Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer stands accused of making false statements in connection with a failed scheme to charge foreign motorists highway tolls
- Germany has had one of the best cherry harvests in years
- Ever more people in Germany are using buses and trains for short trips, according to the Federal Statistical Office
- German car exports sank considerably in the first seven months of the year, new figures show
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under growing pressure after his CDU was badly defeated in two state elections
Here is a roundup of the top stories from and about Germany on September 21, 2026:
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Skip next section German car exports down in first seven months of 2026 — Destatis09/21/2026September 21, 2026
German car exports down in first seven months of 2026 — Destatis
In 2026, German exports of passenger cars dropped by 4% up to the end of July in comparison with the same period last year, new figures by the Federal Statistical Office showed on Monday.
It exported altogether some 2 million cars at a worth of €73.5 billion ($84.4 billion), 8.9% less than a year ago, with almost a third going to the UK, the US and Italy.
Cars with electric and combustion engines both saw an export drop of 2.9%, while the export of those with hybrid motors fell by 8.2%.
Imports of new passenger cars rose by 16% to some 1.3 million vehicles.
China takes first place for car imports
Chinese vehicles climbed to first place among car imports to Germany at 175,000 vehicles.
That made up 13.8% of all car imports and represents a rise of 120.9% compared with the January-July period in 2025.
It thus pushed the former import leaders Czech Republic and Spain to second and third place respectively.
The rise in Chinese imports was largely driven by hybrid vehicles (+36%) and purely electric vehicles (+66%), while imports of Chinese cars with combustion engines went down 9%.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Mxy0Skip next section Elections latest: Merz defiant after state poll drubbings09/21/2026September 21, 2026
Elections latest: Merz defiant after state poll drubbings
Friedrich Merz‘s position as chancellor is looking increasingly fragile after his Christian Democrats (CDU) failed to make it into the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in weekend elections.
And that result came on the heels of the election in Saxony-Anhalt around two weeks ago, in which the CDU also put in a poor showing amid big gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
That, combined with his already very low approval ratings, means Merz is currently under huge pressure.
DW looks at his predicament and the broader fallout from the recent polls in this dedicated blog: Germany: Friedrich Merz fights for survival after election defeats
https://p.dw.com/p/5MxVMSkip next section Germany brings in bumper cherry harvest09/21/2026September 21, 2026
Germany brings in bumper cherry harvest
German orchard growers have harvested some 48,500 metric tons (53,462 US tons) of sweet and sour cherries this summer — 7.8% above the average for the past 10 years — new statistics show.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), some 80.2% of the harvest (38,900 tons) was sweet cherries, and 19.8% (9,600) was of the sour variety.
Pear growers also have reason to be content, with preliminary estimates putting the harvest of that fruit at 7.7% higher than the average over the past 10 years, though 3.3% down on last year.
The good fruit harvest comes despite Germany’s grain production suffering greatly under the hot conditions during the summer.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MxHISkip next section Ex-Transport Minister Scheuer goes on trial for perjuryPublished 09/21/2026Published September 21, 2026last updated 09/21/2026last updated September 21, 2026
Ex-Transport Minister Scheuer goes on trial for perjury
A perjury trial against former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer kicked off at the Berlin District Court on Monday.
Scheuer and his co-defendant Gerhard Schulz, a former state secretary, are accused of having lied to a parliamentary committee investigating a failed scheme some seven years ago to levy a highway toll on foreign motorists.
Both of them deny the charges made against them.
What are the charges against Scheuer and Schulz?
The two are accused of lying to the committee about having signed a contract with a company to run the toll operations despite knowing that the European Court of Justice (ICJ) was likely to declare the scheme illegal.
Scheur’s Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of the Christian Democrats (CDU) currently led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, had devised a plan to levy tolls on all drivers but then compensate German motorists by reducing their motor vehicle taxes.
The scheme was shot down in 2019 by the ICJ for breaching EU rules.
But by that time, the Transport Ministry under Scheuer had already signed binding contracts with the operators who were to be tasked with executing the plan.
The German government was then forced to pay €243 million ($283 million at current exchange rates) in damages to the companies involved.
Jail sentences possible
The trial is planned to take place over 12 days, with a verdict expected on November 25.
If found guilty, the accused could face jail sentences ranging from three months to five years.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Mx20Skip next section Welcome to our coverage09/21/2026September 21, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Timothy Jones | Karl Sexton Editor
The DW newsroom on the banks of the Rhine in Bonn wishes all its readers guten Tag at the start of a new week.
Among the big topics of the day in Germany is the start of a trial against former Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer in connection with a failed car toll scheme that cost the government hundreds of millions of euros some seven years ago.
He stands accused of making false statements before a parliamentary committee investigating the issue.
In more positive news, cherry (and pear) farmers have something to smile about this year: They have had their best harvest in years owing to some mild spring weather.
And we will also, of course, be looking at the fallout from recent state elections that have brought bad news for Chancellor Friedrich Merz‘s Christian Democrats (CDU).
Read on to find out more about these and other stories.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MwuRShow more posts
