Hendrik Streeck
Photo: Frank Burkhardt, CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- 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 14
Deutsche Bahn bans alcohol at all German railway stations from 15 October
Drinking alcohol at Deutsche Bahn stations became prohibited across Germany on Thursday, 15 October 2026. DB says the rule should cut violence and litter, though outlets give station counts from 5,400 to 5,700.
- Aug 13
German cabinet abolishes accompanied drinking for 14- and 15-year-olds
The German federal cabinet approved a draft law ending the exception allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drink beer and wine in public with their parents, sending the bill to the Bundestag.
- Jul 18
Jens Spahn steps down as CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader after surrogacy controversy; Chancellor Merz demanded his resignation
The head of Germany's CDU/CSU parliamentary group stepped down on Saturday after Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded his resignation, following revelations that Spahn and his husband used a surrogate in the United States to become parents.
