Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Police say 12 rallies are planned ahead of Sunday’s election in Saxony-Anhalt
- Rhine states seek additional funding after low-water crisis
- Police hunt possible ‘climate extremist’ after power grid sabotage
- Hackers carry out threat to release Berlin state records
Here is our roundup of news and analysis from Germany on Saturday, September 5
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Skip next section Four states demand federal support to waterways after drought09/05/2026September 5, 2026
Four states demand federal support to waterways after drought
After a summer drought caused severe low water levels on the Rhine River, four of Germany’s states have called on Berlin to increase funding to modernize inland waterways.
Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia said the federal government must invest at least €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) per year to boost maintenance.
Germany’s waterways, including the Rhine, play a key role in moving raw materials across the country, carrying more than 5% of all freight transported,
They said politicians often focus on investing in roads and railways, while canals and rivers often get neglected.
Over the summer, the Rhine became almost impassable at one key location and many ships plying the Rhine had to operate with much-reduced cargoes.
Economists at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated the drought would cause an economic loss of up to €2 billion.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Transport Minister Viktor Haase called for new fleets of inland vessels that can reliably operate even in extreme low-water conditions.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LeddSkip next section Several rallies planned on eve of Saxony-Anhalt state election09/05/2026September 5, 2026
Several rallies planned on eve of Saxony-Anhalt state election
Thousands of people are expected at rallies in eastern Germany’sstate of Saxony-Anhalt ahead of elections for a new regional parliament.
Police said 12 events have been registered in the state capital, Magdeburg, with others in Halle.
Most of the demonstrations are against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is widely expected to receive the most support in Sunday’s vote.
Trade unions and civil society groups are organizing the largest rallies. Their events include a so-called democracy festival.
The AfD will also hold its final campaign event in Magdeburg.
The latest polls put the AfD at over 40% support, putting it on course to be the largest party in the state parliament by a wide margin.
However, without an outright majority, the chance of the AfD forming a government will get messy as mainstream parties have ruled out a coalition with the far right.
No smaller party expected to enter parliament has offered to formally support an AfD-led government.
The AfD could take office on its own only if it wins a majority of seats.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LeNRSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/05/2026September 5, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Wesley Dockery Editor
Guten Morgen from Germany, where more than a dozen rallies are planned ahead of Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
For the first time since World War II, a far-right party — the Alternative for Germany (AfD) — could win the most votes and could theoretically take power in the eastern German state.
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After cargo shipping was disrupted due to severe low water levels on the Rhine River this summer, four German states have asked the federal government for additional support.
Also, the FBI has added a German businessman from Bavaria to its most-wanted list.
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