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Local Germany
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Local Germany
Inside Germany: Summer heatwaves, budget changes and Bavarian sea monsters
Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might've missed. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Having made it to the other side of a monstrous heatwave, people in Germany can look forward to significantly milder weather in the coming days – including some scattered showers over the weekend and temperatures in the low to mid 20s in many places through the weekend. But of course there will be more heatwaves to come this summer, and then even more in the summers to follow. In fact, meteorologist Dominik Jung (whose forecasts often pop-up in German media) suggests the next one is just around the corner – starting from next Thursday, July 10th. So in case you missed some of our practical heat-related coverage this week, you may want to brush up on the rules around working during heatwaves , when exactly German schools close due to heat, and what to know about installing air conditioning in your home. Children play in a fountain at Munich's Karlsplatz square during the heatwave. (Photo by Michaela STACHE / AFP) Budget squabbles An interesting, and often overlooked, aspect of extreme weather events is how often they tie directly into economics, and even seemingly inconsequential budget decisions. A more obvious example was seen this week in the direct impacts of the high temperatures, including a highway buckling in the heat, rail disruptions and forest fires. Allianz Research suggested the July heatwave will cause the loss of 0.1 percent of Germany's GDP growth this year. READ ALSO: School closures to rail chaos - What happens when Germany is hit by extreme heat Advertisement But there's a more subtle connection to be found in the federal government's latest budget update. This week leaders of the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) held talks on details related to their plans for tax cuts and pensions. In the end they announced that they didn't have the finances to scrap electricity taxes for German households after all. (You can read more about what changes were agreed and how they might affect you here .) An under-reported aspect of the government's decision to scrap that tax cut is its climate implications. While the black-red will government no longer cut taxes for electricity, it will stick to plans to remove a levy on gas – effectively incentivising fossil fuel energy and disincentivising electrification. As a Spiegel author put it in an op-ed published this week, 'climate-damaging gas will be preferred when money is tight'. He added that the black-red coalition 'does not show any awareness of the climate crisis.' Bavarian lake monsters Summer time swimmers can relish the fact that Germany's fresh water resources are pretty clean. A recent EU analysis found that just over 90 percent of the country's bathing sites met European quality standards. However, anyone diving into murky waters in Bavaria should beware the local giants that may be lurking below. …Ok, to call them lake monsters (or See monsters, if you will) is a bit of a stretch, but there have been a few incidents involving rather large catfish ( Wels ) in the region. A 90 kg catfish was shot by police after allegedly attacking swimmers in Lake Brombach in Middle Franconia. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Polizei Mittelfranken A couple weeks back a 90 kilogram, two-metre catfish in Lake Brombach was shot and killed by a police officer after allegedly biting five swimmers. Police spokesman Michael Petzold noted that biting people is 'atypical behaviour'. Catfish aren't normally aggressive, but are thought to become so when protecting their eggs. Advertisement This week, further reports of alleged catfish bites have been reported at the same lake. The killing of the first giant fish stirred up a heated debate between conservationists and anglers. In media reports a local innkeeper was quoted as saying that the fish had been eaten in its entirety – divided into 120 fillet portions that were each served with potato salad and other seasonal sides for €22.50.
