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DW
4 days ago
- Automotive
- DW
Germany updates: Protestors derail AfD leader's interview – DW – 07/20/2025
Far-right leader Alice Weidel's big "summer interview" was disrupted by raucous demonstrators. Meanwhile, a dispute dividing the country's ruling coalition will not go away. Follow DW for more. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed-up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is pushing to revive a postponed Bundestag vote on law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's controversial nomination to Germany's top court. Also in Berlin, Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel found herself unable to hear the questions during a prime-time interview when rowdy protestors broke out into song and dance below where they were Weidel, one of the co-chairs of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), was due to give the big "summer interview" that the leaders of the country's main political parties traditionally give to public broadcaster ARD. However, as she was preparing to begin the question and answer session on a terrace in Berlin's government quarter, demonstrators arrived nearby. Breaking out into loud singing, dancing, and chanting, they made it extremely difficult for Weidel to hear the questions she was being asked. She pressed interviewer Markus Preiss to continue despite the difficulty, resulting in what Preiss described as an "acoustically difficult situation." "At points we really couldn't understand each other," he said afterward. The European Commission is preparing to ban combustion engine vehicles for company fleets and rental car providers starting in 2030 — a move that some in the industry say would hit Germany's auto market especially hard. According to , the plan would affect about 60% of all new vehicle sales across the EU, with only 40% of the market made up of private buyers. In 2023, 10.6 million vehicles were sold EU-wide. The Commission intends to present the proposal by late summer and launch the legislative process. Approval by both the EU Council and European Parliament will be required. A Commission spokesperson confirmed work on the regulation but declined to provide details. German voices are already pushing back. European lawmaker Markus Ferber, from Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to scrap the plan. In a letter seen by Bild, he warned that fleet operators would be forced to buy only electric vehicles to meet quotas. Rental firm Sixt board member Nico Gabriel called the measure unrealistic. "Vacationers will hardly use rental cars anymore, and consumers will barely be able to lease vehicles," he said, pointing to a lack of charging infrastructure across the EU. Other rental firms told Bild they expect prices to rise as a result. Chancellor-designate Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is standing by the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to the Federal Constitutional Court and has called for a repeat of the judge election in the Bundestag. Speaking to , Klingbeil said alleged plagiarism concerns raised by the opposition had been addressed, adding: "We can now put the vote back on the Bundestag agenda." The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) remains cautious. "We are not under time pressure and will discuss this calmly within the coalition," a parliamentary group spokesperson told the newspaper. They added that plagiarism was never the main issue, saying: "There are fundamental, substantive concerns within the parliamentary group." Brosius-Gersdorf has become the focus of a rare political clash over appointments to Germany's highest court. The CDU/CSU initially approved her nomination alongside two other candidates, but last Friday abruptly withdrew its support and urged the SPD to drop her candidacy. Opponents of the nominee, a law professor, have cited her perceived liberal views, with some media portraying her as "ultra-left" views on issues such as abortion. Brosius-Gersdorf insists her opinions have been misrepresented, accusing the media of "inaccurate and incomplete, unobjective and non-transparent" reporting. Klingbeil framed the controversy as a test of principle. "It's a fundamental question of whether we yield to pressure from far-right networks that have smeared a highly qualified woman," he told the newspaper. Julia Klöckner also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution. Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd." Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year. A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany. The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict. Read more about the story here. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack. "We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries. "We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday. "If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament. The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware. Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement. Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status.
