Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Anti-immigration AfD holding two-day party conference in eastern city of Erfurt
- Anti-AfD protesters block roads, stage rallies in Erfurt
- Germany’s foreign minister warns China over reports of training Russian soldiers
- Large fire in Stuttgart extinguished after raging out of control for hours
We will be bringing you the latest news from Germany on Saturday, July 4, and Sunday July 5 in this live blog.
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Skip next section Star Wars theme disrupts leadership vote07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Star Wars theme disrupts leadership vote
Rosalia Romaniec from Erfurt
The conference also saw Stefan Möller, a close associate of firebrand Björn Höcke, being promoted to the position of the AfD’s deputy federal spokesperson. Möller will be responsible for legal disputes between the AfD and the domestic security services. He boasted that the security services have a “thick file” on him.
The vote for the party’s federal executive board was interrupted by an apparent musical protest. As balloting took place, trumpet blasts and snatches of the “Imperial March” — the Star Wars theme associated with the villain Darth Vader — echoed intermittently through the hall.
The source of the disruption remains unclear. Security personnel spent roughly half an hour searching the venue with sniffer dogs before eventually locating a Bluetooth speaker hidden behind the podium.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZxMSkip next section Weidel, Chrupalla give speeches after notable dual-leadership result 07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Weidel, Chrupalla give speeches after notable dual-leadership result
Rosalia Romaniec reporting from Erfurt
Delegates at the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) party convention in Erfurt confirmed Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla in their roles as co-leaders.
Weidel, who comes from western Germany, secured 81% of the vote, consolidating her position at the top of the party. Chrupalla, from eastern Germany, won 70% — a sharp drop from the 83% he received two years ago.
The result could fuel renewed debate within the party over whether to retain its dual-leadership structure. Under AfD bylaws, a single-leader model would also be permitted.
Weidel vows tough deportation policy
In her address, Weidel launched a pointed attack on Germany’s conservative bloc, comprised of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU).
Weidel accused conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz of announcing reforms he had no intention of delivering.
“We will carry out rigorous deportations!” she told delegates, drawing loud applause from the hall.
Chrupalla, for his part, focused on the party’s ambitions for power. He described the AfD as having evolved into a mainstream “people’s party.”
“We want to govern — and we will govern — first at the state level, then nationally,” Chrupalla said..
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZveSkip next section Teenager found dead at the bottom of gully in Bavarian Alps07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Teenager found dead at the bottom of gully in Bavarian Alps
A 19-year-old died after apparently falling down a 200-meter (cca 650 feet) gully in Bavaria, near the Austrian border, German police said on Saturday.
The youth, from the historic city of Bayreuth in northern Bavaria, was reported missing on Friday by his family members.
Police responded by launching a search involving helicopters and drones before finally locating the young man’s body near the Alpine town of Piding, The spa town is located some 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Bayreuth.
A special Alpine unit of the German border police is leading the investigation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZphSkip next section German Chancellor Merz talks air defenses with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy07/04/2026July 4, 2026
German Chancellor Merz talks air defenses with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the recent Russian bombing of Kyiv that killed at least 30 people in a phone call on Saturday.
“With its missile attacks on Ukraine, Russia is playing its last card. It has no other options left to drag the war out,” Zelenskyy said in a social media media post following the call.
The two leaders also discussed air defenses for Ukraine, with Zelenskyy describing Patriot missiles as “currently the top priority.”
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Germany has previously supplied Ukraine with US-made Patriot systems and helped it secure missiles for them.
Merz reaffirmed Germany’s support to Kiyv, according to a German government spokesman.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZp2Skip next section AfD delegates confirm Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as party chiefs07/04/2026July 4, 2026
AfD delegates confirm Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as party chiefs
In two separate votes on Saturday, AfD delegates attending the party conference in Erfurt voted for their incumbent party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla to keep their positions.
The AfD, like many German parties, has a dual leadership structure — usually featuring a male and a female co-president.
The Weidel-Chrupalla duo has been leading the AfD together since 2022. No major challengers emerged for either of them in Erfurt.
Some 81% of the AfD delegates endorsed Alice Weidel, the 47-year-old openly lesbian leader of the far-right party, on Saturday, while 51-year-old Chrupalla, a one-time CDU conservative, secured just over 70% of the vote.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZj6Skip next section Höcke downplays comparisons to 1926 Nazi Party meeting07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Höcke downplays comparisons to 1926 Nazi Party meeting
Rosalia Romaniec reporting from Erfurt | Wesley Dockery Editor
Björn Höcke, the party leader in Thuringia, called the comparisons to the Nazi Party meeting in 1926 “nonsense.” Höcke was speaking in a short interview with German public broadcasters ARD, ZDF and DW.
