Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Germany and EU partners aim to finalize ‘return hubs’ by year end
- Police investigate after suspicious object found near Dormagen electricity substation
- Saxony-Anhalt parties launch final campaign push ahead of Sunday vote
- Volkswagen to shed 100,000 jobs by 2030
Welcome to our roundup of news and analysis from Germanyon Friday, September 4.
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Skip next section German police storm sabotage suspect’s vehicle09/04/2026September 4, 2026
German police storm sabotage suspect’s vehicle
Armed officers from Germany‘s elite Spezialeinsatzkommando (SEK) police unit located and stormed a truck thought to belong a man suspected of carrying out acts of sabotage against electrical infrastructure this week (see below).
The truck was located in the village of Niederzier near the town of Düren, in between the cities of Aachen and Cologne in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). One of the substations that was attacked was in the nearby town of Bergheim.
The vehicle was found to be empty and appeared to have been converted into a motorhome.
The suspect is believed to have fled on foot. NRW state Interior Minister Herbert Reul confirmed the operation and said the man would “not get far.”
Niederzier is close to a large and controversial surface mine on the site of the ancient Hambach Forest (Hambacher Forst), most of which has been cleared to make way for mining operations.
The location has been the site of several occupations by environmental activists over the past 15 years, leading to clashes with police and arrests.
In a letter claiming responsibility for this week’s sabotage efforts, the suspect sought by police said he was motivated by environmental concerns, in particular the “fight against fossil fuels.”
German federal interior minister Alexander Dobrindt also said earlier (see below) that authorities suspected “climate extremism.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ldu0Skip next section Interior minister suspects ‘climate extremism’ behind sabotage attempts09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Interior minister suspects ‘climate extremism’ behind sabotage attempts
German authorities believe a militant climate activist was behind a series of recent sabotage attacks on the country’s power grid and are hunting for a 48-year-old suspect.
“We must assume that this is a case of climate extremism,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Friday as officials confirmed that traces of explosives had been found in the suspect’s flat in Gevelsberg in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).
On Tuesday, unknown perpetrators carried out acts of sabotage against power stations in NRW and in the northeastern state of Brandenburg. A further attempted attack occurred on Thursday evening near the town of Dormagen, also in NRW.
NRW state Interior Minister Herbert Reul said security officials and journalists were sent letters confessing to some of the acts, letters which contained precise details about the plans and in which “the author cites as his motive the fight against fossil fuels.”
As for the suspect’s whereabouts, Reul said he “wouldn’t be surprised if he is still in Germany,” adding: “This was intentional, this was a crime.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5LcSjSkip next section Germany and EU partners aim to finalize ‘return hubs’ by year’s end09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Germany and EU partners aim to finalize ‘return hubs’ by year’s end
Germany and other European Union countries are aiming to finalize so-called “return hubs,” detention centers outside the bloc where they wish to send migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected, by the end of the year.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said “technical discussions” were underway with non-EU countries to establish controversial facilities.
The legality of the plans remains unclear under EU law, while human rights organizations have expressed criticism.
Read the full story here on DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5La8tSkip next section Berlin: Hackers publish stolen data after deadline expires09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Berlin: Hackers publish stolen data after deadline expires
A ransomware group which claimed to have stolen terabytes of sensitive data form government agencies in Berlin has carried out its threat to publish the data online.
The hackers had previously demanded a ransom of 30 bitcoin (around €2 million or $2.3 million) for the data, but authorities in the German capital refused to submit to extortion.
A countdown on the hackers’ leak website reached zero at 3:35 p.m. on Friday. An initial link led to an error page but, around one hour later, the 5.8-terabyte package was indeed made available.
IT experts have nevertheless praised the Berlin Senate’s refusal to pay – which it would be legally unable to do anyway.
“If you continue to support these groups with money or in other ways, they’ll just carry on,” Bianca Kastl from Chaos Computer Club told local public broadcaster RBB. “You have to bleed them out financially.”
The hacker group, which calls itself Rhysida, claimed to have acquired around 1.44 million files, including over 5,000 personal files and sensitive information on fines, pay checks, parliamentary committee meetings and even details on the vulnerabilities of Berlin’s drinking water system.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LZOTSkip next section Half of VW’s job cuts will be in Germany, Lower Saxony’s state premier says09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Half of VW’s job cuts will be in Germany, Lower Saxony’s state premier says
Nearly half of Volkswagen’s 50,000 job cuts will be in Germany, with no agreement on plant closure, Lower Saxony’s state Premier Olaf said on Friday
Lies is also a member of the group’s supervisory board, .
The premier stressed that stopping car production in plants such as Emden or Hanover is unimaginable. He added that there was a chance to retain production at German plans by considering other perspectives.
