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Germany updates: Bundestag a 'prime' target for hackers – DW – 07/20/2025

Germany updates: Bundestag a 'prime' target for hackers – DW – 07/20/2025

DW20-07-2025
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is consistently under attack by hackers.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner says Germany's lower house of parliament is under constant cyberattack.
On Sunday, she called for beefed up cyber defenses as well as expanded rights for parliamentary police when screening visitors.
In other news, Germany's Red Cross warns that the population is lacking in people with skills to deal with major emergencies.A female brown bear, known as JJ4 or Gaia, that killed a jogger in Italy in 2023 has been relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Germany.
The move follows legal battles and protests, after the bear — originally set to be euthanized — became the center of a debate over human-wildlife conflict.
Read more about the story here.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, speaking with German press agency DPA, called for increased defensive capabilities at the country's parliament, saying it is under constant attack.
"We are recording numerous hacker attacks… the Bundestag is a prime target," said Klöckner, whose position as president of the body is similar to that of the speaker in many other countries.
"We will have to boost our capacity to resist against cyberattacks," she said in remarks to be published Sunday.
"If the German Bundestag were to be shutdown during the reading of a bill or a vote, for example, and deadlines could not be met… that would be a triumph for hackers," said Klöckner. "Defending ourselves against this has to do with the stabilization and resilience of our democracy," not only the protection of the parliament.
The last overhaul of the system was prompted by a May 2015 cyberattack in which the computers of numerous parliamentarians — and even Chancellor Angela Merkel — were infected with spyware.
Five years later, Merkel announced that an investigation had turned up "hard evidence" of Russian involvement.
Russia was also accused of being behind a 2023 cyberattack on the email accounts of then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD). It remains unknown who was behind a 2024 cyberattack on the headquarters of Klöckner's own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.
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Klöckner has also called for a new parliamentary police law to better protect the Bundestag and politicians against potential physical attacks — specifically when it comes to ID checks among visitors to the popular institution.
Currently, says Klöckner, domestic security services cannot share information about an individual visitor's criminal records or threat potential with Bundestag police, a situation she blasted as "absurd."
Germany's Bundestag is the most-visited parliament in the world according to Klöckner, with more than 2 million citizens attending sessions each year.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has warned the United States against escalating the tariff war with the European Union (EU).
"This would lead to everything becoming more expensive for consumers in the USA," he told the newspaper. "The European Union is not defenseless."
Wadephul insisted that EU member states were standing together and that he didn't fear an end to the resistance.
"Indeed, there are states which are demanding more stringency and toughness than Germany thinks is right," he said.
Wadephul reiterated the German government's belief that "the complete dismantling of all tariffs" is the preferred approach, and that "we can reach a positive agreement with the USA through negotiation."
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He said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heavily involved in the discussions, saying: "Germans can count on the fact that there is a chancellor standing up for our interests and European interests in Washington."
After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country.
"It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction."
Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed.
"We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist.
"No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance."
Germany spectacularly reached the semi-final of the Women's Euro 2025 on Saturday night, beating France 6-5 on penalties despite having been reduced to ten players for the majority of the evening.
Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the 13th minute for tugging on an opponent's hair in the penalty area, after which Grace Geyoro gave France the lead from the penalty spot. But Sjoeke Nüsken headed Germany level just nine minutes later.
What followed was 100 minutes of defensive attrition from Germany to somehow reach extra-time and then penalties, where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger was the heroine.
Germany will face Spain in the semifinal on Wednesday. The other semifinal sees defending champions England play Italy.
Read DW's full match report here.
