Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul starts Mexico visit
- Drug trafficking, economy at center of Germany-Mexico meetings
- Majority of Germans doubt the government’s ability to implement reforms, poll suggests
- More than half of German businesses say they use AI
Read below for a roundup of news from Germany on June 5, 2026.
Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the “Star” or “Preferred” to keep DW News at the top of your feed
Skip next section Drug trafficking, economy at center of Germany-Mexico meetings06/05/2026June 5, 2026
Drug trafficking, economy at center of Germany-Mexico meetings
Germany and Mexico will strengthen their cooperation in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking as officials from the two countries hold meetings on a wide range of issues.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco headed discussions between representatives from various ministries from both countries.
According to Wadephul, the fight against organized crime should be a top priority, mostly due to concerns in Europe over rising drug consumption and the operations of international drug trafficking networks.
The economic relations between the two countries, described by Mexican Foreign Minister Velasco as among the strongest and most diverse between Latin America and Europe, were also discussed.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5EtAjSkip next section More than half of German businesses say they use AI06/05/2026June 5, 2026
More than half of German businesses say they use AI
More than half of Germany’s companies have integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations, according to a poll by the Institute for Economic Research (Ifo).
54.5% of the companies surveyed said they make use of AI in their operations, representing a rise of about 13 percentage points from last year’s result of 40.9%.
AI is used most frequently in the manufacturing sector (58.7%), followed by the services sector (56.2%), the poll results show.
According to Ifo, AI is most commonly used to support existing work processes and present businesses with new opportunities by processing large amounts of information quickly.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5Et5dSkip next section Germans doubt government’s ability to implement reforms — poll06/05/2026June 5, 2026
Germans doubt government’s ability to implement reforms — poll
Only 26% of Germans say they believe that the current coalition can solve the issues in the country’s social security system, a new poll suggests.
The poll by the German public broadcaster ZDF also found that 52% believe the coalition — consisting of Chancellor Friedrich Merz‘s CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) — will last until the next federal elections in 2029. Meanwhile, 43% said the government is bound to fall apart beforehand.
Meanwhile, support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party remains high. It is currently the most popular party (27% of support), beating the CDUand its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, by two percentage points.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsyCSkip next section German man sentenced to life for 2004 murder in France06/05/2026June 5, 2026
German man sentenced to life for 2004 murder in France
A German serial killer has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2004 murder of a 10-year-old boy, local reports in France said.
The 55-year-old man was found guilty of murdering the boy after abducting him from a school holiday camp in the town of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in April 2004.
While the defendant denied his involvement throughout the trial, prosecutors said the killing had the “signature” of Martin N., whose full name cannot be disclosed according to Germany’s privacy laws.
N., who is also known as the “masked man,” is already in jail in Germany for murdering three children and sexually abusing dozens of boys between 1992 and 2001.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsvgSkip next section Wadephul starts visit to Mexico, reiterates UN support despite UNSC loss06/05/2026June 5, 2026
Wadephul starts visit to Mexico, reiterates UN support despite UNSC loss
GermanForeign Minister Johann Wadephul‘s Mexicotrip started with a visit to Mexico City’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the world’s largest Catholic pilgrimage sites.
Berlin’s top diplomat also held a meeting with his Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco, with whom he will co-chair a meeting of the German-Mexican Binational Commission.
The visit comes after Germany’s failed bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
Despite the loss, Wadephul emphasized there will be no funding cuts to the UN on Germany’s behalf, and that Berlin still views the UN as the institution as the decisive international institution promoting peace, human rights and international security.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsoWSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/05/2026June 5, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Felix Tamsut | Dmytro Hubenko Editor
Greetings from Bonn!
Today, among other things, we will be covering German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s visit to Mexico, in which he will hold a series of meetings with local politicians and strategic partners.
The visit comes shortly after Germany suffered a defeat in its bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Join us as we bring you all the updates from Germany.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EsnTShow more posts
About The Author
