Germany updates: Police make massive Captagon bust in east – DW – 07/13/2025
Authorities say it is one of the single biggest amphetamine busts ever in Germany, worth more than €20 million.
The Federal Constitutional Court will rule Tuesday on whether the German government is obliged to stop the US from using its Ramstein Air Base to conduct drone strikes in third countries. The Federal Constitutional Court will decide on Tuesday whether Germany has an obligation to protect third-country citizens from US drone missions that depend on data from US bases in Germany — specifically from Ramstein Air Base in the southwest.
The top court will rule in a case brought on appeal by two Yemeni citizens who say the German government did not do enough to prevent the killing of civilians in their village. Lower courts have been unable to definitively answer the question, though Berlin vehemently denies any negligence.
The men say Germany has an obligation to protect their right to life and that Berlin must investigate — and if necessary — stop the US from carrying out such missions.
Berlin says Washington has given guarantees that it is not violating international humanitarian law and that no US drones are launched, landed or controlled from Ramstein. The base, says the US, merely serves as a data relay point linking the Pentagon to drones at other sites — in this case Yemen — using satellite technology.
Berlin has said it has done enough and that to take further steps would put its EU and NATO relations into question.
The German government says that Berlin and Washington maintain "an ongoing and trusted dialog" when it comes to activities at Ramstein.
The Constitutional Court will now determine whether Germany has any such third-party obligations and whether Ramstein's role as a data relay represents a substantial enough German territorial tie to warrant German intervention.
Police in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt say they have made what is likely one of the largest-ever discoveries of fenethylline in German. Better known under the brand name Captagon, the amphetamine was discovered hidden among pallets full of oil-producing fruits and vegetables at a grocery store in the city of Landsberg.
Police seized 20 pallets on Saturday.
Authorities say some 300 kilos of the drug — in the form of 1.7 million pills — has an estimated street value of €20 million ($22 million).
Police and prosecutors said, "This is likely one of the largest single seizures of this substance in Germany," adding that investigations are ongoing.
from Bonn!
Following the pause, DW resumes its coverage of news and analysis from Germany.
On Sunday, German police announced the biggest discovery of Captagon amphetamines in the country's history. Authorities in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt say some 300 kilograms (around 661 pounds) of the drug were discovered in delivery pallets at a local vegetable shop.
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court will also rule this Tuesday on whether Berlin has an obligation to halt US drone missions in third-countries that depend on assistance from US bases in Germany.
Stay tuned for more, and we hope you enjoy reading!
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the coming days to discuss border security, calling irregular migration "a global problem."
In an op-ed for the , Starmer wrote that Merz's visit will include talks on "what more we can do together to prosecute criminal networks and prevent people smuggling to the U.K."
"The networks of these criminal gangs stretch across countless countries and legal systems, showing no respect for our borders," he wrote.
"We'll go further to tackle this shared issue together," he added.
Saturday was a fairy tale for Germany's castles, and a horror story for its women's football team.
Let's say the only thing getting defended well was Neuschwanstein.
What surprises does Sunday have in store? Join us again in the morning as we continue our coverage.
Sweden made a big statement at the Women's European Championship with a dominant 4-1 win over Germany.
Both teams had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, but this result gives Sweden a potentially smoother path to the final.
Sweden will face the runner-up of Group D in the quarter-finals, with Germany facing the team that tops that group. That will be France,
England or the Netherlands.
Read how it went wrong for Germany by clicking here.
One week after a father and his son went missing in Eibsee lake in southern Germany, rescue teams have recovered their bodies, German police reported Saturday.
Investigators believe that the 6-year-old boy fell into the lake while the family of four was out on the Eibsee, a Bavarian Alpine lake located at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
His 33-year-old father jumped in to rescue the child, but neither of them resurfaced, police said, adding that there are no signs of foul play.
The mother and the couple's daughter were also on the pedal boat at the time. The family is from the southern state of Bavaria, according to the police.