German police on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired shots at passersby and neighboring buildings in the small town of Leonberg, just west of the city of Stuttgart in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg.
Local police and state prosecutors said the 44-year-old German man had indiscriminately fired shots from the second floor of his house, fortunately injuring nobody.
When armed police entered his apartment, he reportedly threatened officers with his weapon and was subsequently shot.
Police secured the weapon which turned out to be a non-lethal gas pistol. Whether or not this was the weapon used to fire the shots from the house was not immediately clear.
The state criminal police office (LKA) is also investigating the police's use of firearms in the operation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday honored the Central Council of Jews in Germany for its role in society on the 75th anniversary of its founding.
"Jewish life is a part of us," wrote Merz on the messaging platform X, adding that the organization reminds everyone in the country of something "that should be obvious: Germany must be a safe space for Jews."
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also honored the day, saying that he was "deeply thankful" that the organization's first leaders had determined to "rebuild Jewish life in Germany in the aftermath of the Shoah ."
Steinmeier said that beyond not letting Germany forget the crimes of its Nazi past and fighting antisemitism, the Central Council of Jews in Germany served as "an important driving force behind the democratic development of German society after 1945."
The institution, which functions as Germany's main political, societal and religious representative for Jews in the country, was founded on July 19, 1950, in Frankfurt — just five years after the end of World War II and the industrial-scale murder of more than six million European Jews at the hands of Germany's Nazi dictatorship.
Today the council comprises some 105 communities and associations, and 100.000 individual members.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
A majority of Germans have opposed banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a new poll.
The survey by the Allensbach Institute, published Saturday by , found that 52% of respondents reject a ban on the party, while 27% support it. In eastern Germany, two-thirds of those surveyed said they were against such a move.
According to the researchers, one key reason is that many Germans know AfD supporters personally. In the West, 67% said they had AfD sympathizers in their social circles; in the East, that figure rose to 88%. While 54% of respondents described the AfD as far-right, only 5% viewed their acquaintances who back the party in the same way.
Another factor behind the opposition to a ban is mistrust toward the parties advocating it. Many respondents suspect those parties are mainly trying to eliminate a political rival that has grown too strong.
The idea of a ban is divisive within Germany's governing coalition. The center-left Social Democratic Party voted unanimously at its June 29 party congress to prepare proceedings and called for a federal-state working group. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has pushed back, citing steep legal hurdles and urging a focus on political argument.
Two parties have been banned in (West) Germany, an openly neo-Nazi party in 1952 and the Communist Party (KPD) in 1956.
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Around half of eligible voters in Germany have said they agree with the federal government's view that Russia poses a danger to the country, according to a new YouGov poll for Germany's DPA news agency.
The survey found that 13% see a very serious military threat from Moscow, while 36% consider it a significant one. By contrast, 30% say Russia poses only a minor threat, and 14% see no threat at all.
The divide is sharp along political party lines. Among supporters of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, center-left Social Democrats, and the Greens, 58–62% view Russia as a major or very serious threat.
About one-third of these party groups see little or no danger.
The picture flips among far-right Alternative for Germany voters, where 65% say there is little or no military threat from Russia, while 29% see one.
Among supporters of the populist left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, only 33% see a threat, while 51% do not.
Supporters of the socialist Left party are evenly split — 48% see a threat, 47% do not.
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German consumers are paying more for meat — and prices are still climbing this summer.
And while retail costs rise, producers of Germany's favorite meat, pork, face falling returns.
According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) in Bonn, average discount supermarket prices for a 400-gram pack of minute steaks increased by 30 cents in early July, from €3.49 to €3.79 ($4.06 to $4.41). The price for coarse pork sausages rose from €2.59 to €2.89, and a 550-gram pack of chicken schnitzel went up 30 cents to €6.26.
