Germany updates: Cabinet to sign off on 2025 draft budget – DW – 06/24/2025
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's budget plan, which will be sent to parliament for approval, includes record investments in defense and infrastructure.Guten Tag! German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is set to present the first draft of the 2025 budget.
The budget this year was delayed because of national elections in February, and comes after Germany's parliament voted this March in favor of a major fiscal package that includes changes to debt policies to enable greater spending on defense as well as €500 billion infrastructure fund.
We'll bring you the latest news, including announcements from a press conference scheduled to take place 10:45 a.m. (0845 GMT/UTC).
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Bärbel Bas offers new hope for ailing SPD – DW – 06/29/2025
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CSU chief supports German ‘Iron Dome' missile defense system – DW – 06/29/2025
CSU leader Markus Söder is calling for the procurement of 2,000 interceptor missiles for the German version of the "Iron Dome" missile defense system. DW has more. During an unexpected visit to Tel Aviv on Sunday, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt offered unqualified support for Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear weapons program. "Iran has been destabilizing this region for years, for decades, one has to say, with its support for terrorist groups to the north, to the south, to the east of Israel," he said. Dobrindt added that the Iranian nuclear program is "a real threat to Israel's right to exist and a threat to Europe as well." The German minster said that Tehran had received a clear message that Israel, the United States, and other allies like Germany could not tolerate research on or construction of nuclear weapons. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes. Dobrindt made these comments while visiting the site of a deadly Iranian missile attack in Holon with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. He described the attack as an assault on the civilian population and expressed his belief that Iran would use any nuclear bomb it developed against Israel. Dobrindt said that Germany would continue to do all it could to secure Israel's existence. Markus Söder, Bavaria's state premier and head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), called for the acquisition of thousands of drones, new missile systems, and a German version of the "Iron Dome" consisting of 2,000 Patriot systems to protect against potential attacks. "Germany needs a protective shield with precision weapons," Söder told newspaper, adding that this would include a modern drone army of 100,000 drones and a defense shield similar to Israel's "Iron Dome." "We should cooperate with Ukraine and Israel and use their experience," CSU leader said. In addition to drones, Söder called for 300 new battle tanks, 500 infantry fighting vehicles, 35 additional Eurofighter warplanes, and 1,000 more Taurus cruise missiles. He also called for the Bundeswehr to have its own satellites. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video , and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Sunday, June 29. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) concludes its party congress in Berlin. On Friday, Lars Klingbeil was re-elected as co-leader of the party, receiving 65% support, a significant decrease from the 85.6% he garnered in 2023. For all of the latest news from Germany, stay tuned here.
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Huge Crowds Build As Serbian Protesters Demand Early Elections
Tens of thousands of Serbian protesters converged on Belgrade on Saturday to press their demand for early elections after months of student-led strikes. As the hours-long rally began, massive crowds were building, with more streaming into a major square of the capital, according to AFP journalists. Carrying Serbian flags and banners, many emblazoned with the names of cities and towns throughout the Balkan nation, the protest began with a rendition of the national anthem. "We are not the problem, we are the consequence," one banner read. Anti-graft protests have rocked the country since November, when the roof of a train station collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people -- a tragedy widely blamed on entrenched corruption. For more than half a year, students have blockaded universities and organised large demonstrations around the country, demanding a transparent investigation into the deaths. With little action from authorities, their focus shifted last month to calling for early parliamentary elections. The student organisers have set an "ultimatum" for President Aleksandar Vucic to call for early elections by 9 pm (1900 GMT) Saturday. Vucic had already rejected on Friday the students' demand, having previously stated that a national election would not be held before the end of 2026. "The ultimatum was not accepted, you don't have to wait until 9 pm tomorrow," Vucic said, according to RTS state television. Nearby, thousands of Vucic supporters were also rallying in a counter-demonstration outside the parliament building. Joining the pro-government encampments that have blocked a main intersection in the city for months, the crowd was marked with bikers and war veterans. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already toppled the country's prime minister, but the governing party remains in power -- with a reshuffled government and the president at its heart. Vucic has repeatedly accused the protests, which have remained peaceful throughout, of being part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. "The foreign powers sent an ultimatum through local henchmen," Vucic said after attending a mass in the central Serbian city of Krusevac on Friday. Fuelling fears of confrontations between the two large groups, Vucic warned Saturday that "there will be violence" toward the end of the student protest. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become a routine government reaction ahead of large demonstrations. On Friday, five people were remanded in custody for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, according to a statement from Serbia's Higher Court in Belgrade. Students have also called for the removal of the pro-government encampments, while warning of "radicalisation" of the movement if their demands were not met. Police urged protesters to remain peaceful. "Any attempt to attack the police, to storm any state institution, media outlet, or private property will not be tolerated by the Serbian police," police director Dragan Vasiljevic said in a statement. Initial plans by Vucic's party to host a counter-rally were scrapped, though party officials said they might visit their supporters' camps. Saturday's rally is expected to be the largest since March, when 300,000 people gathered in Belgrade, according to an independent counting organisation. Earlier this month, local polls in two municipalities marked the first electoral clash between an opposition coalition and Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party. The governing party secured a narrow victory amid accusations of voter bribery and electoral interference -- similar to those following its win in the December 2023 parliamentary elections. As before, Vucic denied allegations of fraud.