Emergency responders conducted an intensive, week-long search operation to find the pair.
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said that the US tariffs "would hit European exporting companies hard," following US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would impose 30% tariffs on all EU goods.
"At the same time, they would also have a strong impact on the economy and consumers on the other side of the Atlantic," Reiche said in an emailed statement.
"A pragmatic outcome to the negotiations must be reached quickly," she added.
You can read more about the reactions to Trump's tariff announcement on Saturday in our special blog.
The Bavarian castle, which inspired the young Walt Disney, is one of the most popular attractions in Germany.
Now it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What makes it so magical?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Saturday announced the newest additions to its list of designated World Heritage Sites during an annual meeting in Paris.
Several sites in Germany were added to the list, namely, the castles and residences of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886).
Built in the 1800s in different historicizing styles and defamed as a fanciful if not mad waste of money at the time, the sites have been tourist magnets for nearly 140 years.
The UNESCO designation will no doubt increase the number of people visiting the sites. Some 1.7 million individuals, many of them foreign tourists, visited the castles in 2024.
Politicians in the southern German state of Bavaria have fought for the designation for a quarter century.
Known around the world — in large part due to the Disney corporation's use of Neuschwanstein as a model for various castles, as well as the image of the palace perched on an outcropping and surrounded by Alpine forests — Neuschwanstein Castle, Herrenchiemsee Palace, Linderhof Castle and the King's House on Schachen were all added to the list Saturday.
"The inclusion of the palaces on the World Heritage List is an outstanding tribute to these impressive places," said German Unesco Commission President Maria Böhmer.
"They are all architectural masterpieces and bear witness to the artistic imagination, but also the eccentricity of the fairytale king."
Prior to Saturday's additions, there were 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany. Globally, there are some 1,223 World Heritage Sites in 168 different countries.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe and labor union IG Metall announced on Saturday that they have reached agreement over hard fought cost-cutting measures at the German industrial company.
A collective restructuring agreement came Saturday after three days of negotiations, with management and labor seeking to put the company back in the black by 2030.
ThyssenKrupp, Germany's largest steelmaker, has struggled with rising energy prices and cheap imports from Asia of late.
In order to combat that trend, lay-offs — up to 10,000 of them — and the cancellation of various bonuses will be undertaken, with laborers taking home less pay in the future.
"We are reducing excess capacity, improving efficiency, and can thus achieve a competitive cost structure," said Marie Jaroni, a member of the company's executive board, in describing the company's long-term viability.
Regional IG Metall leader Knut Geisler noted that concessions made by ThyssenKrupp regarding firings and investment had softened the impact of the agreement.
Now IG Metall union members at ThyssenKrupp must approve the deal.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Saturday said recent parliamentary wrangling within the ruling coalition over the appointment of judges to the Federal Constitutional Court do not weaken the institution.
Dobrindt, of Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), was reacting to criticism by opposition parties but also from coalition partner Social Democrats (SPD) who accused the CDU/CSU of "deliberately dismantling our highest German court and our democratic institutions."
Speaking with radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk (DLF), Dobrindt said, "I don't see any damage to the Federal Constitutional Court at all."
Germany's Bundestag had been scheduled to vote on three appointments to the bench on Friday but the vote was torpedoed when the conservative CDU/CSU bloc unexpectedly withdrew support for a candidate put forth by the SPD over plagiarism accusations.
from Bonn
Following the pause, DW resumes its coverage of news and analysis from Germany.
On Saturday, Germany awaits news from Paris, where the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO is expected to decide whether to grant World Heritage status to the castles of Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee, and Linderhof, as well as the royal residence on Schachen Mountain in Upper Bavaria.
Stay tuned for more, and we hope you enjoy reading!