DW
4 days ago
- Automotive
- DW
Germany updates: Bundestag is a 'prime' target for hackers – DW – 07/20/2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is consistently under attack by hackers. Meanwhile, a dispute dividing the country's ruling coalition will not go away. Follow DW for more. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed-up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is pushing to revive a postponed Bundestag vote on law professor Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf's controversial nomination to Germany's top Weidel, one of the co-chairs of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), was due to give the big "summer interview" that the leaders of the country's main political parties traditionally give to public broadcaster ARD. However, as she was preparing to begin the question and answer session on a terrace in Berlin's government quarter, demonstrators arrived nearby. Breaking out into loud singing, dancing, and chanting, they made it extremely difficult for Weidel to hear the questions she was being asked. She pressed interviewer Markus Preiss to continue despite the difficulty, resulting in what Preiss described as an "acoustically difficult situation." "At points we really couldn't understand each other," he said afterward. The European Commission is preparing to ban combustion engine vehicles for company fleets and rental car providers starting in 2030 — a move that some in the industry say would hit Germany's auto market especially hard. According to , the plan would affect about 60% of all new vehicle sales across the EU, with only 40% of the market made up of private buyers. In 2023, 10.6 million vehicles were sold EU-wide. The Commission intends to present the proposal by late summer and launch the legislative process. Approval by both the EU Council and European Parliament will be required. A Commission spokesperson confirmed work on the regulation but declined to provide details. German voices are already pushing back. European lawmaker Markus Ferber, from Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to scrap the plan. In a letter seen by Bild, he warned that fleet operators would be forced to buy only electric vehicles to meet quotas. Rental firm Sixt board member Nico Gabriel called the measure unrealistic. "Vacationers will hardly use rental cars anymore, and consumers will barely be able to lease vehicles," he said, pointing to a lack of charging infrastructure across the EU. Other rental firms told Bild they expect prices to rise as a result. Chancellor-designate Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is standing by the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to the Federal Constitutional Court and has called for a repeat of the judge election in the Bundestag. Speaking to , Klingbeil said alleged plagiarism concerns raised by the opposition had been addressed, adding: "We can now put the vote back on the Bundestag agenda." The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) remains cautious. "We are not under time pressure and will discuss this calmly within the coalition," a parliamentary group spokesperson told the newspaper. They added that plagiarism was never the main issue, saying: "There are fundamental, substantive concerns within the parliamentary group." Brosius-Gersdorf has become the focus of a rare political clash over appointments to Germany's highest court. The CDU/CSU initially approved her nomination alongside two other candidates, but last Friday abruptly withdrew its support and urged the SPD to drop her candidacy. Opponents of the nominee, a law professor, have cited her perceived liberal views, with some media portraying her as "ultra-left" views on issues such as abortion. Brosius-Gersdorf insists her opinions have been misrepresented, accusing the media of "inaccurate and incomplete, unobjective and non-transparent" reporting. Klingbeil framed the controversy as a test of principle. "It's a fundamental question of whether we yield to pressure from far-right networks that have smeared a highly qualified woman," he told the newspaper. Julia Klöckner also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution. Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd." Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year. A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany. The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict. Read more about the story here. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack. "We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries. "We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday. "If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament. The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware. Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement. Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Bundestag a 'prime' target for hackers – DW – 07/20/2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is consistently under attack by hackers. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. In other news, Germany's Red Cross warns that the population is lacking in people with skills to deal with major emergencies.A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany. The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict. Read more about the story here. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack. "We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries. "We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday. "If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament. The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware. Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement. Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Klöckner has also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution. Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd." Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status. A fireworks display at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes — a type of town fair — has left 19 people injured, including four seriously. Emergency services confirmed the injuries late Friday after fireworks reportedly exploded unusually close to the ground. According to police, at least one child was among the injured. Eyewitnesses told German public broadcaster WDR that some rockets flew sideways or detonated low, with a few even landing in the Rhine River. One video from across the river shows explosions lighting up both the sky and ground at the same time. "I was at the fair watching the fireworks," said one witness. "Some rockets flew surprisingly low and exploded close to people. I wondered if that wasn't too near the crowd." Fire officials believe some rockets may have veered off course, with one misfiring directly into the crowd. Organizers initially kept the fair running to avoid panic but ended festivities early around 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The event had been scheduled to continue into the early morning. The Rheinkirmes fair, the biggest to take place on the river, is rooted in an annual celebration of the city's patron saint Apollinaris. It started on July 11 and is set to end on Sunday. Germany has been falling short on preparing its population for major emergencies, according to the German Red Cross (DRK). Millions of people need training in first aid and self-reliance, said Heike Spieker, head of the DRK's National Relief Society. "To build these skills sustainably, four million people would need to be trained," she said. That level of preparedness would ensure people could help themselves and others during a crisis. The courses, supported by federal funding and offered by aid groups, go beyond first aid. According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, they cover how to act when power goes out or flooding follows heavy rain. To reach a "reasonable level" within five years, around 800,000 people would need training each year, Spieker said. "In reality, current funding covers an average of fewer than 100,000 participants per year," she added. She also criticized the government's current budget plans, saying they are "absolutely insufficient and contradict the political promises to strengthen civil protection." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from the DW newsroom in sunny Bonn on the Rhine River. You join us as news comes in of a mishap at what was supposed to be a dazzling event at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes on Friday night, when a fireworks display went wrong. Emergency services said the rockets appeared to explode far too close to the ground, and 19 people were injured. According to police, at least one child was among those hurt. Follow along for the latest on what Germany is talking about on Saturday, July 19.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: 'Bundestag a prime target' for cyberattacks – DW – 07/20/2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner wants to beef up defenses against cyberattacks and expand the rights of parliamentary police to protect the institution and its lawmakers. Join DW for more. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's parliament is under constant cyberattack. On Sunday, she called for beefed up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors. In other news, Germany's Red Cross warns that the population is lacking in people with skills to deal with major emergencies, while German media responds to the latest deportation flight to Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU). "This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless." Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance. "Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said. Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington." After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening. Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later. What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine. Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy. Read DW's full match report here. German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody. When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot. Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear. The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding. "Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ." Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945." The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship. Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll. The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move. According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way. Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong. The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument. Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency. The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all. The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat. About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger. The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one. Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not. Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer. And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26. Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020. Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts. Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds. Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals. One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday. Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment. The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society. said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country. The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters. Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday. The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk. After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status. A fireworks display at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes — a type of town fair — has left 19 people injured, including four seriously. Emergency services confirmed the injuries late Friday after fireworks reportedly exploded unusually close to the ground. According to police, at least one child was among the injured. Eyewitnesses told German public broadcaster WDR that some rockets flew sideways or detonated low, with a few even landing in the Rhine River. One video from across the river shows explosions lighting up both the sky and ground at the same time. "I was at the fair watching the fireworks," said one witness. "Some rockets flew surprisingly low and exploded close to people. I wondered if that wasn't too near the crowd." Fire officials believe some rockets may have veered off course, with one misfiring directly into the crowd. Organizers initially kept the fair running to avoid panic but ended festivities early around 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The event had been scheduled to continue into the early morning. The Rheinkirmes fair, the biggest to take place on the river, is rooted in an annual celebration of the city's patron saint Apollinaris. It started on July 11 and is set to end on Sunday. Germany has been falling short on preparing its population for major emergencies, according to the German Red Cross (DRK). Millions of people need training in first aid and self-reliance, said Heike Spieker, head of the DRK's National Relief Society. "To build these skills sustainably, four million people would need to be trained," she said. That level of preparedness would ensure people could help themselves and others during a crisis. The courses, supported by federal funding and offered by aid groups, go beyond first aid. According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, they cover how to act when power goes out or flooding follows heavy rain. To reach a "reasonable level" within five years, around 800,000 people would need training each year, Spieker said. "In reality, current funding covers an average of fewer than 100,000 participants per year," she added. She also criticized the government's current budget plans, saying they are "absolutely insufficient and contradict the political promises to strengthen civil protection." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from the DW newsroom in sunny Bonn on the Rhine River. You join us as news comes in of a mishap at what was supposed to be a dazzling event at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes on Friday night, when a fireworks display went wrong. Emergency services said the rockets appeared to explode far too close to the ground, and 19 people were injured. According to police, at least one child was among those hurt. Follow along for the latest on what Germany is talking about on Saturday, July 19.
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
How far-right social media impacted Germany's highest court – DW – 07/18/2025
