- 4d ago
Bundestag passes five-year minimum sentence for crimes involving knockout drops
The Bundestag voted on Friday, 6 November 2026, to raise the minimum sentence for rape and robbery involving knockout drops from three to five years. The bill now goes to the Bundesrat.
- 4d ago
Germany's Bundestag orders CCTV in large slaughterhouses and delays animal welfare label again
Larger slaughterhouses must install video surveillance from 1 January 2027, with a one-year window for the technical setup. The state animal husbandry label for meat was pushed back for a third time, now to 1 October 2027.
- 4d ago
Frankfurt riots after Gen Z protests reignite debate on migrant backgrounds
Frankfurt police say about three quarters of 55 suspects hold foreign citizenship, while ministers and a detectives' union chief dispute how the rioters should be described.
- 4d ago
Bundestag to vote on cheaper driving licence reform on 5 November
The Bundestag is due to vote on Thursday, 5 November 2026, on the first part of a reform meant to make a German driving licence cheaper. Driving instructor associations doubt the promised savings, while the ADAC welcomes the plan.
- 4d ago
Care reform debate may drive 20% jump in Pflegegrad applications in Berlin, Brandenburg
The Medizinischer Dienst Berlin-Brandenburg counted 20 percent more assessment applications in October than a year earlier, and the Bundestag takes up the draft care reform on Thursday, 5 November.
- 5d ago
Merz skips UN climate conference in Antalya, Greens call it a devastating signal
Chancellor Friedrich Merz will not travel to the UN climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, which starts on 9 November. Environment Minister Carsten Schneider will represent the government, and Greens and climate activists have sharply criticised the absence.
- 6d ago
Ukraine notifies ex-Zelensky spokesperson Yulia Mendel of treason suspicion in absentia
Ukraine's Security Service and Prosecutor General's Office said on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, that Yulia Mendel, who lives abroad, has been notified in absentia of suspicion of state treason and of justifying Russia's aggression.
- Oct 15
Bundestag approves stepped tobacco tax rise, with pack prices seen near 12 euros by 2030
Germany's Bundestag passed a law raising the tobacco tax in four steps from 1 January 2027. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil expects almost 12 billion euros in extra revenue, and the Bundesrat takes up the bill on Friday, 16 October.
- Oct 15
Bundestag is due to vote on Germany's emergency care reform on Thursday, 15 October
The bill would route callers with non-urgent complaints to the 116117 on-call service and send patients to integrated emergency centres at hospitals. Doctors and hospital groups doubt it will ease crowded emergency rooms.
- Oct 7
German cabinet raises 2027 social security contribution ceilings to €6,375 and €8,850
The German government has raised the statutory income thresholds for health, pension, and care insurance, increasing monthly deductions by up to €124 for top-earning employees starting in 2027.
- Oct 7
German cabinet approves draft bill criminalizing sexualized deepfakes, voyeurism, and rape videos
The German Federal Cabinet has approved a draft law from Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig introducing prison terms of up to three years for creating sexualized deepfakes, sharing rape videos, and filming non-consensual intimate images.
- Oct 7
German parliamentary committee approves new Hamburg-Hannover rail line alongside 250 million euro track upgrade
The Bundestag transport committee voted on Wednesday to advance plans for a new rail link between Hamburg and Hannover, allocating 250 million euros for upgrades to existing tracks through Celle and Lüneburg by 2034.
- Oct 6
German conscientious objection filings reach 12,102 following new military service law
Applications for conscientious objection in Germany reached 12,102 from January to August 2026, doubling since June as authorities prepare mandatory muster for men born in 2008.
- Oct 5
Daniel Günther warns Friedrich Merz against cuts to renewable energy subsidies
Schleswig-Holstein Minister-President Daniel Günther has urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to revise draft energy laws that reduce solar tariffs and limit wind power curtailment compensation.
- Oct 5
Germany plans €550 per tonne plastic packaging tax from July 2027 to raise €1.5 billion
The ruling CDU/CSU and SPD coalition has drafted legislation imposing a €550 per tonne levy on plastic packaging to curb waste and raise up to €1.5 billion annually for the federal budget.
- Oct 5
AfD lawmakers propose overhaul of EU and euro over immediate German exit
A new strategy paper drafted by Alternative for Germany lawmakers proposes reforming the European Union into a looser union of sovereign nations rather than pursuing an immediate German withdrawal.
- Oct 5
German intelligence chiefs warn of violent conflict risk with Russia as hybrid attacks mount
Head of the BND Martin Jaeger told lawmakers in Berlin that Russian hybrid operations are escalating into sabotage and physical threats against domestic infrastructure.
- Oct 4
Unions and welfare groups oppose German care insurance cuts as cabinet aims to plug 8 billion euro deficit
A coalition of 14 German labor unions and welfare associations has called on the federal government to halt planned cuts to statutory long-term care insurance and social benefits following cabinet approval of draft reform legislation.
- Oct 4
Boris Rhein urges CDU to allow AfD lawmakers to chair Bundestag committees
Hesse Minister President Boris Rhein has called on the CDU to support Alternative for Germany candidates for Bundestag committee chairs, while rejecting legal efforts to ban the party.
- Oct 3
AfD reaches 30 percent as Union falls to 18 percent in German Insa poll
An Insa survey gives Alternative for Germany a 12-point lead over CDU/CSU, which dropped to 18 percent as 79 percent of voters expressed dissatisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