It's just past midnight here in Germany, so we're pausing our coverage for now and will resume early in the morning.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Muhammadu Buhari: A legacy of 'praise and pain' – DW – 07/14/2025
The strongman-turned-democrat led Nigeria twice — as military ruler from 1983 to 1985 and as elected president from 2015 to 2023. Muhammadu Buhari died at 82 in a London clinic on July 13. Muhammadu Buhari leaves a mixed legacy in Nigeria. He is remembered for trying to foster integrity in the country and for leadership that was deeply flawed. "From his military era to his two-term civilian presidency, he leaves behind a legacy filled with both praise and pain. We must reflect on justice and accountability," Sheriff Ansu, a digital content creator, said. Human rights activists say Buhari never let go of his autocratic tendencies. "Buhari was an ethnic bigot. He had contempt for the rule of law; he disobeyed court orders. He engaged in enforced disappearances of critics," Omoyele Sowore, an Abuja-based activist, told DW. "In 2015, he presided over mass murder of over 300 Shiites in Zaria. Young Nigerians protesting police brutality were gunned down in October 2020 by soldiers directed by Buhari. That is unforgettable and unforgivable." The protests were part of a movement dubbed #EndSARS, named after a special police unit accused for years of racketeering, torture and murder. The Buhari government violently crushed the movement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan at the polls in 2015, in what was judged to be Nigeria's fairest general election to date. Not everyone liked having a former military general at the country's helm. Many nevertheless hoped he would crack down on armed groups. "He is one man who believed in making Nigeria the best place to live on Earth. He tried his best to bring Nigerians together as military ruler and a democratically elected leader," Yusuf Dantalle, chairman of Nigeria's Inter Party Advisory Council, told DW. "That does not mean he was perfect. He had his flaws like any other human being." "What stands out is that his presidency triggered national conversations around leadership accountability, youth inclusion and restructuring of systems to entrench democracy," Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche, a media entrepreneur told DW. Many had expected Buhari's tenure as democratically-elected leader to be characterized by the kind of discipline, order and stability of a military veteran. Buhari described himself as a "converted democrat" when he swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps. "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody," was his constant refrain to both supporters and critics. But Buhari's lacklustre leadership often made headlines and earned him the moniker "Baba Go Slow." It took him six months to name his ministers in 2015 and the oil-dependent economy was hobbled by low crude prices. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Buhari earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics. But his crackdowns on corruption also ran into criticism and failed to yield high-profile convictions. He retained his popularity in the country's poor and largely Muslim north, where he was from and where voters propelled him to his second term in 2019, That came despite a term that was blighted by Nigeria's first recession in a generation, attacks on oilfields by militants. Buhari was seen to repeatedly ignore advice from the International Monetary Fund to devalue the naira. Instead he kept the currency artificially high — the same failed approach he used as military ruler in the 1980s. In 2022 the production of oil — by far Nigeria's greatest export — fell to its lowest level in more than two decades due to theft in the Niger Delta. Frail health often interfered with Buhari's tenure as president. He made frequent trips to hospitals abroad for an undisclosed illness. In 2017, rumor of his death swirled after he disappeared from public eye for 51 days, reportedly to undergo treatment. Buhari's death at a London health facility reminded many Nigerian citizens of his medical trips and the controversy it had courted. Buhari, an ethnic Fulani and devout Muslim was born on December 17, 1942, in the northern Katsina state. He joined the army at 20 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming an officer and the military governor of the states of Northeast and Bauchi. In 1976, the country's then military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Buhari as petroleum and energy minister. The position put him in charge of a newly founded National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Despite his new key role in Africa's largest oil producers, Buhari returned to the army as a commander, rejoining its Supreme Military Council, and leading several units. In 2003, he was presidential candidate for the All Nigeria's Peoples Party. His defeat was follwed by similarly unsuccessful bids in 2007 and 2011. In 2015, Buhari finally won the presidency with 54% of the vote. He had promised to fight rampant corruption and defeat the Islamist terrorist Boko Haram militia. "The