Europe rights chief flags Germany's Gaza protest response

06/19/2025June 19, 2025

Council of Europe raises concerns over Germany’s handling of Gaza protests

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty expressed concern to German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt about freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly in Germany over protests related to the war in Gaza. 

In a letter dated June 6 but made public Thursday, he cited reports of police using excessive force against demonstrators, including minors.

"The use of force by law enforcement officials including during protests must comply with the principles of non-discrimination, legality, necessity and proportionality, and precaution," he wrote.  

O'Flaherty also noted that restrictions on events, symbols, or other forms of expression in this context.

He said governments have very limited grounds to restrict political speech or public debate, unless it incites violence, and must assess each case individually.

The human rights commissioner also pointed to reports that Germany justified some restrictions on rights as part of an effort to prevention of antisemitism.

"I note with concern reports indicating that the working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has been interpreted by some German authorities in ways which lead to the blanket classification of criticism of Israel as antisemitic," he said. 

"In that regard, I urge you to be vigilant that the IHRA working definition is not distorted, instrumentalised or misapplied to stifle freedom of expression and legitimate criticism, including of the state of Israel."

DW has requested comment from Dobrindt and will update this story if a response is received.

The Council of Europe is a Strasbourg-based international human rights organization that protects human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is not a part of the European Union.

06/19/2025June 19, 2025

Germany's economics minister visits Washington to talk tariffs

Reiche will also meet with business leaders while in the United StatesImage: Katharina Kausche/dpa/picture alliance

In her first visit to Washington since becoming Germany's Economics Minister, Katherina Reiche, will meet with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Reiche emphasized her commitment to resolving the ongoing tariff dispute between the European Union and the administration of President Donald Trump, according to a statement from her ministry.

"It's so important that we find solutions to trade issues that benefit both sides, because prosperity and stability on both sides of the Atlantic are closely linked," she said.

The United States was Germany's most important trading partner in 2024, while Germany ranked as the US's fourth-largest trading partner.

The European Union and the US are in talks to resolve a tariff impasse.

The EU is subject to a 10% global baseline tariff imposed by the Trump administration, which could rise to 50% if a deal is not reached by July 9.

In addition, the US already imposes a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, as well as a 25% tariff on cars.

06/19/2025June 19, 2025

Putin warns Germany over Ukraine missiles, open to Merz talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's open to speaking with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, but has issued a stark warning over potential weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

Speaking to senior news agency editors, Putin said, "we are always open to this."

However, the Russian leader warned of "very serious damage" to German-Russian relations if Berlin decides to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.

Ahead of his election earlier this year, Merz expressed support for supplying Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, provided such action is coordinated with European allies.

The Taurus missiles would allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russian territory.   

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier this month that Germany is not considering delivering Taurus missiles.

Putin also said he did not consider Germany a neutral mediator when it came to the war in Ukraine.

"We consider the Federal Republic, just like many other European countries, not a neutral state, but as a party supporting Ukraine, and in some cases, perhaps, as accomplices in these hostilities," Putin said.

06/19/2025June 19, 2025

Welcome back to our coverage

Guten Morgen from Bonn, where most people are off due to a public holiday in several states, including North Rhine-Westphalia.

Not so in other parts of Germany. So while Europe's biggest economy might not be firing on all cylinders today, it is running.

Staying with that theme, Germany's Economics Minister Katherina Reiche heads to Washington later on Thursday to discuss tariffs.

We will cover that and other developments regarding Germany in this blog.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Man, 20, arrested in Hamburg on suspicion of online child sex abuse

A 20-year-old German-Iranian man has been arrested in Hamburg for allegedly coercing children with mental health problems into performing sexual acts on themselves and harming themselves online, with one victim ending up by taking their own life, officials said Wednesday.

He allegedly threatened to distribute recordings of the scenes unless the victims agreed to carry out more extreme acts.

His arrest reportedly came after a tip-off by FBI authorities, with media reports saying the 13-year-old boy who died lived in the US.

The suspect is accused of 120 offenses, including against eight child and adolescent victims, committed between 2021 and 2023.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

German railway operator says modernization could take years longer than planned

Work on the Mannheim-Frankfurt route, seen here, is completed, but Deutsche Bahn says there is much more to do elsewhereImage: Andreas Arnold/dpa/picture alliance

Germany's national railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, has said it now envisages finishing work on refurbishing more than 40 key lines in the mid-2030s, rather than 2031 as initially planned.

It also said it planned to reduce the number of modernization projects it undertakes to four to five per year.

The modernization of Germany's railway network, whose neglected state was leading to ever more delays and cancellations,  began under the previous center-left government.

The current conservative-led government has said it will continue with the work.

However, new Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland media group that rail passengers should not have to suffer too many consequences from the refurbishing work.

Last year, Deutsche Bahn fully renovated the railway corridor between the southwestern city of Mannheim and the central financial hub of Frankfurt.

This year, work is scheduled to continue this year on the key line between the northern port city of Hamburg and the capital, Berlin.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

German president calls for enhancing ties with Japan on visit

Steinmeier (L) met with Japan's Emperor NaruhitoImage: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa/picture alliance

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has praised the current relations between his country and Japan as "reliable" and called for them to be tightened still further.

During a reception in Tokyo given by the German ambassador to Japan, Petra Sigmund, Steinmeier said there was "still a lot of potential for deepened cooperation."

"Especially at a time when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams, in which force, crude power politics and mistrust are running rampant, this connection between Germany and Japan is more important than ever," he said.

Steinmeier stressed that "security in Europe and security in Asia are very closely connected," saying that Germany would continue to maintain a military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the start of his three-day visit, his fourth to the country as president, Steinmeier also met with Emperor Naruhito.