Local Germany
04-07-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Tax cuts and pensions: How Germany's budget changes could impact you
Following the approval of the federal budget for 2025, which came at the end of June , leaders of the government met this week to try and agree on some critical budget adjustments. Namely, they wanted to agree on where money might be saved to pay for a formerly promised electricity tax cut for German households. After a lengthy debate, members of the black-red coalition - comprised of the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) - emerged with bad news for German residents: The electricity tax cuts for families and small businesses will not go forward in the foreseeable future. But the meeting did result in an agreement to bring forward changes to the Mothers' pension ( Mütterrente ) by one year. Here's what to know about the changes made to the government's budget plans this week. EXPLAINED: What Germany's new 2025 budget means for you About those electricity tax cuts... The decision not to reduce electricity taxes for everyone in Germany means that households will continue to pay some of the highest electricity prices in Europe. Ahead of the coalition meeting German media had called the effort to save the electricity tax cuts "the first real acid test" for the black-red government. Now that the coalition has failed to bring the tax cut forward, just about everyone - from coalition partners to business associations to the opposition - is upset about it. In their coalition agreement, the government said they would "reduce the electricity tax for everyone..." However, they also said that doing so would depend on financing. The cost of the tax cuts was expected to be €5.4 billion in 2026. In their talks, the parties were unable to agree on where that much financing could be found. READ ALSO: German government scraps electricity tax cuts for households Defending the cabinet's decision, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, 'We can only spend the money we have.' But the announcement has not been taken well by stakeholders and voters who feel duped. The chairwoman of the Social Association of Germany (SoVD), Michaela Engelmeier spoke of a 'fatal signal' for citizens. 'In times of high living costs, they need tangible relief,' she told the German Press Agency. Advertisement The President of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), Jörg Dittrich, accused the coalition of breaking trust: 'The electricity tax cut for all set out repeatedly and bindingly in writing..." Black-red coalition leaders suggest that other energy cost relief measures will result in potential savings up to three cents per kWh for consumers. That's less than the five cents suggested in the coalition agreement but still worth up to €100 a year for a family of four, according to government estimates. However, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce calculates that a maximum of 15 percent of businesses will benefit from the changes. It's also worth noting that the coalition's plan to stick to the elimination of a levy on gas while scrapping tax cuts for electricity has been criticised as a step in wrong direction in Germany's climate policy, because it effectively incentivises gas use and disincentivises electrification at a time when heatwaves are becoming more common and more severe. READ ALSO: School closures to rail chaos - What happens when Germany is hit by extreme heat Mothers' Pension brought forward The coalition committee did agree to bring forward the introduction of the extended Mothers' Pension to the start of 2027 – one year earlier than planned. The changes will see Mütterrente , which compensates parents who take time away from paid employment to raise children, adjusted for parents whose children were born before 1992. Currently, eligible parents of children born before 1992 receive up to 2.5 years worth of Mütterrente payments, whereas parents of children born in 1992 or later, receive three years. The reform extends the three years of payments to all parents. Despite the announcement, Germany's pension insurance fund has said that implementation would likely not be possible until early 2028, due to extensive individual entitlement checks. Committee members insist the mothers' pension will be paid retroactively if technical implementation is not possible until later than January 1st 2027. Advertisement Other pension changes to come The committee confirmed that the second part of the pension package is to be adopted in autumn of this year. Those changes are set to include an active pension, an early start pension and the Act to Strengthen Company Pensions. READ ALSO: Q&A - What we know about Germany's plan to give kids pensions Pension payments are set to increase by 3.74 percent from January 1st, 2026, a move designed to keep pensions broadly in line with inflation and wage developments.
Local Germany
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
'Imported Antisemitism': How German leaders are blaming foreigners for country's woes