symbolic thing about his victory is the fact that he is considered one of Nigeria's most incorruptible leaders. That is significant in a country where the population does not believe people in important positions deserve such a reputation," Manji Cheto, the vice president of Teneo Intelligence, said at the time. On December 31, 1983, when General Ibrahim Babangida and other members of the military overthrew elected President Shehu Shagari, Buhari was appointed to chair Nigeria's Supreme Military Council. To play this audio please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 audio He went on to suspend the Constitution, ban all political parties, and clamp down on corruption — making good on his threat at the time to jail the corrupt "without the nonsense of judicial proceedings." Under Buhari's "war on indiscipline" nearly 500 people were jailed for corruption and wasting taxpayers' money. Public servants were reportedly made to genuflect for coming late to work. Buhari had people executed, was intolerant of criticism and restricted press freedom. Nobellaureate Wole Soyinka said Nigerians felt they were living under an "iron-fisted, rigid rule and governance that spreads fear." Ironically, Buhari's reign ended as it started: in a coup staged by General Babangida in August 1985. In the 2022-2023 presidential race, Buhari endorsed Bola Tinubu who had been dishing out praise over his dedication to national unity, reforms and discipline. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: Trump warns Russia of 'very severe tariffs' – DW – 07/14/2025
The US president said he was "very unhappy" with Russia and warned there would be "very severe tariffs" if there was no deal to end the war in Ukraine in 50 days. DW has more. US President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with Russia and warned of severe economic consequences if there was no agreement to end the war in Ukraine in 50 days. The comments come amid rising tensions between the United States and Russia. Washington's special envoy for Ukraine meanwhile arrived in Kyiv to discuss security and sanctions against Moscow. Keith Kellogg's visit is expected to last about a week. It follows Donald Trump's announcement that the US would send Patriot air defense missiles to President Donald Trump has revealed his awaited "major statement" on Russia, threatening Moscow with "very very severe" tariffs unless a deal to end the war with Ukraine is reached within 50 days. Trump made the announcement as he sat side-by-side with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, saying he was very unhappy with Russia. "I use trade for a lot of things," he added. "But it's great for settling wars." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had asked Yuliia Svyrydenko to become the new prime minister. Svyrydenko has served as Ukraine's first deputy prime minister and economy minister. "I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work. I look forward to the presentation of the new government's action plan in the near future," Zelenskyy wrote on X. He also mentioned that they discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine's economic potential, and that they are initiating a transformation of Ukraine's executive branch to achieve this goal. Svyrydenko has held her current position since November 2021. Previously, she was the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office. Denys Shmyhal is the present Prime Minister. He has been in office since March 2020. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv. According to a social media post by Zelenskyy, they discussed defense cooperation and sanctions on Russia during a "productive" conversation." "We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer," the Ukrainian leader wrote on X. "This includes strengthening Ukraine's air defense, joint production, and procurement of defense weapons in collaboration with Europe. And of course, sanctions against Russia and those who help it," Zelenskyy added. He thanked Kellogg for visiting Ukraine and Trump for sending important "signals of support." The US president is expected to deliver a "major statement... on Russia" on Monday. During his meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is set to deliberate the pressing matter of providing Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems. Berlin has already provided Kyiv with three of the 12 Patriot systems it previously possessed. "We only have six left in Germany," Pistorius said in an interview with British daily . The German minister added that at least one Patriot unit was always unavailable due to maintenance or training, and that two others had been lent to Poland. "That's really too few, especially considering the NATO capability goals we have to meet. We definitely can't give any more," Pistorius said. The minister said he would discuss his proposal from last month with Hegseth for Germany to purchase two Patriot systems from the United States for Ukraine. During the interview, Pistorius also stated that Germany would not deliver its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine despite Kyiv's renewed request. The Kremlin said that US