariffs, migrant turnbacks and a former operetta in Dresden are making headlines.
After Chancellor Friedrich Merz met US President Donald Trump at the White House, German businesses are hopeful of a breakthrough in trade talks with the United States.
Following a Berlin Administrative Court ruling that the government's policy of turning away migrants at the border was illegal, Germany's interior minister has vowed to go to the European Court of Justice.
Also, the roof of the former state operetta building in Dresden, eastern Germany, is at risk of collapse after a major fire.
We'll have the latest headlines, analyses, multimedia content, and DW on-the-ground reporting on everything to do with Germany.
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German govt to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks – DW – 06/07/2025
06/07/2025 June 7, 2025 German interior to seek EU verdict on border turnbacks Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the German government would seek a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the legality of migrant turnbacks at the border. Dobrindt's comments to the Funke media group follow a ruling by a court in Berlin on Monday that the refusal to allow three Somali nationals to enter last month was unlawful. The court ruled that on May 9, border guards failed to initiate proper asylum procedures and returned the trio to Poland. According to the court, Germany should have applied the European Union's so-called Dublin Regulation, establishing which country is responsible for the asylum claim of the migrants, before they were sent back. The Dublin rule specifies which EU state should process an asylum application, partly to prevent arrivals from making claims in wealthier countries rather than the first EU nation that they entered. Dobrindt said the government would provide its rationale for invoking Article 72 — a special clause under EU law that permits exceptions to the Dublin rule in emergencies. "We will submit sufficient justification, but the European Court of Justice should decide on the matter," Dobrindt said, adding: "I am convinced that our actions are in line with European law." Dobrindt insisted that Germany had to crack down on illegal migration, which he said would prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from pushing more radical solutions. German Chancellor Merz rejects criticism of border controls To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany introduced tougher border checks on May 7, including new rules allowing asylum seekers to be turned away at the border for the first time. In the first days of the new rule, 19 people who sought asylum in Germany were denied entry, along with nearly 300 other migrants, local media reported. Following this week's court ruling, the cabinet approved even stricter measures.
DW
an hour ago
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Germany: Car drives into crowd in Passau – DW – 06/07/2025
06/07/2025 June 7, 2025 German interior to seek EU verdict on border turnbacks Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the German government would seek a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the legality of migrant turnbacks at the border. Dobrindt's comments to the Funke media group follow a ruling by a court in Berlin on Monday that the refusal to allow three Somali nationals to enter last month was unlawful. The court ruled that on May 9, border guards failed to initiate proper asylum procedures and returned the trio to Poland. According to the court, Germany should have applied the European Union's so-called Dublin Regulation, establishing which country is responsible for the asylum claim of the migrants, before they were sent back. The Dublin rule specifies which EU state should process an asylum application, partly to prevent arrivals from making claims in wealthier countries rather than the first EU nation that they entered. Dobrindt said the government would provide its rationale for invoking Article 72 — a special clause under EU law that permits exceptions to the Dublin rule in emergencies. "We will submit sufficient justification, but the European Court of Justice should decide on the matter," Dobrindt said, adding: "I am convinced that our actions are in line with European law." Dobrindt insisted that Germany had to crack down on illegal migration, which he said would prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from pushing more radical solutions. German Chancellor Merz rejects criticism of border controls To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany introduced tougher border checks on May 7, including new rules allowing asylum seekers to be turned away at the border for the first time. In the first days of the new rule, 19 people who sought asylum in Germany were denied entry, along with nearly 300 other migrants, local media reported. Following this week's court ruling, the cabinet approved even stricter measures.
