Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Merz predicts ‘significant problems’ for Saxony-Anhalt under AfD
- Merkel calls on Germans to ‘fight for this democracy’
- German politicians call for ban on radical AfD state branches
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30.
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Skip next section Merz: Germany to respond to hybrid threats ‘in coming days’08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Merz: Germany to respond to hybrid threats ‘in coming days’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Germany will respond to Russian hybrid threats in the coming week — in coordination with international allies.
“We’re largely in agreement within the government as to how to react and we will make this known in the coming days,” he told public broadcaster ARD as part of Sunday’s summer interview.
The Chancellor’s remarks come following the recent drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport. While an explosive-laden drone failed to detonate on August 5, the incident has put Germany’s security and defense infrastructure in the spotlight.
Asked whether Germany was in any position to respond to such threats in an appropriate manner, Merz responded: “Let’s wait and see what we mean by an appropriate response.”
Either way, he continued, any German response will be coordinated with allies. “Our European Union and NATO partners will not be surprised,” he said.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5JegZSkip next section Merz predicts ‘significant problems’ for Saxony-Anhalt under AfD08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Merz predicts ‘significant problems’ for Saxony-Anhalt under AfD
Election victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt next week would do serious damage to the eastern German state, according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“Should it come to that, this state would face significant problems,” Merz told public broadcaster ARD in his annual summer interview.
“I cannot imagine that international investors would want to be seen attending the first spades in the ground for new factories or businesses in Saxony-Anhalt alongside an AfD state premier,” he said.
According to the latest polls ahead of next Sunday’s vote, the AfD maintains a commanding lead with 40% — far ahead of Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with 23%, the Left Party (13%), the Social Democrats (SPD) (9%) and the Greens (6%).
Merz said he would be appearing twice himself in Saxony-Anhalt over the coming week in order to convince undecided voters (which still make up a good 20% of the electorate, according to polls) not to vote for the far-right.
“We will do everything we can to prevent Saxony-Anhalt falling to extremists,” he said, adding: “And that applies to the Left Party, too.”
Asked how the CDU intended to form a coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt with such low ratings and while refusing to work with either the AfD or the Left Party, Merz said: “We will look at that once we have the results.”
The current state premier, Sven Schulze (CDU), however, has expressed a willingness to form a coalition with the SPD, Greens and the Left Party.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JegUSkip next section Hockey: Germany’s men retain World Cup title08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Hockey: Germany’s men retain World Cup title
Dmytro Hubenko Editor
Germany retained their men’s field hockey World Cup title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Spain in Sunday’s final in Wavre, Belgium. The triumph secured Germany’s fourth World Cup crown, moving them level with Pakistan as the tournament’s joint-record winners.
Michel Struthoff scored the decisive goal in the 44th minute, beating the Spanish goalkeeper to turn the ball into the net and give Germany the lead. Spain pushed for an equalizer, but Germany’s disciplined defense held firm through the closing stages.
Goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg was instrumental in preserving the advantage, making several crucial saves and keeping out all four of Spain’s penalty corners. Germany, who are also the reigning European champions, absorbed increasing pressure late in the match to see out the victory.
The title adds to Germany’s previous World Cup successes in 2002, 2006 and 2023. Argentina secured third place earlier on Sunday with a 2-1 win over co-hosts the Netherlands in the bronze-medal match.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JeeOSkip next section Cologne-Mallorca Eurowings flight forced to land in Paris08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Cologne-Mallorca Eurowings flight forced to land in Paris
A Eurowings plane was forced to make a landing in Paris on Saturday evening after steam was detected in the aircraft’s galley, the airline said.
The Boeing 737 with 131 passengers on board was flying from the western German city of Cologne to the Spanish island of Mallorca.
The unscheduled landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport was made as a precaution and under “normal” flight priority status, according to Eurowings.
“The safety of the passengers and crew was at no time at risk,” a Eurowings spokesman said on Sunday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JdhASkip next section German politicians call for ban on radical AfD state branches08/30/2026August 30, 2026
German politicians call for ban on radical AfD state branches
High-ranking German politicians have advocated for proceedings to ban the most radical regional branches of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Baden-Württemberg’s state premier, Cem Özdemir, called for bans to be initiated swiftly in a joint guest op-ed in the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“We once again strongly urge that proceedings to ban the party be initiated as soon as possible, with a particular focus on the AfD‘s clearly ethno-nationalist state branches in Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Brandenburg,” Pistorius and Özdemir said.
Their comments come just days before the September 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt, where an AfD victory could result in a far-right party leading a German state government for the first time since the end of Nazi rule in 1945.
Pistorius and Özdemir argue that it is important to distinguish between different factions within the AfD.
The two politicians say that the party’s more radical, ethnically based wing rejects the constitutional principle. In their view, this wing should be subject to legal scrutiny.
