Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Identities of six victims in shooting at Stade not yet confirmed, police say
- The victims — four women and two men — were all employees at a youth welfare facility
- German national coach Julian Nagelsmann says he will not resign after a third straight early men’s World Cup exit
- Nagelsmann criticized the referee for disallowing extra-time goal
Here are the latest news headlines from Germany on Tuesday, June 30:
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Skip next section Merz’s upbeat comments on Germany’s World Cup exit draw backlash06/30/2026June 30, 2026
Merz’s upbeat comments on Germany’s World Cup exit draw backlash
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has praised the national team after their World Cup exit, garnering criticism online.
“Even though the elimination hurts: What a game,” Merz wrote on X.
“With your dedication and team spirit at this World Cup, you’ve inspired our country. We’re proud of you.”
The comments triggered widespread backlash, with critics questioning his upbeat tone after the last-32 loss on penalties to Paraguay.
The Bild newspaper accused Merz of making “a fool of himself,” while FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said she was unsure “which was worse,” the match or the analysis.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also mocked the chancellor’s remarks.
Merz later doubled down, saying the country should stand by the team in defeat as well as success.
Germany have now exited early from three consecutive World Cups, though they reached the knockout stage this time after group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GKTjSkip next section German inflation outlook eases as price pressures cool06/30/2026June 30, 2026
German inflation outlook eases as price pressures cool
Germany’s inflation outlook has shown signs of easing as companies scale back plans to raise prices.
The Institute for Economic Research (ifo) said its price expectations index fell for a second straight month in June to 26.4 points, indicating fewer firms intend to increase prices.
Economist Timo Wollmershäuser said the main wave of price hikes may have passed, helped by falling energy costs and hopes of stability in the Middle East.
However, he warned it was too early to declare victory, with producer and consumer prices still expected to rise in the coming months.
Price pressures eased most among energy-intensive firms, while declines were more modest in services, retail and manufacturing. Food producers also showed reduced pricing plans, though retail food price pressure remains elevated.
However, separate data from Germany’s Federal Statistics Agency released Tuesday showed inflation slowed to 2.3% in June, down from 2.6% in May and 2.9% in April.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GKHdSkip next section Romanian arrested in Germany over alleged extremist plot06/30/2026June 30, 2026
Romanian arrested in Germany over alleged extremist plot
German authorities have arrested a Romanian national suspected of planning to overthrow his country’s government.
The suspect, identified as Nichita P., allegedly aimed to establish a Nazi-inspired regime in Bratislava.
Prosecutors said the suspect had been detained in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg and is accused of attempting to start a foreign terrorist organization.
According to German prosecutors, Nichita sought to build a right-wing extremist group aimed at launching a “war of terror” in Romania.
Investigators said he used messaging platforms to recruit followers, particularly targeting young people. He allegedly called for killings, arson attacks on buildings linked to migrants and LGBTQ+ people, and the spread of extremist propaganda.
He is also accused of sharing instructions on making poisons, explosives and car bombs, and of encouraging harmful behavior among minors.
Prosecutors said the suspect was partly still a minor at the time of the alleged offenses.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GJhfSkip next section Germany ‘under pressure’ from internal, external threats06/30/2026June 30, 2026
Germany ‘under pressure’ from internal, external threats
According to Germany’s domestic security agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the country is facing growing threats from both homegrown extremists and foreign powers.
“Germany is under pressure,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters at the presentation of the agency’s annual report. “The opponents of our free democratic basic order come from both outside and within.”
The minister said the risk of violence came from both the far right and the far left.
Dobrindt also pointed to sabotage and influence operations by foreign states, with the report identifying Russia as the main external threat.
The report notes that foreign powers carry out “sabotage operations, engage in illicit economic or political interference, ranging up to lethal operations, and spread disinformation.”
Politically motivated crime hit a record high of 85,837 cases, with right-wing extremism accounting for the largest share, followed by left-wing offenses.
The report also highlighted antisemitism as a “central challenge,” saying tensions linked to the Middle East conflict — intensified by the Iran war — are fueling threats to Jewish communities.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GJ0QSkip next section Germany’s World Cup exit a ‘disaster,’ says former coach Klinsmann06/30/2026June 30, 2026
Germany’s World Cup exit a ‘disaster,’ says former coach Klinsmann
Former Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann has slammed the national team’s latest World Cup exit as a “disaster.”