He said he had told Naruhito that he was happy that Japan had always been a reliable partner in the 2 1/2 years since his last visit in November 2022, as it had been a "difficult time" in which much had happened and little had changed for the better.

According to Steinmeier, both countries share the same values, are committed to a rules-based international order, and are both interested in free global trade and cooperation on security issues.

On Thursday, the German head of state is to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his predecessor, Fumio Kishida.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Germany's ambassador to Ukraine to be next head of foreign intelligence

Martin Jäger (L), seen here with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in 2023, has been ambassador to Ukraine since that year Image: X.com/@MJaegerT

The German ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Jäger, has been chosen by the Cabinet to become the new president of the foreign intelligence service, the BND, deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer said.

Jäger, 60, will succeed Bruno Kahl, 62, who is set to become the German representative to the Holy See in the Vatican after heading the BND for nearly 10 years.

Jäger is an experienced diplomat who has worked as an ambassador in crisis regions and also has a background in business.

The BND is one of Germany's three intelligence services.

It works alongside the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which focuses on domestic intelligence, and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), which specializes in the armed forces.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

German states seek compensation for tax revenue losses

Several German states have said that a loss of tax revenue to municipalities caused by a federal government program to boost the economy must be made good.

The German parliament is to decide next Thursday on the program, which is to put in place various incentives for investment, including options for tax deductions for machines and electrical vehicles, as well as a reduction in corporate tax from 2028. 

The plans would mean a considerable reduction in tax revenue for not just the federal government but also the individual states and municipalities, with the draft bill foreseeing that some  €48 billion ($55 billion) overall would be lost.

State premiers who met in Berlin on Wednesday morning ahead of talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the afternoon stressed that the foundations of a compromise had to be established before the bill came before parliament.

Lower Saxony's premier, Olaf Lies of the Social Democrats (SPD), said, "Next week we will have the decision by the Bundestag. By then, the agreement has to be so concrete that everyone knows where they are at."

The premier of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, also from the SPD, said, "The main aim is for the municipalities to receive complete compensation and that the states also receive consideration."

The premiers have argued that the burden on the municipalities, which are often highly indebted, could be so high that they would be forced to raise trade taxes, which would nullify the planned federal investment incentives.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Trump tariffs weigh on German metal exports to US, data shows

German exports of iron, steel and related goods to the US fell in the January to April period by 0.4% year-on-year to €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) released on Wednesday.

Aluminum exports to the US dropped by 1.8% to €218 million over the same period.

The decline is being attributed largely to the steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on such imports, with additional levies of 25% introduced on March 12 that were doubled to 50% on June 4.

However, Germany's global exports in some metals fell even more strongly in the first four months of 2025, Destatis said, with iron and steel exports plummeting by 4.2% year-on-year to €20.7 billion.

Aluminum exports as a whole rose, however, despite the drop in shipments to the US, with Germany manufacturers exporting 8% more aluminum and related products from January to April 2025 than in the same period in 2024.

That amounts to €6.4 billion worth of exports.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Rent cap fails to stop prices from soaring in major German cities, data show

Renters in large German cities are being forced to pay ever more for places to live, according to an analysis by the Housing Ministry.

Advertised rents in the 14 largest independent cities have almost doubled on average over the past 10 years, figures from the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) show.

The data was provided in response to a parliamentary request.

Berlin has seen the greatest rise in new rental prices at 107%, followed by Leipzig (67.7%) and Bremen (57%). 

Dresden saw the smallest increase at 28.4%.

Rents in the southern city of Munich remained highest overall, with monthly rental prices reaching nearly €22 ($25.30) per square meter, the analysis showed. That was followed by Berlin at €18 per square meter, and Frankfurt at around €16 per square meter. 

Germany has laws in place to limit rents in regions with tight housing markets. In such regions, it is generally not allowed for landlords to demand rents for new leases that exceed the local comparative rent by more than 10%. Some exceptions are made, for furnished apartments, for example.

However, the lessors are not subject to government supervision, meaning tenants must reported suspected violations of the rules themselves.

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Chinese industry gaining momentum as Germany lags

Chinese companies are beginning to catch up or even surpass German industry in sectors where the latter has traditionally led world markets, economists and experts say.

German exports fell by 1.7% last year to approximately €1.65 trillion ($1.9 trillion), according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office. 

At the same time, Chinese exports rose by 7.1% to over 25.4 trillion yuan (€3.04 billion; $3.5 billion), according to figures from Beijing.

"Chinese competitors have continued to catch up and are increasingly active in product areas and industrial segments where German industry has traditionally been very strong," economist Philipp Böing told Germany's DPA news agency.

He said Chinese companies had "in some cases already surpassed the technological capabilities of German competitors," citing fields such as digitalization and generative artificial intelligence.

Jens Burchardt, an industry expert and partner at the international consultancy BCG, told DPA that high energy costs were the main reason Germany was losing its competitiveness in energy-intensive industries such as basic chemical and the automotive sector.

"German manufacturers will only be able to maintain their current role if they play as significant a role in electric drives as they have traditionally done with combustion engines," he said. 
 

06/18/2025June 18, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Timothy Jones | Zac Crellin

Guten Tag! Welcome to DW's coverage of news stories and developments in Germany on Wednesday, June 18.

Among other things, we will look at the rent situation in Germany, where figures presented by the government has shown it is becoming ever more expensive to be a tenant in major German cities despite official rules aimed at keeping rents down.

And German industry is facing a growing threat from Chinese rivals, even in sectors where "Made in Germany" has traditionally been a byword for quality.

You can read here about these topics and more from Europe's biggest economy.