Researchers say a far-right social media campaign — that painted a respected law professor as extremist — caused the suspension of the election of judges to Germany's highest court. Whenever there's talk of a crisis of democracy in Germany, leading politicians proudly point to the well-established independence of the "judges from Karlsruhe" — that is, the judges who sit on the Federal Constitutional Court, which is based in the southern German city. The Federal Constitutional Court is one of the highest courts in Germany and is also seen as the "fifth organ" of the country's political system, alongside the presidency, the parliament or Bundestag, the federal government and the Bundesrat, the federal council of German states. Unlike the Federal Criminal Court, which is the highest court for civil and criminal justice, the Federal Constitutional Court's job is to ensure that Germany's Basic Law — its constitution — is upheld. It is seen as the guardian of Germans' basic rights. The Federal Constitutional Court is also the only court that can decide about banning a political party. The court's decisions are widely recognized and often offer a course correction for ruling political parties. All of this is why last week's failure to elect three new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court has been so controversial. There are 16 judges on the bench, all of whom can serve 12 years. Half of them are chosen by the Bundesrat, the council of leaders of Germany's 16 states and the other half by parliament, the Bundestag. In both cases, there must be a two-thirds majority for a judge to be successfully elected. The procedure is always highly political because the court is seen as a pillar of German democracy, a symbol of the separation of powers in the German system and a defense against any politics that work against German citizens' basic rights. Although the process has never been as emotionally heated as the selection of judges for the US' Supreme Court, there have been occasional controversies around candidates. One such instance was the 2011 candidature of lawyer Peter Müller. Müller was also a politician and had only just resigned from his post as the state prime minister of Saarland. He is also a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, or CDU. Obviously he was not a neutral candidate for the court — he had openly been against the immigration policies of the then-left-leaning federal government — and his application was viewed with some skepticism. Despite this, the Bundesrat voted unanimously to appoint him to the Federal Constitutional Court. Those voting for him included state prime ministers who belonged to the then-ruling, left-wing parties like the Social Democrats and the Green party. Müller left the court in 2023. As the German media outlet, Legal Tribune Online, points out, the court's mixture of opinions is exactly why it is so respected. "The Karlsruhe court thrives on its pluralistic composition," the legal specialists wrote this week. "In their collective decision-making process, the 16 judges must argue and persuade … the court's working practices depend on this collaboration resulting in constitutionally sound decisions." The Federal Constitutional Court candidate at the center of the controversy, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, is not a politician. She is a highly respected constitutional law professor at the University of Potsdam. Brosius-Gersdorf has repeatedly dealt with difficult areas of jurisprudence, including abortion and how the Basic Law's ideals about human dignity apply to both mother and unborn child. Basically, when it comes to these tricky questions, she is doing her job, just as she is supposed to. However last Friday, her candidature for the Federal Constitutional Court appeared to fail. Germany's governing coalition — with the conservative CDU in the majority and the left-leaning Social Democrats a minority partner — withdrew the election of judges from parliamentary agenda. It had become clear that the CDU and their junior partner, the Christian Social Union, or CSU, were way too resistant to Brosius-Gersdorf. That was despite the fact that the parliamentary committee selecting the three candidates had previously expressed broad, cross-party support for Brosius-Gersdorf. For Philipp Sälhoff, head of Berlin-based political consultancy Polisphere the answer is clear. "Yes, there was a campaign," he told DW. His consultancy examined 40,000 related posts on the platform X (formerly Twitter). According to Sälhoff, all the elements one might expect to see in a targeted campaign were there. "Online petitions, calls to action, formulas for [protest] letters you can send to your member of parliament, paid-for advertising and posts, or the networking of actors on social media with one clear goal: preventing the election of this candidate," he explained. Reports in traditional media are not part of this, Sälhoff explains: "A critical political report isn't part of such a campaign, rather they're legitimate and necessary when it comes to how members of parliament vote, including on Federal Constitutional Court judges." The problem is that the campaign on social media was manipulative and became increasingly problematic as disinformation and aggressive exaggeration won over the facts, he noted. According to Polisphere's research, the agitating done by right-wing organizations like Nius were particularly notable. This online platform, founded by German billionaire Frank Gotthardt who had the intention of making it into this country's version of Fox News, was shooting at Brosius-Gersdorf from all barrels, and mostly with defamatory and false information. The law professor was described as a "left-wing radical," an extremist who would have allowed babies aborted at nine months and who was against freedom of opinion. These sort of untruths were peddled to an audience of millions and other far-right media followed suit. When it was announced that the vote on the Federal Constitutional Court judges had been called off, Nius' editor-in-chief, Julian Reichelt, celebrated. "This is a good day for us," he said. "Nobody recognized that there are now new media who won't play along with the [mainstream] political-media complex." In other words, he saw the campaign against Brosius-Gersdorf as a victory over established German media. Polisphere's Sälhoff sees reasons for concern in Reichelt's proclamation of victory. "It's not about whether these kinds of media impact opinions in Germany — they've been doing that for a while already," he explained. "But to engineer a situation like this in Germany's parliament in such a short time, where it was exposed more or less out of nowhere, and right in front of the eyes of the German and the international public — that's certainly success for them," Sälhoff said. Of course, at the same time members of parliament make decisions of their own accord. Campaigns, no matter what flavor, are part of the political scenery and they regularly drum up support, regardless of one's political persuasion. This is why CDU member and former Federal Constitutional Court judge, Peter Müller, believes the fault lies with his own party's leadership. "This is a blatant failure of leadership by the CDU/CSU," he said in an interview with German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. "Something like this shouldn't happen." Apparently shortly before the scheduled election of the judges, CDU leader and current Chancellor Friedrich Merz and CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn had signaled they expected party members to support Brosius-Gersdorf's candidacy. But apparently they were not listened to. For the time being, the vote for new Federal Constitutional Court judges has been taken off the parliament's agenda. Following that, in a long television interview with one of Germany's best known talk show hosts, Brosius-Gersdorf took on a lot of the accusations that had been made against her, saying she was neither radical nor extremist. She also tried to explain her position on various issues from a legal point of view. When asked whether she would continue to seek a spot on the bench, the 54-year-old replied that if there was any danger posed by her candidacy to the court itself, she would withdraw her nomination.