Germany's conservative party leaders have a problem - they're in charge now. Under the leadership of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the conservative Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) are now leading the federal black-red coalition government, with many of the Federal Cabinet's positions filled by Union party politicians. The conservatives fought hard to win back a leading position in Germany, and their success means they're tasked with solving the country's problems, and there are quite a few difficult problems to be dealt with. Rather than keep their eyes focused on the tasks at hand, a number of conservative party leaders have made comments casting blame on others. In doing so, they've taken a page out of the populist playbook - reframing any given problem as one brought about or made worse by foreigners, and claiming they can fix it by cracking down on asylum seekers, legal migrants, and even international students. Here are a few recent examples of CDU or CSU leaders blaming immigrants and foreigners for various issues. 'Imported Antisemitism' The most high-profile example came during Friedrich Merz's visit to Washington D.C. to meet US President Trump , when the Chancellor suggested, in an interview with the right-wing television network Fox News, that Germany was dealing with "imported antisemitism". READ MORE: German Chancellor suggests immigrants have 'imported antisemitism' 'We are doing everything we can to bring these numbers down," Merz told Fox News . "We are prosecuting those who break the law, and frankly, we have a sort of imported antisemitism with this big number of migrants that we have within the last ten years.' US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (L) shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2025.(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) The interviewer had referred to a report by RIAS (the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism), which noted an 80 percent rise in antisemitic incidents between 2023 and 2024. While the report does note a marked increase in incidents attributed to 'foreign ideology,' it nonetheless found that the primary motive behind antisemitic crimes remained right-wing extremist ideology (48 percent). The phrase "imported antisemitism" in German ( importierter Antisemitismus) has previously been called out by the independent organisation Unwort des Jahres as a discriminatory and malicious phrase used by the far-right . Advertisement Education In May, education minister Karin Prien (CDU) made a speech to Germany's largest teachers' union (GEW) in which she announced plans for sweeping reforms and said the government would 'invest billions in Kitas and schools.' READ MORE: What parents in Germany should know about the planned schools shake up However, the implication that a relative decline in educational achievement in Germany can be blamed on the number of children who start school with a poor command of German is problematic. While this is undoubtedly one issue facing German schools, it certainly isn't the whole story. Social inequality expert Marcel Helbig, from Germany's Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories, pointed out that ... "The performance at Gymnasien (academic secondary schools), where there are hardly any migrant kids, has also fallen very sharply. "It is more than just a migrant-specific problem that we are dealing with here,' he added. Prien also talked about mandatory support for children whom the tests identify as being behind in their development. Again, the implication seems to be that recent arrivals in the country are somehow unwilling to integrate or accept support on behalf of their children. Healthcare The Federal Ministry of Health recently confirmed that positions for more than 5,000 general practitioners (GP) were vacant in Germany at the end of 2023. In response, Sepp Müller, deputy chairman of the Christian Democrat (CDU) parliamentary group, told Bild that his party was looking at making international medical students pay for their university tuition if they left Germany within five years of graduating. As of now, it seems unlikely that the idea will become government policy. Instead, it feels like yet another attempt to frame a complex healthcare problem as a problem of immigration – of ungrateful foreigners exploiting German generosity. READ ALSO: How foreign students contribute far more to Germany than they cost Advertisement A toxic tone on the topic of immigration broadly Zooming out a bit, the Union's bigger election promise to crackdown on migration is based on an underlying presupposition that many of Germany's problems would be solved if the country had less immigrants. Merz has never made a secret of his desire to pursue a 'migration turnaround'. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt delivers a statement as he visits the border control station Kiefersfelden. Photo: Michaela Stache / AFP On television in 2023, he insisted that asylum arrangements in Germany needed to be reviewed. On a program on Welt he said, " We need to talk about the pull factors here in Germany...' He accused asylum seekers of "sitting at the doctor's office and getting their teeth redone, while German citizens next door can't get appointments.' Germany's interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has echoed these words recently , describing his desire to 'reduce the pull factors' in Germany. In practice, he has suggested, this means less "compassion" and more "order". READ ALSO: 'Scarier things to come' - How foreigners view Germany's immigration crackdown Who is the new German minister in charge of immigration? Advertisement It appears that Merz and Dobrindt's habit of talking about criminals and people who want to exploit Germany's generosity has rubbed off on many of their colleagues, even when they are discussing topics that have little to do with immigration.