“The day before yesterday, there was talk of closing the plants. With the decision [on the group’s future], there is an opportunity to create prospects both in car manufacturing and, where that might not be possible, through other ways,” Lies said.
Late on Thursday, VW announced a major restructure that averted an escalation with unions and shareholders (see below.)
https://p.dw.com/p/5LPFJSkip next section July sees sharp jump in German factory orders 09/04/2026September 4, 2026
July sees sharp jump in German factory orders
German factory orders climbed in July for the third month in a row, according to official data from federal statistics office Destatis released on Friday,
Month-on-month industrial orders rose 2.5%, beating one expectation of just a 0.5% increase in a poll of analysts by the financial data platform FactSet.
The increase was mainly driven by an “exceptionally high volume” of large-scale orders for ships, railway rolling stock and aircraft, according to a Destatis press release.
Industrial orders serve as an indicator of future business activity, and the recent increase is being interpreted by some analysts as a sign Germany’s struggling economy is starting to recover.
This week, the Ifo and RWI economic research institutes both sharply revised their 2026 GDP growth forecasts higher by 1.3 to 1.4%
“It has been a long while since such we have had such positive headlines about the German economy,” LBBW bank analyst Jens-Oliver Niklasch told AFP news agency.
Factors including high energy prices, the rise of Chinese exports in competitive markets, and a faltering automotive sector have all weighed heavily on Germany’s growth in recent years.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to borrow and spend hundreds of billions of euros in the coming years to boost industrial growth, mainly through defense and infrastructure.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5LMkhSkip next section Hybrid attacks ‘no coincidence’ ahead of Sunday’s state election — Interior Ministry09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Hybrid attacks ‘no coincidence’ ahead of Sunday’s state election — Interior Ministry
A German Interior Ministry spokesperson said it is “no coincidence” that several suspected acts of sabotage on electrical infrastructure have taken place this week, just days ahead of an important state election in Saxony-Anhalt.
“In the context of the upcoming elections … there is an expectation that this may increase,” the spokesperson said at a regular news conference.
Polling shows the election in the eastern German state on Sunday could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) come out on top, and potentially be able to govern a German state for the first timewith an outright majority.
Police are investigating at least three suspected power grid sabotage attempts this week; two in North Rhine-Westphalia, and one in Brandenburg. Officials have not yet named suspects or a motive in any of the incidents.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5LKyeSkip next section Open electrical cabinet sparks police operation at Lower Saxony substation 09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Open electrical cabinet sparks police operation at Lower Saxony substation
Early Friday morning, a police patrol spotted an open cabinet at a power substation in the village of Ganderkesee, near Bremen in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony.
The find comes amid three suspected acts of sabotage at different substations in Germany over the past week.
The officer who spotted the open cabinet called in additional personnel, a police spokesperson said Friday.
“Due to the special significance of the technical facility, the premises were immediately and thoroughly searched,” the spokeswoman wrote.
No damage or unauthorized persons were found at the location.
“At no time was there any danger to the public,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, police near the western German city of Aachen are searching an area near a power plant in Weisweiler after receiving a letter from a man claiming responsibility for attempted sabotages elsewhere in Germany this week, and naming Weisweiler as a potential target.
Police have not said whether the man’s claims are credible, nor whether any suspicious objects have been found during Friday morning’s search.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LFVpSkip next section Germany’s Zverev reaches third round of US Open09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Germany’s Zverev reaches third round of US Open
German tennis player Alexander Zverev came out on top after after a five-set clash with France’s Quentin Halys at the US Open .
The four-hour 33-minute marathon at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City saw Zverev beat Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-3.
The match was the second in a row for Zverev ending after 2 a.m. following a first-round five-setter against 89th-ranked Lorenzo Sonego on Wednesday.
After the second-round win, 2026 French Open winner Zverev said he wasn’t happy with his performance, “but I won, that’s the most important thing.”
“I’m winning ugly right now. It’s also a skill to win ugly and when you’re not playing great tennis. I think I’ve mastered that right now,” he said.
“Physically, I feel fine. I am proud, I think, to be physically quite strong. I just hope at some point I’ll start playing better tennis,” Zverev added.
His next match is set for Saturday against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LBqeSkip next section Suspects in Munich arson attack to appear in court 09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Suspects in Munich arson attack to appear in court
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) on Friday said a 28-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man detained in connection with an arson attack in Munich are due to appear in court where a judge will decide whether to issue a formal arrest order.
Early Thursday morning, police were called to a fire at a construction site located near buildings in Munich’s Berg am Laim neighborhood belonging to defense tech companies, including Helsing and Rohde & Schwarz.
Police said incendiary devices were thrown from a car. One was extinguished and did not cause any damage. Another was defused.