They refer to this faction of the AfD as “völkisch” — a German adjective derived from das Volk, meaning “the people.” The völkisch movement was an ethno-nationalist movement and precursor to Nazism. Today, the AfD is often accused of holding völkisch views because its officials repeatedly distinguish between Germans with and without a history of migration.
However, Green Party lawmaker Irene Mihalic warned against a selective ban.
“I see a risk that the idea might eventually take hold that there is an unconstitutional part of the AfD and a constitutional one,” she told the Handelsblatt newspaper. “In my view, it is now clear that the entire AfD is at odds with our democratic constitution.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5JdgzSkip next section British woman stabbed to death at railway station in Bavaria08/30/2026August 30, 2026
British woman stabbed to death at railway station in Bavaria
A British woman was stabbed to death overnight at a railway station in the southern German state of Bavaria, police said on Sunday.
The 31-year-old was taken to hospital but later died from her injuries.
Police reported that a 27-year-old German man was detained at the scene in Rosenheim — the third-largest city in Upper Bavaria after Munich and Ingolstadt.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances and motive behind the attack and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JdfXSkip next section WATCH: AfD and the battle for young voters08/30/2026August 30, 2026
WATCH: AfD and the battle for young voters
Hans Pfeifer | Shristi Mangal Pal
For the first time since the end of World War II, a far-right politician could become a state premier in Germany.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is well ahead of the other parties, with its lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, especially popular among young voters.
Siegmund presents himself as a fresh and positive figure who wants to “get Germany back on its feet.”
We speak to young people in Saxony-Anhalt to find out what they like about Siegmund and the AfD.
To what extent are young people being politicized by the right? Or are they simply disillusioned with the established parties?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5JddNSkip next section Three Germans among those missing in Nepal-Tibet flood, China says08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Three Germans among those missing in Nepal-Tibet flood, China says
Three Germans are among those missing following Wednesday’s flash flood in the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China, Chinese authorities said on Sunday.
A total of 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were unaccounted for.
Those missing include:
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104 people from Nepal
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49 from India
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33 from Latvia
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18 from the United States
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15 from Britain and several dozen from other countries
“Chinese authorities have notified the respective embassies and consulates of these countries in China,” state media CCTV said, citing officials.
The Nepal Tourism Board, however, said eight Germans are missing. It is unclear if the three German nationals reported as unaccounted for by Chinese authorities are included in the number reported by Nepal.
The Foreign Office in Berlin has said “a high single-digit number of German nationals” are missing in the devastating flood.
On Sunday, the combined death toll rose to 750, with more than 3,000 people still missing, local authorities said.
Several scientists believe a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas on Wednesday may have triggered a tsunami-like wall of water which swept away entire villages in the Himalayan region.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JddKSkip next section Merkel calls on Germans to ‘fight for this democracy’08/30/2026August 30, 2026
Merkel calls on Germans to ‘fight for this democracy’
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on her compatriots to “stand up” for democracy ahead of next weekend’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is leading polls raising questions about what kind of government will be formed.
Despite this, the majority of Germans are not AfD voters, Merkel said at a political event in Berlin on Saturday night.
“I believe that now, once again — something we haven’t had to do for many decades — we must really fight for this democracy, simply stand up for it, be a little brave, stand by our word and say that this is a wonderful way to live,” she said.
Merkel said the AfD had, to some extent, managed to “dominate all our discussions from morning to night” about politics in Saxony-Anhalt. This meant that many voters no longer knew the policies of the other parties, she said.
But while the AfD has long polled strongest in the eastern states, Merkel — who herself hails from the former East Germany — said the rise of the AfD was not limited to those areas.
“It has become a pan-German phenomenon,” she said.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Jd8zSkip next section German government expected to hold Moscow responsible for Leipzig drone incident, reports say 08/29/2026August 29, 2026
German government expected to hold Moscow responsible for Leipzig drone incident, reports say
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government plans to officially hold Moscow responsible for the Leipzig drone incident in early August, several German news outlets owned by media company Axel Springer SE reported on Saturday.
Berlin is expected to announce the planned move in the coming days, including “extensive” sanctions, three officials familiar with the matter told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag and the media outlet Politico.
However, the three sources did not elaborate on what the specific measures could be. It is also unclear to what extent Berlin plans to hold Russia responsible for the Leipzig incident.
On August 4, a drone loaded with explosives was discovered near Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which serves as a hub for military aid shipments to Ukraine for its war against Russia.
Merz told RTL in an interview on Thursday that the federal government would soon identify those responsible for the incident.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JcLzSkip next section Sick leave now costs Germany twice as much as in 201008/29/2026August 29, 2026
Sick leave now costs Germany twice as much as in 2010
The total amount of wages German firms paid in sick and maternity leave has more than doubled over the past 15 years, a study from the Cologne-based German Economic Institute (IW) shows.