The 1926 Nazi Party conference from July 3 to July 4, 1926 in Weimar, which is located not far from Erfurt, saw the introduction of the “Hitler Youth” movement and the first widespread use of the “Hitler salute” gesture.
When asked about the venue, Höcke replied, “Do you know how hard it is for the AfD to secure venues?” The AfD had written to every exhibition hall in Germany, and “we’re absolutely thrilled that we were able to secure this exhibition date, which was planned years in advance.”
According to Höcke, the Erfurt Exhibition Center offered the party two dates last year: “The date was offered to us by the exhibition center in Thuringia — as if we’d had some historical date in mind. What nonsense!”
Only those “who are monomaniacally fixated on these twelve years” could come up with something like that. Höcke added that the party convention in Erfurt “will give the ongoing election campaigns in the east a boost” ahead of the state elections scheduled for this September in three eastern German states — Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Berlin.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZjFSkip next section Protesters say autobahn blockade ended 07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Protesters say autobahn blockade ended
After blocking a highway near Erfurt on Saturday morning, anti-AfD protesters were now lifting the blockade “by their own choice,” according to the Widersetzen (Resist) alliance.
However, the police warned that the disruption was still ongoing on the Autobahn 71 highway.
“At the moment, there are still rally participants on the highway, so it still cannot be opened for traffic,” they said.
Police also estimated 25,000 participants at and around Erfurt on Saturday. The authorities said pepper spray was used in some cases in order to ensure passage for emergency services.
Ahead of the AfD party conference, the protesters threatened to block several routes to the venue, but the initiative was banned by the court. The ban remained in place despite an appeal lodged by city officials.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZi9Skip next section Erfurt ‘stands for diversity,’ says Thuringia’s far-left ex-premier07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Erfurt ‘stands for diversity,’ says Thuringia’s far-left ex-premier
With anti-AfD protesters marching in Erfurt, the capital of Germany’s eastern state of Thuringia, former state premier Bodo Ramelow sought to underline the city’s tradition of tolerance.
“This city stands for freedom, this city stands for diversity, this city stands for a shared, colorful life,” Ramelow told protesters at the central Gothaer square.
Thuringia is seen as one of AfD’s strongholds among Germany’s 16 states. However, it also saw Ramelow, from the Left party, take power as the head of the state government twice since late 2014. The current premier, conservative Mario Voigt of the CDU, took over from Ramelow in December 2024.
The head of Germany’s DGB union Yasmin Fahimi echoed Ramelow’s remarks on Saturday.
“We are making it clear today that Erfurt is not just a site of some party conference, but a place of resistance,” she said, urging a ban of the AfD party.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZheSkip next section Football legend Jürgen Klopp confirms he is in talks to become Germany’s coach07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Football legend Jürgen Klopp confirms he is in talks to become Germany’s coach
One of most popular football coaches in the world, Jürgen Klopp, told Germany’s MagentaTV that he was offered to lead the German national team.
The country’s football association is scrambling to find the successor to Julian Nagelsmann following the humiliating World Cup loss to Paraguay, which caused Germany to be knocked out of the tournament.
“Julian has resigned, and the DFB is looking to appoint a successor; as part of their deliberations, they approached me,” Klopp said.
“German football is now naturally at a turning point. We now have to fundamentally change things.”
Klopp also said he was “ready” to take over the German side but noted he was still bound by his contract with Red Bull and a solution would need to be found. According to the contract, the former Liverpool coach is to serve as the brand’s Head of Global Soccer until 2029.
For a full story on Klopp’s long-running flirtation with the top job and the possible impact he might have as the Germany’s head coach, click here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZX4Skip next section Germany rebukes China over reports of Beijing training Russian soldiers07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Germany rebukes China over reports of Beijing training Russian soldiers
The German government held urgent talks with the Chinese ambassador to Berlin, Deng Honbo, following reports that hundreds of Russian troops were secretly trained on China’s territory.
Some of these soldiers, according to German media, were later deployed to the war in Ukraine.
On Saturday morning, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said those reports caused “great concern” in Berlin.
“China has to know that Russia’s offensive war in Ukraine threatens our core interests, and Europe is of course ready to defend such core interests,” Wadephul said, responding to a question by DW.
“This war needs to be brought to a close and there must really not be a single move to continue the war, including the moves taken from the outside,” he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZQcSkip next section AfD convention opens in Erfurt despite blockades07/04/2026July 4, 2026
AfD convention opens in Erfurt despite blockades
Rosalia Romaniec reporting from Erfurt
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its party convention in Erfurt on schedule Friday, overcoming protester blockades that had shut down roads around the venue since early morning.
