Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Germany’s Foreign Minister Wadephul in Algeria for talks on renewable energy and gas
- Wadephul stressed the need to “diversify” energy sources, describing Algeria as a “reliable partner”
- The top diplomat also vowed a measured response to an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month
- IG Metall union chief says Volkswagen is making a “big mistake” by mulling further job cuts and plant closures
Welcome to our roundup of news and analysis from and concerning Germany on Tuesday, September 1.
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Skip next section German part-time jobs reach record high09/01/2026September 1, 2026
German part-time jobs reach record high
The share of part-time workers in Germany reached a new high of 40.3% in the second quarter, according to analysis by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB).
The number of part-time workers increased 0.5% compared to the same period last year, to 16.936 million. At the same time, the number of full-time workers fell by 0.9% to 25.138 million.
The IAB named two reasons for the trend.
It said there had been employment growth in sectors with a high proportion of part-time work, such as health care and teaching. It also cited job cuts in sectors dominated by full-time work, such as manufacturing.
“The economy has recently stabilized, so the working hours of employees are rising slightly again,” said the IAB’s Enzo Weber. “But the crisis-hit manufacturing sector is losing many full-time jobs, meaning that overall fewer hours were worked.”
The average weekly working hours for full-time employees remained constant at 38.32 hours in the second quarter. For part-time workers, it rose slightly to 18.88 hours.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5JqUESkip next section Germany to officially blame Russia for attempted drone attack: media reports09/01/2026September 1, 2026
Germany to officially blame Russia for attempted drone attack: media reports
The German government reportedly believes a Russian intelligence service was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport last month.
Various German media reports citing unnamed sources said Berlin would announce the details of its investigation into the incident, including the finding that Moscow was responsible, later on Tuesday.
The government has not commented on the reports, but Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt are scheduled to give a press conference on the matter in the German capital later this afternoon.
Following the discovery of an explosives-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport on August 4, Berlin referred to a “hybrid attack” and said only that “foreign powers” could be involved. Some lawmakers pointed the finger at Russia, but the government stopped short of identifying a culprit.
Media outlets also reported on Tuesday that the German government was preparing countermeasures against Moscow as part of its response. According to Spiegel, those measures could include the expulsion of Russian diplomats and the closure of Russia’s consulate in Bonn.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JoD8Skip next section German union slams Volkswagen CEO over potential plant closures09/01/2026September 1, 2026
German union slams Volkswagen CEO over potential plant closures
The head of the IG Metall union has warned Volkswagen’s management it is making a “big mistake” by considering further layoffs and possible plant closures.
Volkswagen is already planning to cut 50,000 jobs by 2030, but the management has said more savings are needed, with the future of several factories uncertain.
In comments published in the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper on Tuesday, union chief Christiane Benner said she would oppose any closure of the carmaker’s plants in Emden, Zwickau, Hanover or Audi’s Neckarsulm site at an upcoming supervisory board meeting on the cost-cutting plans.
“It is a big mistake by Volkswagen management to put the plants in Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm at risk of closure, seek to cut another 50,000 jobs and at the same time announce that the operating margin must rise from 3.8% most recently to 8%-10% by 2030,” Benner said.
She added that the company was required to honor commitments made to workers under an agreement reached in 2024.
Around 30,000 jobs depend on the Emden plant in northern Germany, Benner said, while the Zwickau site is particularly important for eastern Germany.
She argued there was “plenty of time to develop prospects for both sites” and said announcements about further potential cost-cutting measures had only created confusion and undermined morale among workers.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5JlStSkip next section Germany ‘will not be intimidated’ by Russia: Wadephul09/01/2026September 1, 2026
Germany ‘will not be intimidated’ by Russia: Wadephul
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin would offer a measured response to last month’s discovery of an explosives-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport.
The German government has not officially said who it believes was behind the August 4 incident, although there has been widespread speculation that Moscow was responsible. Russia’s embassy in Berlin has denied involvement.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said an investigation into the incident was nearing completion and vowed to provide a clear-cut response in coordination with NATO and EU allies.
News outlets Welt and Politico reported on the weekend that the German government was preparing to announce that Russian intelligence was behind the attempted drone attack.
German media have reported on Tuesday that the federal government would issue an announcement later Tuesday.
When asked to comment, Foreign Minister Wadephul said Germany would not overreact and that its response would be “firm.”
“Germany must position itself in such a way that anyone who attacks us knows we will respond. And we are now preparing that response carefully,” he told journalists at a press conference in Algiers.
“Germany will not be intimidated in any way, and that will continue to be the fundamental stance of our policy,” Wadephul said.
When asked whether Berlin should be worried about a potential counter-response from Moscow, Wadephul said: “Russia must know that Germany is a stabilizing force in Europe, one that is always prepared to negotiate, but which will not be intimidated.”
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https://p.dw.com/p/5JjtaSkip next section German Foreign Minister talks gas, energy supply in Algiers09/01/2026September 1, 2026
German Foreign Minister talks gas, energy supply in Algiers
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says gas from Algeria could help replenish Germany’s gas storage facilities in the future.
“Diversification is absolutely the order of the day,” the top diplomat told reporters in Algiers on the second day of his trip to North Africa.
Wadephul described Algeria as a “reliable partner” that was already supplying gas to EU countries Italy and Spain.
“Both in terms of securing critical raw materials and in matters of energy security, we need reliable partners and resilient supply chains, particularly in our immediate neighbourhood,” the minister said.
Wadephul added that Algeria’s potential as a future supplier of green hydrogen would only make the partnership more important.
Energy supply under pressure
Wadephul’s visit comes at a time when the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East is heaping pressure on energy supplies.
“It is quite clear that we must diversify. We need multiple sources of supply,” Wadephul said.
Additionally, Germany’s gas storage facilities are currently only about 50% full, with the government-mandated target of 70% by November seen as impossible to reach. Storage facilities were 67% full at the same time last year. But despite the low levels, the government has said there is no danger of a gas shortage.
Wadephul met with Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab on Tuesday, where his focus was “trying to negotiate long-term contracts for Germany.”
“If that is possible, then we will have another reliable source here, which is of course also important for our gas storage facilities,” Wadephul said.
The foreign minister is traveling with an economic delegation and was also expected to meet representatives from German companies. He was also due to meet with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
On Monday, Wadephul was in Tunisia where he met Head of State Kais Saied and his counterpart, Mohammed Ali Nafti.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Jk53Skip next section Welcome to our coverage09/01/2026September 1, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Natalie Muller | Wesley Rahn Editor
Guten Tag! from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
You join us as German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul seeks to secure gas contracts on a visit to Algeria.
The top diplomat stressed that Germany needed to diversify its energy sources at a time when the effective closure of the Middle East’s Strait of Hormuz is constraining energy supply and pushing up prices.
We’re also expecting an announcement from Berlin this afternoon outlining a response to the discovery in August of a drone laden with explosives at Leipzig airport.
Meanwhile, the boss of Germany’s IG Metall union has criticized the management of automaker Volkswagen for considering more layoffs and potential plant closures.
Stay with us for all these stories and more.
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