IW estimated that German companies paid a record-high €85.6 billion ($111 billion) in wages to employees who were out sick last year. This compares to €36.9 billion in 2010.
Of the larger figure, €72.5 billion represented gross wages, while €13.1 billion was earmarked for social security contributions.
IW said several factors have contributed to the rise, including wage hikes and inflation in other employee costs.
The institute said the total number of employed people has also grown since 2010, meaning more workers are eligible for sick leave.
IW, however, said it had noted a “significant” rise in recorded sick leave since Germany moved to electronic medical certificates in 2022.
Separate research by the Berlin-based IGES Institute in January showed that German workers now take an average of 19.5 working days as sick leave per year, a noticeable increase from about 13 days in 2018.
In an effort to stem the rise, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government will from January ban patients from receiving sick notes from doctors by phone.
In Germany, employers are generally required to pay workers’ salaries for up to six weeks before the statutory health insurance fund takes over by paying sickness benefits.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JcDpSkip next section Lower Saxony premier seeks deal on VW restructuring08/29/2026August 29, 2026
Lower Saxony premier seeks deal on VW restructuring
Volkswagen’s second-biggest shareholder has called on all sides to agree on a restructuring plan for the German auto giant in the next few days.
Olaf Lies, state premier of Lower Saxony — which holds 18% of VW’s shareholder voting rights — said he was convinced “a viable solution” can be found.
“I strongly urge that we use the time remaining until the next meeting to bring the different positions together,” Lies told journalists on Friday.
The state leader noted that VW must face its numerous business challenges head-on, namely costly tariffs, falling demand and intense competition from China.
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But he said the group’s position in Germany’s industrial landscape also had to be considered.
“With its sites in Lower Saxony and across Germany, its tens of thousands of employees and their families, and its suppliers and service providers, Volkswagen also bears an enormous responsibility for the wider economy and society,” Lies said.
VW’s management now thinks they may need to cut up to 100,000 jobs and that several German factories may face closure.
The supervisory board of Europe’s largest automaker is due to meet on September 4 to discuss a turnaround plan.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Jc9kSkip next section Survey: Trump’s return increased US influence over Germany08/29/2026August 29, 2026
Survey: Trump’s return increased US influence over Germany
Two-thirds of residents think the United States has more influence on Germany since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
A poll by the Forsa research institute found that 67% of respondents agreed, while just 11% thought there was less US influence. Around 18% thought it was the same.
The survey for the German-language Internationale Politik (International Politics) magazine found only 2% of 18 to 29-year-olds and 6% of 30 to 44-year-olds think US influence in Germany is lower than before Trump’s second term. That’s versus 18% of respondents aged 60 and over.
Germany-US ties have soured since Trump’s reelection, due to surprise tariffs, talk of seizing Greenland and open sniping over Russia’s war in Ukraine and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Jc1MSkip next section Report: Taliban team in Berlin to aid Afghan deportations08/29/2026August 29, 2026
Report: Taliban team in Berlin to aid Afghan deportations
The Taliban has sent a team of three people to Germany to help facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals, public broadcaster NDR reported.
NDR said the delegation arrived in Germany on Wednesday and is staying at the Afghan embassy in Berlin.
The broadcaster said their mission is to provide documents recognized by the Taliban in Kabul to Afghan nationals being deported from Germany.
The delegation is also due to spend time in Bonn and Munich, where Afghanistan has consulates general.
The arrival of the delegation is contentious as Germany — along with most of the rest of the world — does not recognize the Taliban government.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz calls the contacts a purely technical necessity to return people with no right to stay.
Critics, however, say his government is legitimizing the Taliban to help raise deportation numbers.
Germany suspended deportations to Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
They resumed three years later, initially for convicted criminals.
According to German government data, 15,343 Afghan nationals in Germany are required to leave the country, as of the end of June, including more than 1,500 children.
https://p.dw.com/p/5JbvOSkip next section AfD youth wing: Germany shouldn’t leave euro08/29/2026August 29, 2026
AfD youth wing: Germany shouldn’t leave euro
The youth wing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has broken ranks with party leadership and called for Germany not to leave the euro currency.
“We do not want Germany to leave the euro, but to address the existing structural flaws in the euro system,” Jean-Pascal Hohm, head of the Generation Deutschland (GD) youth organization, told the Bild newspaper.
The GD is due to adopt a position on the issue at a conference in the city of Magdeburg on Saturday.
A draft statement says the euro has strengthened the European single market but has “structural flaws,” and calls for reforms that would improve stability without giving up Europe’s economic unity.
In its 2025 election manifesto, the euroskeptic AfD has called for Germany to leave the euro, the single currency of 21 EU member states.
The GD was established last year as the AfD’s new youth organization after the party dissolved its previous youth wing, the Junge Alternative (JA), after it was labeled right-wing extremist by intelligence officials.
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