The suspects, both Bulgarian citizens, were arrested shortly after the incident at a nearby gas station. Police have not released any information about a possible motive.
https://p.dw.com/p/5LA0VSkip next section Volkswagen shares jump after 100,000 job cuts announced 09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Volkswagen shares jump after 100,000 job cuts announced
Markets on Friday responded positively after German automobile giant Volkswagen announced a major restructure that averted an escalation with unions and shareholder Lower Saxony.
The carmaker announced on Thursday that it would be cutting a total of 100,000 jobs by the end of the decade in what is set to be the biggest restructuring ever seen in the global car industry.
The company said that management and trade unions had approved a plan involving the reduction of a further 50,000 jobs, in addition to 50,000 redundancies already agreed.
“It is essential to systematically align workforce levels with economic realities,” read a statement from the multi-brand Volkswagen group which, apart from VW itself, also includes Audi and Porsche.
The total of 100,000 cuts amount to about 15% of Volkswagen staff worldwide. The cull eclipses the 50,000 job cuts General Motors made after it declared bankruptcy in 2009.
Unions and management had publicly rowed before signing off on the plans, with the former accusing the latter of not being honest with the workforce after the figure of 100,000 possible job cuts surfaced in the media before being communicated internally.
Volkswagen also said the long-term future of four major German plants – in Hannover, Emden, Zwickau and Neckarsulm — could not be guaranteed.
Their closure would mark the first full-scale shuttering of Volkswagen factories in its home country.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5L6swSkip next section Parties in Saxony-Anhalt hold final campaign events ahead of Sunday’s polls09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Parties in Saxony-Anhalt hold final campaign events ahead of Sunday’s polls
The eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt goes to the polls on Sunday, and several parties are holding closing rallies on Friday to drum up support among undecided voters.
According to a survey by polling group “Forschungsgruppe Wahlen” cited by DPA news agency, 31% of respondents are still undecided.
Polls are showing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the lead as it aims for an a absolute majority that would allow it to lead a state government in Germany for the first time.
The AfD’s lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund and national party chairman Tino Chrupalla are due at a campaign event in the state capital, Magdeburg.
Sven Schulze, currently state premierand lead candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), also has engagements in Magdeburg planned for Friday.
The Left Party’s lead candidate Eva von Angern is appearing in Magdeburg, and the city of Halle, alongside leading party figures Heidi Reichinnek, Gregor Gysi and Dietmar Bartsch.
The Greens are planning events in Halle and Naumburg, with lead candidate Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz joined by federal party chairman Felix Banaszak.
Saxony-Anhalt’s current coalition government, comprising the CDU, center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), is set to lose its majority, according to polls.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5L5npSkip next section ‘Suspicious objects’ found near substation in Lower Saxony: reports09/04/2026September 4, 2026
‘Suspicious objects’ found near substation in Lower Saxony: reports
In the northwestern region of Lower Saxony, police are investigating “suspicious objects” found in the pre-dawn hours Friday morning at a power substation near the small town of Ganderkesee outside of Bremen, the Bild tabloid reported.
“A discovery was made that required a police investigation,” a police spokeswoman was quoted by the newspaper as saying. A helicopter had been called in to illuminate the area from above.
No further details were immediately available.
https://p.dw.com/p/5L2itSkip next section Police suspect another sabotage attempt near Dormagen substation09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Police suspect another sabotage attempt near Dormagen substation
Police in western Germany say a suspicious device found at an electricity substation in the small city of Dormagen between Cologne and Düsseldorf was likely intended to “cause damage.”
“Someone apparently tried to deliberately cause a short circuit,” a Cologne police spokesperson told AFP news agency.
The object was discovered late Thursday by a passer-by. A police spokesperson said it may have been a “suspicious launching device.”
The Bild tabloid reported that homemade rockets with launching devices, including timers and cooper wires, were discovered. Police have not confirmed the report.
The new discovery Friday is the latest this week in what police say are attempts at damaging critical infrastructure.
The first incident on Tuesday near the Jänschwalde coal power plant in the eastern state of Brandenburg involved homemade projectiles resembling New Year’s Eve fireworks that can short out high-voltage power lines by shooting a grounding wire over them.
A day later, similar objects were found near a power station in Bergheim, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5L2enSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/04/2026September 4, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Wesley Rahn | Natalie Muller Editor
Guten morgen from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
A number of suspicious devices have been found near German power infrastructure this week, with a third incident overnight in Dormagen being treated by police as a likely sabotage attempt.
No significant damage has been reported in any of the cases and police have not revealed any suspects.
Meanwhile, parties in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt are holding their final campaign events ahead of a state election on Sunday that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) come out on top.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments on these stories and more.
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