President Donald Trump's remarks about supplying Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine mean that US arms and ammunition deliveries to Kyiv are ongoing. "Now it seems that these supplies will be paid for by Europe, some will be paid for, some will not," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Trump's announcement. "The fact remains that the supply of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment from the United States continued and continues to Ukraine," Peskov added. Peskov said the Kremlin believed that Kyiv was clearly in no hurry for the third round of peace negotiations. He added that Russia was ready for the talks and awaiting clarity on the timing from Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Telegram that Russian forces had taken control of two more Ukrainian villages: Malynivka in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Maiak in the eastern Donetsk region. No comment has been issued by Ukrainian authorities as of yet. Over the summer, Russia escalated its offensive in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, advancing the front line and launching some of the war's largest missile and drone attacks. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russian President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, stated that dialogue between Russia and the United States would persist despite seemingly growing tensions between the two powers. "This dialogue will continue — despite the titanic efforts to disrupt it by all means possible," Dmitriev said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. The official made the comments after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Putin over Russia's invasion and announced that the US would send Patriot air defense system missiles to Ukraine. Trump had made rapproachement with Moscow and a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine a major pillar of his campaign for election as US president, but has in recent weeks increasingly vented his frustration with the apparent lack of progress on peace talks and Russia's continued aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Trump is expected to deliver a "major statement" on Russia on Monday, having previously hinted he was open to slapping Moscow with further sanctions. Earlier this year, Dmitriev, the head of Russia's Direct Investment Fund, met with Trump's special envoy, Steven Witkoff, when Witkoff visited Russia. Dmitriev also attended Witkoff's meeting with Putin. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will meet with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington. Security in Europe is likely to be a focus of Monday's talks, given the growing Russian territorial aggression in Ukraine. The meeting is also expected to center on Berlin's offer to pay for American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, a proposal announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz weeks ago. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said he would send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, adding that the EU would reimburse the President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine to help the country fight Russia's full-scale invasion. "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there's a little bit of a problem there. I don't like it," Trump said. The delivery of Patriot missiles would be paid for by NATO and the EU, Trump said. However, Trump did not specify how many missiles would be sent to Ukraine. The US president's announcement of much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he said he would deliver a "major statement... on Russia" on view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv for a nearly weeklong visit focused on defense and sanctions talks. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top aide, posted a video on X showing himself welcoming Kellogg at the Kyiv railway station. "We welcome US Special Representative Keith Kellogg to Ukraine," Yermak wrote on Telegram, adding "peace through strength is the principle of US President Donald Trump, and we support this approach." "Defense, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protecting our people, strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the United States — there are many topics to discuss," Yermak wrote. In his evening address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that he had instructed military commanders to present Kellogg with information on Russia's capabilities and Ukraine's prospects. Earlier this month, Washington said it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, but Trump recently changed course, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for intensifying attacks as US-led peace talks stalled. Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine. As Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv for defense talks. On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. This announcement marked an abrupt change in Trump's position, as just two weeks ago the US paused the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. Stay tuned for more news and analysis.
