Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Germany’s coalition government approves fuel price relief
- Poll: Nearly half of Germans expect Chancellor Merz to step down
- Two states gear up for elections this weekend
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Friday September 18, 2026:
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Skip next section German government to provide fuel discount09/18/2026September 18, 2026
German government to provide fuel discount
The German government reached an agreement to provide a fuel discount and fuel price cap for vehicles on Friday night.
The move comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition seeks to help ease the burden of high fuel prices on motorists. The deal is the product of negotiations that took place on Sunday between the national and state governments over the fuel price crisis.
Government sources told Germany’s DPA news agency that the tax on gasoline and diesel would be cut by 17 cents ($0.20) starting in October, while the fuel price cap would go into effect in January 2027.
Fuel prices in Germany have spiked due to the war in Iran, in which Tehran imposed a stranglehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz, restricting Gulf crude exports, and later by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis targeting an alternative export route on the Red Sea.
Merz had vowed earlier this week to provide solutions for motorists in his country “soon”.
Germany’s conservative chancellor is under intense political pressure after the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has surged in popularity, while his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has struggled.
The fuel relief plan announcement comes just two days before key elections in the north-eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania and Berlin.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Msb5Skip next section Wuppertal: Prosecutors see clear antisemitism signs from synagogue arsonist09/18/2026September 18, 2026
Wuppertal: Prosecutors see clear antisemitism signs from synagogue arsonist
Wuppertal’s prosecutors office say the suspect in an arson attack on the western city’s synagogue has made clear antisemitic comments.
The 37-year-old Afghan national is being investigated for attempted aggravated arson. He was set to appear before a judge at an arraignment hearing on Friday.
The man was caught near the synagogue on Thursday shortly after allegedly having thrown three bags of flammable liquid at a stairwell leading into the synagogue and an adjoining door and then set it alight
Authorities searched his apartment and are still evaluating the contents of his mobile phone, prosecutors said on Friday. They also located several knives and a machete positioned so as to be easy to reach.
Prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert said the man had a prior criminal record for threatening a female neighbor.
The fire was quickly extinguished by a staff member and nobody was hurt. Police said the damage to the building was also minimal.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany condemned that attack in the build-up to the Yom Kippur religious holiday.
“Once again an attack on a synagogue has taken place at the time of Jewish high holidays,” Council President Josef Schuster said. “What disturbs me most is how coolly the perpetrator in Wuppertal carried out this attack in broad daylight. There’s no sign of a sense of shame or being conscious of wrongdoing.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5MrYgSkip next section WATCH — Rising fuel prices put pressure on German drivers09/18/2026September 18, 2026
WATCH — Rising fuel prices put pressure on German drivers
Fuel prices in Germany have risen sharply, increasing costs for motorists. Although forecasts vary, some experts warn that gasoline prices could soon approach €3 per liter ($13.50/gallon).
Though many drivers blame filling stations for higher prices, operators say they earn only a small commission on fuel sales and rely largely on shop revenue.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MrHoSkip next section Germany’s beer capital, Bavaria, expecting poor hops harvest 09/18/2026September 18, 2026
Germany’s beer capital, Bavaria, expecting poor hops harvest
Bavaria’s hop farmers are expecting a rather poor harvest in 2026.
According to initial estimates, they expect a yield of 29,244 metric tons, as reported by the Bavarian State Office for Statistics on Friday in the city of Furth.
That would be a good fifth less than in 2025 and the lowest amount in a decade.
The extreme heat waves and prolonged drought this summer are cited as the reasons.
Hops arre an essential ingredient for beer, adding balance, bitterness and variety to the flavor.
The news comes as the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, kicks off Saturday in Munich.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Mq3gSkip next section Poll shows almost half of Germans expect Merz gone by next year09/18/2026September 18, 2026
Poll shows almost half of Germans expect Merz gone by next year
A poll released by YouGov on Friday provided another example of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s tanking approval ratings.
According to the survey, 48% of the 1,611 adults questioned expect that Merz will no longer be chancellor by the end of 2026. Another 31% said they expected Merz to remain, while 21% did not answer.
The low approval ratings come as Merz’s conservative Christian Democrat (CDU) party performed very poorly in regional elections in the eastern state of Saxony Anhalt two weeks ago.
Having won the previous state election, the CDU got just 17% of the vote, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) dominated at over 44%.
Polls for the upcoming state elections in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania show the CDU coming in at 7%, which is perilously close to the 5% threshold needed to win seats in parliament. Polling currently shows the Social Democrats (SPD) neck and neck with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
If these polls play out on election day, it would be the worst CDU election performance at any level since World War II.
For weeks, German media outlets have speculated over whether another election drubbing could cost Merz the chancellory.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MqMtSkip next section Germany’s government still undecided on fuel price relief 09/18/2026September 18, 2026
Germany’s government still undecided on fuel price relief
Germany’s governing coalition is under pressure to show progress on bringing soaring gas prices under control ahead of elections this weekend in the northeastern states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin.
On Friday, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Social Democrat (SPD) state premier, Manuela Schwesig, told the public broadcaster ZDF that Friedrich Merz should quickly implement a price cap.
The SPD is junior coalition partner with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc (CDU/CSU) at federal level, but the parties have diverging ideas on how to address the soaring prices brought on the by the Iran war.
Despite Merz’s insistence on Tuesday that gas price relief is coming quickly, the ruling coalition has yet to agree on an approach.
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Germany’s conservatives have resisted the SPD’s call for price caps and a windfall profit tax in favor of a fuel tax relief scheme.
Such a scheme was enacted in the first months of the Iran war and expired in June.
What the parties are saying about fuel prices in Germany
On Thursday evening, CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann told a talk show that the coalition government was aiming for gas price relief of “around 22, 23, 25 cents per liter” by the beginning of October, without sharing concrete measures on how to reach that.
Germany’s SPD Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has for months advocated a government-enforced price cap on gasoline and diesel, along with new taxes on heavy oil company profits.
“We are right now looking for solutions” said Klingbeil on Friday at a EU finance minister meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
“I want a clear, quick signal at the gas pumps right now,” said Klingbeil, who is also vice chancellor. “I’m confident that we’ll be able to get it done very quickly.”
Klingbeil added he expects the European Commission to prepare proposals for a windfall profit tax by the next meeting of EU finance ministers in October.
Prices for gasoline and diesel have broke record highs several times over the past week. On Thursday, the ADAC motoring club reported diesel at a record-breaking €2.47 per liter ($10.72 per gallon) on average, and the lowest cost E-10 gasoline at over €2.30.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5MpvrSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/18/2026September 18, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Tag from Bonn as we kick off the weekend with everything Germany is talking about today.
Soaring gasoline and diesel prices are dominating political discussion this week, with Germany’s ruling coalition still divided on how to best provide price relief.
The debate comes ahead of two key state elections on Sunday. Voters are heading to the polls in the city-state Berlin and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MWP) in the former East Germany.
Both races are set to be close-run affairs. The Left Party and Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats are battling it out in Berlin, while the center-left Social Democrats and the far-right AfD are neck and neck in MWP.
This Friday, sees the final day of campaigning.
Join us and we cover these stories and more.
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