DW
2 hours ago
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Friedrich Merz brings new political style to Germany – DW – 06/07/2025
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Washington was met with favorable coverage back home, with many hailing a new political style that contrasts with that of his predecessors, Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel. The consensus was that he handled it quite well: The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz got through his first visit to US President Donald Trump without any heated exchanges or diplomatic faux pas. Although he hardly had a chance to speak during the nearly 50-minute press conference in the Oval Office, he was able to say that Germany will continue to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia. For his part, Trump treated the conservative politician with more respect than he did former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was not invited to the White House, or Angela Merkel, whom Trump once famously refused to shake hands with in the Oval Office. Things have been pretty busy in German politics since May 6, when Merz, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), took office. Since then, Germany's new head of government has made surprising statements and bold announcements nearly every week. 'A very close cooperation' says Merz after meeting Trump To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is in contrast to his predecessor Scholz, of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), who became known for his tendency to keep the public in the dark about his plans. Scholz had consistently urged his staff to adhere to the motto: "We will not be upset, we will not become hysterical." In other words, he was at pains to convey a sense of calm. Merz: A politician full of impatience Merz, on the other hand, never hid his impatience at having to wait so long in the wings before finally securing the office he so coveted: In 2002, he lost a power struggle with Merkel for the leadership of the CDU. Frustrated, Merz moved into the private sector and only returned to politics when it became clear that Merkel intended to step down in 2021. Four years later, at the age of 69, he finally reached the pinnacle of power in Germany. The chancellorship is the first public office Merz has held in his life. Scholz and Merz couldn't have more different personalities. The former is a sober, soft-spoken northern German who had plenty of government experience before he became chancellor. Scholz was the mayor of Hamburg and then the federal finance minister under Merkel. By contrast, Merz, by nature very conservative and easily irritated, rose quickly through his party ranks even without administrative political experience. Nor are the two politicians particularly fond of each other. 'What can we do?' versus 'We must do this!' DW Chief Political Editor Michaela Küfner knows both men well, having accompanied the two leaders on several foreign trips. Reflecting on the different styles of the two politicians and their predecessor, she noted: "While Merkel always thought with the outcome in mind and Scholz was reluctant to even describe a political goal before he had paved the way for it, Merz clearly defines his goals." According to Küfner's analysis, this represents a significant political shift in itself. Germany promises Ukraine around €5 billion more in support To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Policy on Ukraine It took Scholz until the summer of 2022 to visit Ukraine, which had been invaded by Russia in the spring of that year. For a long time, Scholz remained secretive about whether he would supply weapons to the embattled country — though in the end he did. Merz, on the other hand, visited Ukraine within days of taking office, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, when they announced that there would soon be a ceasefire and peace talks. But this still hasn't come to pass, while President Donald Trump appears to have backed out of his earlier commitment to forge a lasting peace. Given the US president's unpredictability, this was not really a surprise, something Scholz would certainly have taken into account. "Following the strong performance with Macron, Tusk, and Starmer came this diplomatic embarrassment," says Berlin-based correspondent Küfner. "Merz still has to prove that this defeat can translate into strong leadership." Why is Germany toughening its tone on Israel now? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany and Israel The change in style in Germany's policy toward Israel is even more noticeable. After the Islamist militia Hamas attacked Israelin October 2023, Scholz's response was essentially to insist on Israel's right to defend itself. This remained his stance even as the Israeli army took increasingly brutal action against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany and several other countries classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. As an opposition politician at the time, Merz also showed strong support for Israel and even announced that, unlike Scholz, he would demonstrate that support by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the chancellery. That stance did not waver even after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last November for crimes against humanity. But soon after taking office, he made something of a U-turn: A few days ago, Merz said he no longer understood Israel's actions in the Gaza war, before adding that they could no longer be justified as a legitimate fight against Hamas terrorism. Never before has a chancellor spoken so bluntly about the actions of the Israeli government. Küfner says: "Merz's criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza is a historic step. He is not afraid to directly criticize the Israeli prime minister about alleged violations of international law. This is a new tone from Germany." With this, Merz begged a question that Scholz had successfully avoided: How far does the German reason of state, the commitment to Israel's security, actually extend? What this will mean in practical terms for German-Israeli relations remains to be seen. Even under Scholz, arms deliveries to Israel had been relatively limited, and Merz has not announced an end to these deliveries. Nor has he repeated his earlier invitation to Netanyahu. In practical terms, not much has really changed, but the tone is definitely different. This is likely to continue over the coming weeks. Germany will have to get used to the chancellor's new political style. Meanwhile, Scholz is now observing all this from his position as an ordinary member of the Bundestag. And he has not yet made any comments on his successor's policies. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