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
German Chancellor Merz goes into summer in crisis mode – DW – 07/14/2025
Just over two months in power — and already facing a political crisis. Recently, Friedrich Merz's coalition has been thrown into turmoil. What does the chancellor intend to do about it? In the final answer of his 30-minute interview with Germany's public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz struck a clearer note than in any other part of the discussion: "I have not liked what the Israeli government has been doing in the Gaza Strip for many weeks now." He had also expressed this view in several meetings and telephone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he insisted. The chancellor said he hoped that the Europeans, together with the US, could bring about a solution to the conflict "that ultimately leads to a two-state solution." The Palestinians have a "right" to a place where they can live, he said. "The way things are going at the moment is unacceptable." Merz did not discuss the fate of the last remaining Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity, or the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, nor was he asked to. It was day 69 of Merz's term as chancellor, and nominally day 2 of the German parliament's summer recess. The Bundestag is currently not scheduled to reconvene until September 8 — another two months. Merz and his government had hoped to usher in a spirit of renewal in Germany by now, which is what he had been promising since shortly after the federal elections at the end of February. In recent days, Merz's loyal supporters have been trying to paint a picture of success, insisting that the economy is showing positive signs, and pointing to the decline in the number of refugees coming to Germany. But there can be little talk of renewal before the summer vacation, at least not in domestic politics, given the coalition crisis that nearly erupted on Friday. Merz's coalition had wanted the parliament to elect three new judges to the Constitutional Court, Germany's highest court, which requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag. According to accounts by many of those involved, Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU parliamentary group, had promised the Social Democrats (SPD) the CDU's support weeks ago. Yet there was opposition, with dozens of MPs outraged by statements made by one of the candidates to the court. Shortly before the plenary session, the coalition partners withdrew the topic from the agenda, leaving the question unresolved as summer recess arrives. This is much more than just a row over a personnel decision. The larger issue is how much power Merz and Spahn can exert over members of their conservative bloc in parliament. Consequently, nearly half of the ARD interview focused on this unprecedented incident in German history. The chancellor referred to each member's freedom to make certain decisions according to their own conscience. Then he sidestepped all subsequent questions, citing upcoming consultations, internal deliberations, dialogue within the coalition, or unresolved issues. Interestingly, Merz did not mention a single active CDU politician by name in the entire interview. And only afterwards, in a shorter ARD roundtable discussion broadcast only online, did he complain about the "wave of outrage" in the past few days, as well as "untruths, unbelievable malice, unbelievable personal insults." Merz came also under fire again this Sunday — not from parliament, but from Germany's president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Hours before the chancellor's interview on ARD, Steinmeier made a statement in an interview on ZDF, Germany's other national public broadcaster. Steinmeier said he believes that the coalition between the CDU and the SPD has "damaged itself" as a result of the failure to elect the judges. To limit any further damage to Germany's highest court, he added, the Bundestag should take up the "decisions in the immediate future." "If this doesn't happen, we would have cause for concern." Failure to act quickly would endanger the rule of law, said Steinmeier, pointing to the current situation in the US. Neither the interviewer nor the chancellor responded to Steinmeier's statement. On Friday, the coalition parties set September as the next date for voting on the three judges. The Greens, on the other hand, are pushing for a new vote in a special Bundestag session this week, something Steinmeier signaled he would also prefer. Merz, however, showed no signs of moving in this direction. "The whole thing is overblown," he said. Adding, we will come back to it later. "Next time, we'll do better." But when? Why did this dramatic Friday cause such a stir and prompt criticism of the coalition in the media? It might be because the new chancellor's first day in office also showed signs of discord in his coalition. Much to the surprise of political observers, and for the first time in the country's history, the chancellor failed to get the required majority in the first round of voting in the Bundestag, normally a formality. This crisis has overshadowed whatever the government has achieved since then. Meanwhile, as Merz pointed out in Sunday's interview, there are huge reform projects pending for the second half of the year. His coalition plans to reform the social security systems covering health, welfare and pensions, something the CDU and the SPD do not always see eye to eye on. Merz says the coalition acknowledges "that we… have to reform," and work on this is "in full swing." This could become even more difficult following President Donald Trump's announcement this weekend that the US would impose 30% tariffs on all imports from the EU, starting on August 1. This does not bode well for the German economy, as the US is Germany's most important trading partner. Merz told ARD that the tariffs will "cut to the bone." The EU must now show unity, Merz said, and "ensure that tariffs of this magnitude do not come into effect." Merz visited Trump in early June and warned against such trade barriers, among other things. It seems very unlikely that any of this will happen before the beginning of the eight-week summer recess. Merz's spokesperson has already announced several meetings for Friday, including trips to Munich and London. On July 18, he will answer questions at an annual summer press conference in Berlin, for the first time as chancellor. For his predecessors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz this was usually the last public appearance before going on you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