Demonstrators had hoped to prevent the convention from taking place at all. But hundreds of the roughly 600 delegates were already en route by 4 a.m. local time (0200 UTC), traveling by bus under police escort. By 10 a.m., the hall was full and proceedings began on time.
“The Antifa rioters slept through their own disruption attempt,” AfD co-chair Tino Chrupalla told delegates in his opening remarks, drawing laughter from the hall. Antifa is an anti-fascist political movement originating in Germany.
Police had braced for as many as 50,000 demonstrators over the weekend, though turnout so far appears well below that figure. Protests have remained largely peaceful.
In his address, Chrupalla declared the party ready to “assume governmental responsibility,” pointing to what he described as newfound unity within the AfD and record poll numbers nationwide. “Perhaps we will be governing soon,” he said.
The choice of venue and timing has drawn sharp criticism. The convention falls exactly 100 years after the Nazi Party (NSDAP) held its first national gathering following its refounding — a 1926 event in nearby Weimar that historians credit with reenergizing Hitler’s movement at a critical juncture. AfD officials reject any suggestion of a link between the two events.
Critics see it differently. The party’s decision to convene in Weimar near Erfurt sends what one observer called a “very clear signal.” Jens Christian Wagner, who leads the nearby Buchenwald Memorial, argued the AfD is “not — at least not yet — the ‘NSDAP 2.0,’” but said its rhetoric increasingly echoes the ethno-nationalist, authoritarian ideology of the 1920s and ’30s, alongside a pattern of minimizing and reframing Nazi-era crimes.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZX6Skip next section Fire in Stuttgart rages on despite large-scale response07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Fire in Stuttgart rages on despite large-scale response
Two industrial halls at Stuttgart’s wholesale market were ablaze on Saturday morning, with firefighters failing to control the fire in southwestern Baden-Württemberg’s state capital despite hourslong efforts.
There were no immediate reports of causalities.
The emergency response to the fire which broke out on Friday evening in the industrial section of the city is the biggest in years. Some 200 firefighters, Red Cross officers and emergency response officers were at the scene.
Firefighters were pumping water from the nearby Necker river to douse the flames, while emergency officials deployed construction equipment to tear down parts of the threatened buildings.
It was not clear what had been stored in the halls that caught on fire.
Residents within four kilometers (2.5 miles) of the blaze were advised to keep their windows closed. At the same time, authorities said there was no danger to the public as no polluting chemicals have been detected at hazardous levels.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZOnSkip next section AfD meets in Erfurt to elect party leaders07/04/2026July 4, 2026
AfD meets in Erfurt to elect party leaders
Hundreds of AfD delegates have travelled to Germany’s Erfurt for a two-day conference which will include them voting on party leadership.
Current leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to keep their seats.
The latest polls indicate the anti-immigrant AfD is now Germany’s most popular political party nationwide, with between 27% and 29% support, and clearly ahead Friedrich Merz‘s ruling conservatives.
Even so, the AfD faces enormous pushback from other political camps, who see the faction as far-right extremists.
Thousands of protesters marched through Erfurt on Saturday morning, with some of them attempting to block roads and cut off access to the conference venue.
Thuringia an AfD stronghold
Erfurt is the state capital of eastern Thuringia, which shows some of the highest polling for the AfD in Germany.
The far-right party is the largest faction in Thuringia’s regional parliament, although the state is governed by a broad coalition of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the left-wing populist BSW.
Thuringia is also seen as a major stronghold of the more extremist wing of the AfD, centered around lawmaker Björn Höcke. The AfD’s state branch in Thuringia was classified as an extremist organization by Germany’s federal constitutional protection agency in 2021.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZITSkip next section Welcome to our coverage07/04/2026July 4, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Darko Janjevic with AFP, dpa, Reuters, EPD, KNA | Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
A very Guten Morgen from DW’s online team!
You join us as Germany’s biggest opposition party, the AfD, is holding a party conference in the eastern city of Erfurt.
Thousands of anti-AfD protesters were on streets to show their opposition to the event, decrying it as a sign of rising fascism.
Also, over 200 firefighters and other emergency responders were battling an out-of-control blaze at a market in the southwestern city of Stuttgart.
And German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told DW Berlin was greatly concerned about reports that China is training Russian soldiers.
“China has to know that Russia’s offensive war in Ukraine threatens our core interests, and Europe is of course ready to defend such core interests,” he said.
More on these and other news from Germany in this weekend blog.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GZISShow more posts
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