Local Germany
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
'Scarier things to come': How foreigners view Germany's immigration crackdown
One of the major election campaign promises made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) parties was a "migration turnaround" in Germany. We asked our readers if the recent developments are a source of concern to them, and whether they have worries about their future rights as foreigners in the country. Respondents from across Germany revealed a range of reactions – from deep concern to a degree of sympathy for the current government's predicament. Concerns around political rhetoric and the social climate it enables Many respondents drew a sharp distinction between the actions of the government and the harsh tone heard when politicians talk about foreigners in Germany. While the government's hardening stance on migration garnered a wide variety of responses, the tone with which leaders address immigration issues elicited a much more consistent negative response. 'I'm not worried about [the government's hardening stance towards immigration] per se, but rather about the narrative,' wrote Ahmed Maher, who lives in Berlin. 'Ugly statements like 'we imported antisemitism…' are a sign of scarier things to come!' Saleem S. agrees: 'What concerns me more is the rhetoric in the streets against all immigrants, good and bad. If people in the street continue rejecting all immigrants, the government will eventually follow – most probably by empowering far right parties and policies.' READ ALSO: Why a quarter of Germany's immigrants are thinking of leaving Advertisement Some respondents expressed concerns about being scapegoated or treated as 'less German' as a result of the rhetoric. 'I'm worried that Germans view highly skill migrants as 'people we bring in to pay high taxes' and want to kick out the poor/artists/etc. who don't boast such flashy and high paid skills but nonetheless have a positive impact on society,' said Elliott Rarden in Berlin. Elliot, who is a dual national, added: 'I worry that Germany views me as 'less German' and will strip my citizenship away.' READ ALSO: Germany's government could make it easier to strip citizenship from dual nationals For some, the prospect of a tougher stance on immigration is tied to fears of increased discrimination. "Discrimination Stop" is written on the sign of a participant in a Women's Day demonstration. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hannes P Albert Youva Aoun, who lives in Darmstadt, wrote, 'Even if as a French citizen I'm not directly affected, I have an immigration background from northern Africa. I fear that I will end up being targeted by controls and institutional racism even more than is already the case.' Support for the 'migration turnaround' While respondents were broadly unanimous in their condemnation of the rhetoric which has sprung up around the question of immigration in Germany, opinions were more evenly split on the government's efforts to reduce migration to the country. Advertisement Many respondents welcomed the government's tougher approach, seeing it either as a political necessity, or as an important measure for stability and fairness in Germany. 'The government has to answer constituents' concerns,' said a respondent from Mainz, adding that he suspected the actual policies would be less dramatic than the rhetoric. 'These are the right moves by the government,' said Manoj, from Frankfurt am Main. 'Germany should not be treated as a place to use free social security...' Javier Torres agreed: 'As a brown Latino immigrant who has followed the immigration process and adapted to German culture, I welcome the new policies. German citizenship shouldn't be cheapened!' Others echoed this sentiment. 'Those of us who have played by the rules and integrated have nothing to worry about,' said Eric in Oberfranken. Space for a nuanced debate? Even when there was support for the new government's policies, however, it was tempered by concerns that their presentation left little room for a nuanced view of the pros and cons of immigration. Shankar Kumar in Berlin sees the current moves as 'acceptable and healthy for everyone,' but warns they must be properly thought through. 'If they're just based on targeting a group,' he points out, 'they will be chaotic and meaningless.' Some respondents went further, expressing anger that the important contribution made by immigrants is being overlooked and undervalued. 'I am worried I will be treated a second-class citizen even with a German passport. I don't hear anything from politicians about how they are going to retain me as someone who pays a lot of taxes," wrote Vitya in Berlin. READ ALSO: How German ministers want to boost skilled migration and integration 'Foreigners will work when and where most citizens will not,' agreed William Trimmer, based in Großburgwedel, adding that 'work is the key to integration.' Government hypocrisy, or stupidity? A number of respondents felt that immigrants in the country were being unfairly scapegoated, partly to cover up the failures of integration policies in the country. 'It's not a great idea to be harsher on immigration when the state has utterly failed integration processes,' wrote Vitya. 'As a highly skilled worker, I couldn't even understand how to apply for the integration courses. "It is ridiculous for politicians to gaslight the population like this without looking at their own processes first.' Advertisement Youva Aoun agrees, calling policies that target immigrants "populism" and "stupid". He added that "'illegal' migrants are actually the backbone of German society," noting that they fill important roles as nurses, construction workers, cashiers, and farm labourers. The Estrel Tower in Neukölln celebrates its topping-out ceremony. About two-thirds of construction workers in Germany come from an immigration background. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jens Kalaene The fear of worse to come Some respondents, including Myles in Berlin, are worried that they could be directly affected by current government plans. 'I am concerned about some of the hostility toward the 5-year citizenship path," he wrote. "That's a big reason I came to Germany, and I would feel like it was an outrageous bait and switch if they revoke it.' READ ALSO: 'Slap in the face' - Applicants blast Germany's plan to scrap citizenship reform Others, including people who disagree completely on whether or not the government is acting wisely, share fears there may be worse to come for foreigners in Germany. Advertisement In response to the question, 'Are you worried about your future rights in Germany as a foreigner?' Maksym in Berlin said he was more worried about German people voting for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). 'As a German citizen with a migration background, I'm worried about being classified as a second-class citizen if the 2029 elections go south!' wrote Ahmed. 'I feel like what's being done right now is not being communicated seems populist," wrote Andrija in Berlin, summing up the overarching mood of the survey respondents. "That might make us less safe indirectly – via the behaviour of ordinary citizens,' she added. Thank you to everyone who completed our survey. Although we weren't able to use all the responses, we read them all and they helped inform our article. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you would like to add another opinion to the conversation.
