Germany

16 stories

Europe
Defence procurement
Canada picks Germany's ThyssenKrupp to build up to 12 submarines
Prime Minister Mark Carney has named Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as preferred supplier to build up to 12 Type 212CD submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy, beating South Korea's Hanwha Ocean. The deal, worth up to C$60 billion to acquire and more than C$100 billion over its life, ties Canada into a German-Norwegian production line and a NATO fleet of up to 24 identical boats — a signal victory for Europe's rearming defence industry.
By Marc Weber7 July 2026
Europe
Germany
Tens of thousands rally in Erfurt as AfD re-elects its leaders and eyes power
Tens of thousands protested in Erfurt on July 4 as the far-right AfD re-elected co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, weeks before eastern state elections the party hopes to win.
By Léa Hoffmann6 July 2026
Sport
World Cup 2026
Germany and the Netherlands out as World Cup 2026 last-16 line-up is confirmed
Germany and the Netherlands have both been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, losing penalty shootouts in the round of 32 to Paraguay and Morocco respectively. With the last 16 now set and under way across the United States, Mexico and Canada, two of Europe's most decorated sides are already out.
By Marc Weber5 July 2026
Europe
Germany
German coalition agrees sweeping tax and pension package after months of deadlock
Germany's governing coalition agreed a 34-measure reform package on 2 July, combining €10 billion in annual income tax cuts with a pension overhaul, stricter sick-leave rules and less red tape — a breakthrough after months of internal deadlock.
By Camille Reuter2 July 2026
Economy
Defence tech
Helsing nears $1.2bn raise at $18bn valuation as capital floods Europe's defence tech
German defence-AI and drone maker Helsing is closing in on a roughly $1.2bn funding round at an $18bn valuation, as record venture capital flows into European defence following NATO's 5% spending pledge and the EU's €800bn rearmament drive.
By Marc Weber2 July 2026
Europe
Nord Stream
Germany charges Ukrainian with war crimes over Nord Stream sabotage
German prosecutors have filed the first charges over the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage, accusing a Ukrainian former soldier of war crimes. Kyiv says it is too early to respond.
By Camille Reuter2 July 2026
Society
Germany
Five killed in shooting at German youth welfare centre in Stade; sixth dies in hospital
Five people were shot dead at a youth welfare facility in Stade, northern Germany, on 29 June 2026, and a sixth later died in hospital. Police arrested a main suspect, detained two others and said there was no threat to the public.
By Léa Hoffmann29 June 2026
Europe
European defence
Germany bets on volunteers to rebuild its army, with conscription held in reserve
Germany's modernised military service law, in force since January 2026, relies on volunteers and mandatory registration while keeping conscription in reserve — part of a Europe-wide rearmament that reaches Luxembourg and NATO.
By Camille Reuter28 June 2026
Europe
Justice
German court hands life sentence to Magdeburg Christmas market attacker
The Landgericht Magdeburg sentenced Taleb al-Abdulmohsen to life in prison on 26 June 2026 for the December 2024 car attack that killed six people and injured more than 300, ruling the crime of 'particular severity' and finding him fully responsible despite a personality-disorder diagnosis. The verdict has sharpened a debate over how Christmas markets are protected across Germany and the Greater Region.
By Léa Hoffmann28 June 2026
Europe
European defence
Germany passes military-service law that could revive conscription if volunteers fall short
Fifteen years after suspending the draft, Germany has enacted a military-service law that stays voluntary but lets parliament switch on 'needs-based' conscription if too few volunteers come forward — part of a Europe-wide rearmament drive that reaches Luxembourg's own NATO spending commitments.
By Camille Reuter27 June 2026
Economy
European industry
Volkswagen weighs doubling its job cuts to 100,000 as Europe's car squeeze deepens
Volkswagen is reportedly planning to cut up to 100,000 jobs and close four German plants, doubling cuts announced in March and underscoring an industrial reckoning that stretches into Luxembourg's cross-border economy.
By Jonas Thill26 June 2026
Economy
Cross-border labour
Germany's commuter flow to Luxembourg stalls as French numbers rise
French commuters are driving almost all of Luxembourg's cross-border hiring while German numbers slip, reshaping the workforce that fills nearly half the Grand Duchy's jobs.
By Jonas Thill26 June 2026
Europe
European Union
France and Germany Clash in Luxembourg Over EU's 2035 Combustion-Engine Deadline
EU environment ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 25 June 2026 laid bare a Franco-German split over the 2035 combustion-engine phase-out, as the bloc weighs a Commission proposal to soften the target to a 90% emissions cut with e-fuels, biofuels and hybrids.
By Camille Reuter25 June 2026
Europe
Rail disruption
Radio failure halts every train in Germany, exposing the Greater Region's rail dependency
On the night of 23 June 2026, a failure of Deutsche Bahn's GSM-R digital train radio forced every train in Germany to a standstill for roughly two and a half hours. Long-distance ICE services and city S-Bahn networks alike were held at platforms before a backup system restored operations after midnight. Because the regular Luxembourg–Trier–Koblenz services run on the same German network, the episode underlined how exposed Greater Region mobility is to a single technical fault.
By Tom Schmit24 June 2026
Economy
Greater Region economy
Germany moves to make workers pay more and retire later as pension squeeze deepens
A German commission has urged Berlin to raise the retirement age toward 70, scrap 'pension at 63' and add a Sweden-style investment pillar — a reckoning that echoes Luxembourg's own pension debate.
By Jonas Thill23 June 2026
Europe
European defence
France and Germany settle KNDS ownership dispute, clearing path to defence-champion IPO
France and Germany have agreed to co-own armoured-vehicle maker KNDS as equal shareholders, ending a long-running governance dispute and opening the way to one of Europe's largest defence listings. Germany will buy a 40% stake from the company's German family owners, with a dual Frankfurt-Paris flotation targeted for July as EU rearmament spending accelerates.
By Jonas Thill22 June 2026