He said the 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay after a 1-1 draw was “devastating” and “an embarrassment.”
“This takes Germany into a huge, huge hole,” he added.
“Everything, from the top to the bottom, needs to be questioned, needs to be discussed, and obviously there will be consequences to it, whatever those consequences are,” the 61-year-old said.
He said the side lacked energy, decisiveness and aggression against a strong opponent.
Klinsmann said blame lies at all levels.
“It falls on everybody from the coaching staff to the federation to every single player that was called into this 26-man roster. “Everyone is part of this disaster.”
Klinsmann was coach of the German national team from 2004 to 2006 and led the team to third place during the 2006 World Cup.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GJKGSkip next section German unemployment dips, but labour market remains weak06/30/2026June 30, 2026
German unemployment dips, but labour market remains weak
German unemployment fell slightly in June, but the labor market showed little sign of a broader recovery, according to figures released by the Federal Employment Agency on Tuesday.
Compared to the previous month, Germany recorded 15,000 fewer unemployed people. In seasonally adjusted terms, however unemployment edged down by just 1,000.
“There is little sign of change in the labor market,” agency head Andrea Nahles said.
Even so, the latest numbers were noticeably better than expected. Economists polled by the Reuters news agency had forecast an increase of 7,000 in the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed people.
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An economist for the ING bank, Carsten Brzeski said the report offered “some positive news,” but added that the recent downward trend on the labor market appeared to have paused rather than clearly ended or reversed.
Economists have warned that unemployment could rise again in the coming months, as companies often take time to respond to economic uncertainty and geopolitical shocks.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GIdUSkip next section Six victims in Stade shooting yet to be identifiedPublished 06/30/2026Published June 30, 2026last updated 06/30/2026last updated June 30, 2026
Six victims in Stade shooting yet to be identified
The identities of six people killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in the northern town of Stade have not yet been confirmed, police said.
Authorities said the victims, four women and two men, were all employees of a youth welfare center.
Investigators believe the attack was likely linked to a custody dispute. The suspect, a 45-year-old man, had an appointment at the facility regarding his three-month-old daughter.
Emergency services found four victims dead at the scene, while one died during resuscitation efforts and another later in hospital.
The suspect’s child and her 34-year-old mother were not among the victims.
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The alleged shooter, a German-born man with Turkish roots, was arrested shortly after the attack. A 65-year-old woman was also detained on suspicion of driving the getaway vehicle.
Lower Saxony Interior Minister Daniela Behrens described the incident, which took place roughly 30 kilometers (about 17 miles) west of Hamburg, as an isolated case and a “cold-blooded act of violence.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed condolences and said the events were “profoundly shocking.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GIQrSkip next section Nagelsmann refuses to quit after Germany exitPublished 06/30/2026Published June 30, 2026last updated 06/30/2026last updated June 30, 2026
Nagelsmann refuses to quit after Germany exit
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has said he will not resign after a third straight early football World Cup exit for the men’s national side.
The former Bayern Munich boss said he remains under contract until 2028 and that he plans to stay unless the German Football Association decides otherwise.
Germany were knocked out after a 4-3 penalty shootout against Paraguay on Monday evening.
Nagelsmann also criticized the referee for disallowing a goal in extra time, calling the decision pivotal.
Team director Rudi Völler backed the coach, saying he remains “the right man for the job.”
However, former Germany captain Lothar Matthäus said a change may be needed after the latest early exit.
“I believe we need to move forward with a new coach after this World Cup. It was just too much. There’s probably a lot to work through, both on and off the field,” he told Germany’s mass-circulation Bild newspaper.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GIWaSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/30/2026June 30, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Richard Connor | Darko Janjevic
Good morning from DW’s online newsroom!
Germany is dealing with the shock of yesterday’s mass shooting in the northern town of Stade, which claimed six lives.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been among those expressing sorrow after the attack.
Meanwhile, German football fans are debating the aftermath of the surprise World Cup exit on penalties to Paraguay in the first round of knockout matches.
Stay with here for the latest on what Germany is talking about today.
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