Meat and meat product prices have steadily risen in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office reports that, by June, they were on average 31.7% higher than in 2020.
Poultry had risen by more than 45%, and minced beef by over 68%. The German Meat Industry Association cites several causes: general inflation, rising feed costs, wage increases, and energy policy impacts.
Beef has become scarcer in Germany. According to the industry association, more farms are ending cattle production, citing regulatory pressure and uncertainty about future farming standards. The result has been shrinking herds.
Meanwhile, poultry consumption is rising.
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German media have begun scrutinizing the government's latest deportation flights to Afghanistan, questioning whether the men truly fit the label of dangerous criminals.
One of the 81 men deported on Friday was Haroon I., 27, who was escorted from a facility in Pforzheim under heavy police presence late on Thursday.
Footage of the scene, obtained by , shows the emotional moment.
The report said the man was a convicted cannabis dealer who had already served his sentence. People close to him say he had been rebuilding his life and was well on his way to integrating into German society.
said that Haroon had strong German, was living with his partner, a German woman, had a job and was a member of his community. He also had little connection to Afghanistan with most of his family having left the country.
The convoy was guarded by police in balaclavas who kept back friends and supporters.
Pforzheim was one of the departure points for the new round of deportations to Afghanistan ordered by Germany's centrist coalition. A plane carrying the men left Leipzig airport early on Friday.
The government has said it is delivering on a campaign pledge to deport people to Afghanistan and Syria, starting with criminals and people posing a perceived risk.
After the deportations, the United Nations said no one should be returned to Afghanistan, regardless of their legal status.
A fireworks display at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes — a type of town fair — has left 19 people injured, including four seriously.
Emergency services confirmed the injuries late Friday after fireworks reportedly exploded unusually close to the ground. According to police, at least one child was among the injured.
Eyewitnesses told German public broadcaster WDR that some rockets flew sideways or detonated low, with a few even landing in the Rhine River. One video from across the river shows explosions lighting up both the sky and ground at the same time.
"I was at the fair watching the fireworks," said one witness. "Some rockets flew surprisingly low and exploded close to people. I wondered if that wasn't too near the crowd."
Fire officials believe some rockets may have veered off course, with one misfiring directly into the crowd.
Organizers initially kept the fair running to avoid panic but ended festivities early around 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT). The event had been scheduled to continue into the early morning.
The Rheinkirmes fair, the biggest to take place on the river, is rooted in an annual celebration of the city's patron saint Apollinaris. It started on July 11 and is set to end on Sunday.
Germany has been falling short on preparing its population for major emergencies, according to the German Red Cross (DRK).
Millions of people need training in first aid and self-reliance, said Heike Spieker, head of the DRK's National Relief Society.
"To build these skills sustainably, four million people would need to be trained," she said. That level of preparedness would ensure people could help themselves and others during a crisis.
The courses, supported by federal funding and offered by aid groups, go beyond first aid. According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, they cover how to act when power goes out or flooding follows heavy rain.
To reach a "reasonable level" within five years, around 800,000 people would need training each year, Spieker said.
"In reality, current funding covers an average of fewer than 100,000 participants per year," she added.
She also criticized the government's current budget plans, saying they are "absolutely insufficient and contradict the political promises to strengthen civil protection."
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from the DW newsroom in sunny Bonn on the Rhine River.
You join us as news comes in of a mishap at what was supposed to be a dazzling event at the Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes on Friday night, when a fireworks display went wrong.
Emergency services said the rockets appeared to explode far too close to the ground, and 19 people were injured. According to police, at least one child was among those hurt.
Follow along for the latest on what Germany is talking about on Saturday, July 19.
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Will EU lose out as SE Asia strikes trade deals with US? – DW – 07/28/2025
Will EU lose out as SE Asia strikes trade deals with US? – DW – 07/28/2025

