Gordon Schnieder
Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0 de (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- Oct 22
German states press Berlin to cut electricity tax for all households
On 22 October 2026, state premiers meeting in Berlin asked the federal government to cut the electricity tax for everyone as quickly as possible, while Thuringia added a demand to suspend CO2 pricing on fuel and heating.
- Oct 22
Söder wants an extremism clause to cut AfD- or Linke-led states from fiscal equalisation
Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder says he is in talks with Hesse and Baden-Württemberg on an extremism clause that would withhold equalisation payments from states governed by the AfD or Linke. He made the remarks in an interview published on Thursday, 22 October.
- Aug 23
Merz returns to Berlin facing CDU dissent, cabinet retreat and state elections
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ended a 23-day summer break, returning to Berlin ahead of a CDU presidium meeting, a cabinet retreat at Schloss Neuhardenberg, and three state elections in September.
- Jul 14
At Ahr valley memorial, Steinmeier recalls 2021 flood deaths and warns Germany is still not ready for the next one
Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier led memorials in Düsseldorf and the Ahr valley on Tuesday for the 184-188 victims of the July 2021 flood, calling the disaster an unmistakable warning that Germany has yet to fully answer.
- Jun 25
Germany's federal and state governments agree to cover 80% of new municipal costs from September
After months of negotiations, Chancellor Merz and state premiers agreed on a 'who orders, pays' principle, with the federal government covering 80% of new costs imposed on municipalities from September 1.
- Jun 12
Germany's health insurance reform faces blistering critique from opposition and states as Bundestag begins debate
Health Minister Nina Warken's proposal to close a €19 billion deficit in statutory health insurance draws a chorus of condemnation from Greens, Left, and AfD while federal states warn the cuts endanger rural hospitals and innovation.
