#Germany
articles
German Employers Push to Limit Works Council Power in Urgent Cases
The BDA wants faster unilateral decisions for employers on restructuring, smaller works councils and electronic election...
Merz Weighs Sanctions and Diplomatic Expulsions After Leipzig Drone Find
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reported to be weighing Germany-specific sanctions, diplomat expulsions and the closure of ...
Deutsche Bahn Extends Rail Station Alcohol Ban to Four More German Stations
From 1 September, Deutsche Bahn bans drinking alcohol at Berlin, Kiel, Braunschweig and Berlin-Gesundbrunnen stations; h...
Rhine at 6cm: Barge Loads Tumble to 400 Tonnes and Surcharges Pass €1,000
The historic low at the Kaub bottleneck is forcing barge operators to cut loads and charge steep low-water surcharges, w...
German Foreign Minister Visits Ukraine With Winter Energy Security and Defence Ties in Focus
On Ukraine's 35th independence day, Berlin is signalling support for military resilience, winter energy repairs and long...
German Gas Storage at 50% as TTF Hits Eight-Month High: Regulator Presses Traders
Germany's gas reserves are roughly half full weeks before the key injection period ends, with the Dutch TTF contract at ...
China Tests Arctic Container Route to Europe as Red Sea Risks Persist
A Chinese container ship is using the Arctic route to reach Germany, cutting sailing time but shifting supply-chain expo...
German Parents: Godparents Are Not Automatic Guardians — Here’s the Legal Fix
A guardianship directive lets parents in Germany name who should raise their minor children if both die. Experts explain...
Fans, Split ACs and Cold-Water Tricks: What German Households Spend to Beat the Heat
Repeated heatwaves are forcing German households to weigh fans, split air conditioners and cold-water tricks. The real s...
Reinhold Würth: Germany's Richest Man Built a Fastener Empire and a Free Art Museum Network
Reinhold Würth, 91, tops Forbes' German rich list with an estimated €42bn, built on screws and bolts. His less-visible l...
Savings Accounts Pay 4% Again: What to Check Before You Switch
German banks are competing hard for deposits, with Chase offering 4% for up to four months. The teaser rates are real, b...
Germany Needs Structural Reform, Not Just More Debt, Strategist Argues
Robert Halver warns that Germany’s old export model has lost its geopolitical tailwinds — and that debt without competit...
Klingbeil Proposes Scrapping €1,080 Tax-Free Staff Discounts, Angering Coalition
A draft tax-reform bill would end the annual tax-free allowance for employee discounts, saving Germany €240 million a ye...
Climate Damage Costs Germany €500m a Day, and Households Have Levers
Record heat, a 12-centimetre Rhine and 10,000 heat-related deaths have pushed climate costs into household budgets; sola...
Germany’s Frühstartrente: €10 a Month to Give Every Child a Pension Start
Germany’s cabinet has approved a state-funded child retirement account: €10 per month from age 6 to 18, with no separate...
Norway's Builders Lose Polish Workers as Germany Faces 400,000 Construction Job Gaps
A NAV-backed survey puts Norway's skilled construction shortfall at 4,750 workers, while Germany reports up to 400,000 m...
The Real MSCI World Return After Tax and Inflation Is 3.1%, Not 8.41%
A 30-year, €100-a-month MSCI World plan shows why German savers should plan with a 3.1% real return once tax and inflati...
Greens Push Windfall Tax on Oil Companies as German Fuel Prices Bite
Green parliamentary leader Katharina Dröge wants excess oil profits taxed and refunded through lower electricity costs, ...
German Auto Industry Employment Falls Below 700,000, Lowest Since 2005
Official data show 42,300 German auto jobs disappeared in a year, with parts suppliers hit hardest as the wider manufact...
German Mineral Water Bottlers Face Bottle-and-Crate Shortage in Hot Summer
Trade bodies say there is no supply emergency, but some brands may be briefly unavailable as heat lifts demand and fewer...
Germany's Child Pension Plan: A Modest Step Away From Costly Pension Policy Mistakes
Germany's cabinet has approved a €10 monthly state pension contribution for every child from school age to 18. At just o...
CDU and SPD Adopt AfD's Pension Playbook as Eastern State Votes Loom
CDU and SPD leaders are reopening the 'Rente mit 63' deal to court eastern German voters, ignoring the fiscal logic they...
Deutsche Finance Real Estate Fund Faces Insolvency as 1,200 Investors Warned of Total Loss
A public fund from Munich-based Deutsche Finance is expected to file for insolvency after failing to repay nearly $60 mi...
Germany Approves Intelligence Reform to Expand Cyber Powers and Oversight
Berlin's cabinet has agreed to modernise BND and BfV powers, allowing AI-driven data analysis and limited active cyber d...
A 20-Year-Old Built a 'Doctolib for Trades' in Five Weeks Using OpenAI Codex
Suna Marie Tamboga built Passt, a platform that matches German households with the right tradesperson, in about five wee...
Germany Pays 19 North Sea Fishers €12m to Quit as Shrimp Fleet Shrinks 30%
Germany has approved €12m to pay 19 North Sea crab and flatfish operators to surrender licences and scrap cutters by mid...
Low Water Forces Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia to Lift Sunday Truck Bans
Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia temporarily allow Sunday truck shipments until 31 August as Rhine, Elbe and Danube low...
Rhine Hits Record Low at Kaub, Forcing Europe's Industrial Freight Reroute
Europe's key industrial waterway has effectively stalled at Kaub after hitting a record low, pushing chemicals, steel an...
Germany Introduces ‘Frühstartrente’ to Give Children a Head Start on Retirement Savings
The German cabinet has approved a plan to invest €10 per month for every child from age six to 18, aiming to build capit...
Germany's 2026 Tax Bill Hikes Interest Rates, Expands R&D Credit, and Forces Digital Tax Delivery
The German cabinet approved the Annual Tax Act 2026, introducing higher tax interest, a €25 million R&D credit cap, defa...