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timean hour ago

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Will EU lose out as SE Asia strikes trade deals with US? – DW – 07/28/2025

New trade deals between the US and key Southeast Asian economies are reshaping global commerce. While the EU could lose market share, it's also possible that these agreements end up bolstering Brussels' negotiating hand. Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines have struck separate deals with the White House in recent weeks to significantly reduce the tariffs the US will levy on their exports, as the August 1 deadline looms. To access the market of the world's largest economy, all three Southeast Asian states have pledged to reduce their tariffs on US goods to nearly zero and increase their purchases of American products. In some cases, this may negatively affect European exports to Southeast Asia. However, most analysts believe that zero tariffs for the US could work in Europe's favor by pressuring Southeast Asian states to also lower their tariffs on European goods. On Sunday, Washington and Brussels reached their trade deal framework, with a US tariff on EU exports set at 15%, marking the end of a monthslong standoff between two of the world's largest economies. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On July 22, US President Donald Trump announced that a 19% tariff would be applied to goods from the Philippines, up from the 17% rate set in April, while Manila agreed to eliminate levies on US exports. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that his country would import more soy, wheat, pharmaceutical products, and cars from the US. Days earlier, the US and Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, struck a deal in which the US lowers the duties on Indonesian exports to 19%, down from a threatened 32%. Jakarta also agreed to eliminate tariffs on almost all US goods and scrap all non-tariff barriers facing American firms, including recently introduced pre-shipment inspections on imported goods and local content requirements, which had prevented Indonesia-based companies from using certain imported products in their manufacturing processes. According to Trump, Jakarta will also buy $15 billion (€12.9 billion) in US energy, $4.5 billion in American agricultural products, and 50 Boeing jets. Furthermore, Indonesia will remove restrictions on exporting industrial commodities, including critical minerals, to the US. Such restrictions have been in place for years, enabling Indonesian firms to process raw minerals locally and produce higher-value-added products. Earlier in July, Vietnam secured a deal that will see the US imposing a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods, a sharp drop from the 46% announced in April, as well as zero tariffs on products the US exports to Vietnam. "Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America total access to their markets for trade," Trump said on July 2 in a social media post after agreeing to the deal with Hanoi. It remains to be seen whether other Southeast Asian countries currently negotiating with the US will follow a similar approach. Thailand has stated its intention to maintain tariffs on agricultural imports, and Malaysia is reportedly pushing back on some of Washington's demands. US exports to Singapore are already tariff-free. Initially, the "reciprocal tariffs" were scheduled to take effect on July 8, but the White House delayed the deadline until August 1. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Even though the US looks set to considerably lower the tariffs on Southeast Asian exports from the initially threatened rates, settling around the 20% mark, they are likely to disrupt some regional trade links with the US, the largest export market for most Southeast Asian goods. This could be a boon for Southeast Asian exports into Europe, where import tariffs will be lower. However, it's unclear whether European exporters would benefit, too. According to a report last week by , around 12% of the EU's exports to Indonesia and Vietnam are at risk following the US's signing of bilateral agreements with both countries. In Vietnam, this could affect $1.5 billion worth of European exports. 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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Competition may intensify, especially in sectors such as agriculture, where American goods may gain new ground, Nguyen added, although Brussels might also use the US tariff deals as leverage to encourage Hanoi to accelerate tariff cuts under the EU-Vietnam trade deal. Chris Humphrey, executive director of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, said that there will now be pressure on Southeast Asian states to make similar tariff offers to other trading partners, including the EU. "It will certainly strengthen the EU's position in ongoing FTA negotiations with ASEAN countries," he told DW. A deal with Thailand is expected to be finalized this year, while talks with Malaysia recommenced in January and with the Philippines in March 2024. 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Housing crisis: Germany plans 'turbo' construction boost – DW – 07/28/2025
Housing crisis: Germany plans 'turbo' construction boost – DW – 07/28/2025

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Housing crisis: Germany plans 'turbo' construction boost – DW – 07/28/2025

Germany has a desperate shortage of affordable housing. The government now plans to take a "crowbar" to construction law to help get more homes built at "turbo" speed. "Building and housing is the social issue of our time," Germany's new Construction and Housing Minister Verena Hubertz told public broadcaster in May when she announced her plan to help ease the shortage of affordable housing. With the cabinet set to present its budget proposal for 2026 this Wednesday (30.7.2025), spending on housing is one of the focal points. In a country where it can take longer to get approval for a development project than it does to actually build it, Hubertz said she wanted to give local authorities a "crowbar" to get around labyrinthine urban planning laws. That crowbar labeled "Bau-Turbo" (construction turbo) is a new paragraph (§ 246e) to be inserted into the German Building Code. If the legislation is passed in the fall, municipalities will be given the opportunity to approve construction, change of use and renovation projects that deviate from the provisions of the Building Code if those projects serve the construction of new residential buildings. Planning applications will also be automatically approved after two months unless vetoed by the municipality. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Building regulations vary between each of the 16 states and among municipalities, which has resulted in an ever-growing patchwork of rules governing everything from the number of electric sockets per room to the shape and color of roofs. The Construction Ministry estimates its legislative amendment, to be passed by the Bundestag in fall, will save companies, citizens and local authorities around €2.5 billion ($2.9 bn) a year. Tim-Oliver Müller, the managing director of the Federal Association of the German Construction Industry (HDB), said he welcomed the government's plans but warned that housing construction "would not pick up again overnight." "The law alone will not result in a single new apartment, but it will make it easier for local authorities to approve them," Müller told DW. The construction industry has been hit by a "melange of crises," he said, largely as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, rising energy prices, the increased cost of materials such as concrete and steel, inflation and a jump in interest rates from below 1% to between 3% and 4%. Müller is convinced that the new changes to the law would not lead to a reduction in quality — standard regulations, for example, with regard to fire safety and structural integrity,which remain in place. 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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The desperate lack of housing is one of the main reasons why rents have been exploding in big German cities, says Bernard Faller from the Federal Association for Housing and Urban Development (VHW). More than half of the population of Germany lives in rented accommodation — the highest share in the European Union. While Germany has some of the strongest tenant protection laws in the world, Faller said those laws serve to protect existing tenants and work against those who want or need to move — particularly young people and large families. "The problem remains the same: there are too few homes to meet demand," he told DW. The construction turbo plans are a "very exciting experiment," according to Faller. 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This money will be invested in the construction of social housing – subsidized apartments for low-income families, projects for climate-friendly construction, turning commercial into residential areas and the promotion of home ownership for young 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.