Local Germany
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Inside Germany: Confusion surrounds end of 'turbo' citizenship and all the June changes
Inside Germany is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in Germany that you might've missed. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. End of the three year fast-track path to citizenship Germany's new black-red government had promised to bring changes to the country's immigration policies, and they have wasted very little time in getting to the point. Just over three weeks have passed since the conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) and centre-left Social Democrat parties have stepped into their new leading roles in the federal government and already the cabinet has passed two bills set to tighten the country's immigration policies. The bills, which still need to be passed by the Bundestag before becoming law, were put forward by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), who had previously pledged to bring forth a "turnaround" in migration. One of the bills would suspend family reunification for migrants with subsidiary protection status (essentially refugees that were not granted asylum but are lawfully allowed to remain in Germany). The other would end the three-year fast-track to German citizenship that was introduced last year as part of the sweeping reform of Germany's naturalisation rules. The good news is that, despite pledges we'd previously heard from conservative leaders, Germany's new federal government wont focus its efforts on scrapping the rest of the naturalisation reforms that were enacted nearly one year ago (on June 27th). So German dual-citizenship will remain an option for non-EU nationals, and the residency requirement will remain at five years as opposed to the previous eight. A person holds a German and British passport. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen The bad news is that any foreign residents who might have qualified as "highly integrated" , and who had been looking forward to naturalising after just three years in the country will now have to wait at least two more, like the rest of us. As of yet it's unclear how the rule change would affect anyone who is waiting for decision on their pending fast-track citizenship application. But as we wrote on Monday , one migration lawyer in Germany has suggested that applicants in this position might considering bringing forward an Untätigkeitsklage (a legal challenge against the failure to act), as that could force the relevant officials to make a decision on your application before the rule change is established as law. Advertisement For now, it's unclear exactly how many people have applied for citizenship via the fast-track. Germany's Statistical Office keeps count of how many people naturalise each year, but when The Local reached out for clarification they said they don't differentiate between "highly integrated" or standard naturalisations. Have you applied for citizenship through either track, or plan to do so soon? We'd love to hear about your experience in our latest survey. Any comments your willing to share may help us as we prepare future articles on the topic. Where is this? Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Willnow Advertisement Opencast mining is a big operation, and it's left its mark on various German landscapes, wherever lignite coal or others rocks and minerals have been extracted. This old mining town saw the closure of it's large mine in 1991, but the large excavator machines you can see in the background of the shot above were left on site, and they have been effectively repurposed as monuments that can be observed, and even climbed on, in a large outdoor museum. But the space does not only serve as a museum, depicted above, members of a Christian parish from the nearby village of Gräfenhainichen have gathered for a special church service on Ascension Day (or Christi Himmelfahrt ) , which was observed on Thursday this week. The photo was taken at Ferropolis, which is set in the retired open-cast mine Golpa Nord at Gremminer See. The site is about two hours southwest of Berlin by car, or about one hour north of Leipzig. Advertisement Coming changes With the sky staying light well into the evening -- and then brightening again far too early in the morning -- it's clear that Summer is just around around the corner. This weekend brings the end of May and the start of June, and also a number of interesting changes for those of us living Germany. The first notable change starts from the coming Sunday (June 1st) when maternity leave, or Mutterschutz, is to also apply to women who lose a pregnancy due to miscarriage (from the 13th week). Another notable change comes just a few days later on June 6th when rules around changing electricity providers will change. Our newest contributor, Tom Pugh unpacked what that change means for consumers this week. READ ALSO: Seven unmissable events happening around Germany in June 2025 The other June update to be aware of is that Whit Monday, on the 9th, will bring yet another three-day weekend to most regular workers. You'll want to make any travel plans now if you're going too.