What we know so far about the EU-US trade deal
What we know so far about the EU-US trade deal

Local Germany

time6 hours ago

  • Local Germany

What we know so far about the EU-US trade deal

The stakes were high with a looming August 1st deadline and $1.9 trillion transatlantic trading relationship on the line. Many European businesses will breathe a sigh of relief after the leaders agreed the 27-country bloc will face a baseline levy of 15 percent instead of a threatened 30 percent -- but the deal will not satisfy everyone. Here is what we know so far: What did the EU-US agree? Both sides confirmed there will be a 15-percent across-the-board rate on a majority of EU goods -- the same level secured by Japan this month -- with bilateral tariff exemptions on some products. The deal will bring relief for the bloc's auto sector, employing around 13 million people -- and hit by Trump with 25-percent tariffs, on top of a pre-existing 2.5 percent. "Obviously, it is good news for the car industry. So Germany will be happy. And all the EU members with auto supply chains, they go from 27.5 to 15 percent," said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute For International Economics. A 15-percent levy will remain "costly" for German automakers, "but it is manageable", said trade geopolitics expert Elvire Fabry at the Jacques Delors Institute. While 15 percent is much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods -- averaging 4.8 percent -- it mirrors the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent imposed by Trump since April. Advertisement The EU also committed to buy $750 billion of liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels from the United States -- split equally over three years -- to replace Russian energy sources. And it will pour $600 billion more in additional investments in the United States. Trump said EU countries -- which recently pledged to ramp up their defence spending within NATO -- would be purchasing "hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of military equipment". Are there exemptions? Von der Leyen said the 15-percent rate applied across most sectors, including semiconductors and pharmaceuticals -- a critical export for Ireland, which the bloc has sought to protect. Trump in April launched probes that could lead to significantly steeper tariffs on the two key sectors, warning this month he could slap 200-percent levies on drugs. Brussels and Washington agreed a bilateral tariff exemption for key goods including aircraft, certain chemicals, semiconductor equipment, certain agricultural products and critical raw materials, von der Leyen said. The EU currently faces 50-percent tariffs on its steel exports to the United States, but von der Leyen said a compromise on the metal had been reached with Trump. Advertisement "Between us, tariffs will be cut and a quota system will be put in place," she said. It is understood that European steel would be hit with 50-percent levies only after a certain amount of the metal arrived in the United States, but no details were initially provided on the mechanism. What happens next? The deal needs to be approved by EU member states, whose ambassadors will meet first thing Monday morning for a debrief from the European Commission. And there are still technical talks to come, since the agreement needs to be fully fleshed out. Von der Leyen described the deal as a "framework" agreement. "Details have to be sorted out, and that will happen over the next weeks," she said. In particular, she said there has yet to be a final decision on alcohol, critical since France and The Netherlands have been pushing for carve-outs for wine and beer respectively. "This is something which has to be sorted out in the next days," von der Leyen said.

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