Skip next section Germany’s parties sign coalition deal
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Germany’s parties sign coalition deal
Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU union and party have signed a coalition deal which paves the way for the swearing in of the new government on Tuesday.
The leaders of the their Bavarian sister party the and the SPD signed the 144-page agreement, which was announced last month after a round of coalition talks.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tw0G
Skip next section Germany ‘strongly rejects’ US criticism of AfD ‘extremist’ label
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Germany ‘strongly rejects’ US criticism of AfD ‘extremist’ label
Berlin has reiterated it “strongly rejects” including Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the BfV’s decision to label the party as
“I reiterate that the insinuations contained [in Rubio’s comments] are certainly unfounded,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer was quoted by French news agency AFP as saying.
Following the intelligence agency’s decision, Rubio described the labeling as “tyranny in disguise.” Other members of the Donald Trump administration, including Vice President and advisor , also condemned it.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tw3t
Skip next section Why is Wolfram Weimer, Germany’s incoming culture minister, controversial?
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Why is Wolfram Weimer, Germany’s incoming culture minister, controversial?
Incoming Chancellor ruling coalition has already stirred some controversy with its personality picks, including around Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer.
The 60-year-old Weimer is a journalist and author with some controversial recorded opinions, most notably in his 2018 book: The Conservative Manifesto.
Several excerpts from the book have been circulating recently, since Weimer was picked for the culture ministry.
One notable example is when the incoming culture minister expresses concern over the “perpetuation of one’s own blood,” and the “biological self-abandonment of Europe.”
Such statements have raised grave concerns, especially amid Germany’s history and the .
Weimer has defended his words, saying they were taken “completely out of context” yet failing to clarify the correct context.
His nomination stirred wide controversy among Germany’s cultural scene, with a petition launched against him becoming culture minister. The petition, launched by the “Ensemble Network” of performing artists, gathered nearly 70,000 signatures since its launch last week.
“Wolfram Weimer is not suitable for this central office of cultural policy. He is a conservative publisher who has hardly come out as a cultural figure,” the petition read.
Weimer has rejected the criticism, telling the German news agency DPA that he aims to “strengthen and support the wonderfully rich cultural landscape” and to support its “extraordinary diversity.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvzB
Skip next section Germany’s new government mostly Catholic — Germany’s Catholic news agency
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Germany’s new government mostly Catholic — Germany’s Catholic news agency
Germany’s incoming coalition government will be a “Catholic” government, the German Catholic news agency (KNA) reported on Monday, after surveying the religions of all the known members of the government.
According to KNA, at least ten members of Germany’s new government are known to be Catholic, including incoming Chancellor .
The SPD has also nominated Chaldean Catholic Reem Alabali-Radovan to become development minister in the new government.
Three more members belong to Prostestant churches. Karin Prien, CDU’s incoming family affairs minister, is set to become the first female Jewish minister, though she describes herself as “non-religious.”
Six more ministers do not disclose their religion, KNA reported.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvi5
Skip next section AfD sues Germany’s spy agency after ‘right-wing extremist’ label
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
AfD sues Germany’s spy agency after ‘right-wing extremist’ label
Germany’s far-right, anti-immigration party is filing a lawsuit against the domestic intelligence agency (BfV) after the latter labeled the party “right-wing extremist” last week.
Daniel Tapp, a spokesperson for AfD leader , told the German DPA news agency that a letter to this effect was sent to the administrative court in Cologne.
In a statement on its website, the AfD said that shortly after the BfV labeling on Friday, it delivered a “warning” to the spy agency asking it to “refrain from classifying and/or categorizing and/or observing and/or dealing with and/or examining and/or conducting and/or publicly announcing the AfD” as a “right-wing extremist” movement.
Meanwhile, controversial AfD Thuringia parliamentary leader Björn Höcke came under fire for posting a warning to the BfV on his X profile. The post was later deleted.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvam
Skip next section Berlin’s Holocaust memorial turns 20
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Berlin’s Holocaust memorial turns 20
The memorial, an arrangement of 2,711 concrete steles in the center of the German capital Berlin, turns 20 this month.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was established in an effort from Germany to stress its determination that the crimes of the Holocaust are not forgotten.
Also this month, the world prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII and the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Germany sparked , with its many millions of deaths, and was responsible for the systematic murder of 6 million European Jews, as well as hundreds of thousands of other victims of Nazi terror.
On Monday, armed forces from allies will join a procession in London, as part of wider events planned to mark Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
Personnel from the US, France and Germany were set to join the military procession, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying that this week’s events were a reminder that victory was “not just for Britain.”
The parade will also symbolically include Ukrainian troops.
The four-day celebration will also involve a balcony appearance by the British royal family on Monday.
Officially, May 8 is known as VE Day.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvTq
Skip next section SPD’s Miersch to become parliamentary group leader — reports
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
SPD’s Miersch to become parliamentary group leader — reports
The Matthias Mierch is set to lead the center-left party’s parliamentary group, media reports suggested on Monday.
Germany’s state broadcaster ARD and US digital newspaper Politico both reported that Miersch, who is currently the acting secretary general of the party, will become its parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag.
The party is set to present its ministerial line-up late this morning. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is due to become vice chancellor and finance minister.
Some picks beginning to emerge also include:
- staying on as defense minister
- Former Bundestag President Bärbel Bas to become labor minister
- Rhineland Pfalz’s Education Minister Stefanie Hubig to become justice minister
- Former SPD parliamentary group leader Verena Hubertz to become housing minister
- Anti-racism officer Reem Alabali-Radovan to become development minister
- Former representative to eastern-Europe Carsten Schneider to become environment minister
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvEv
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Christian Lindner, Germany’s former finance minister, runs over dog — media reports
, the leader of the neoliberal and Germany’s former finance minister, ran over a dog and killed him in an accident reported by German media.
Tabloid Bild said the former minister ran over a Norfolk terrier in the car park of an Italian restaurant in the capital Berlin.
The dog, believed to have belonged to film producer Wolf Bauer, was reportedly not on a leash at the time of the accident. Lindner told Bild he could not tell at first that the dog had died, with eyewitness reports suggesting the former minister could barely see the small animal.
Lindner has apologized for the incident.
The FDP leader’s departure from outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ coalition last November led to its and snap national election that was held in February.
The pro-business party failed to meet the 5% threshold needed to get into parliament in the those
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvFb
Skip next section Germany’s new coalition to sign deal
05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Germany’s new coalition to sign deal
The party leaders of Germany’s incoming conservative-led government will at noon on Monday a coalition deal set to bring the new government into motion.
The leaders of the conservative , their Bavarian sister party the and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are meeting to seal the 144-page agreement they reached last month, titled “Responsibility for Germany” and meant to serve as a roadmap for the incoming government.
This comes as the new government is due to be sworn in in the Bundestag tomorrow, with the CDU’s officially becoming the new German chancellor.
The CDU, CSU and SPD have 328 seats in parliament, barely securing the absolute majority of at least 316.
The were held after the collapse of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Schoz’s coalition government in November. Scholz’s SPD came third in the vote, behind the far-right party.
But almost all of Germany’s established parties have vowed not to work with the anti-immigration AfD. Last week, the party was by Germany’s spy agency.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvEl
Skip next section Welcome to our Germany coverage05/05/2025May 5, 2025
Welcome to our Germany coverage
The signing of Germany’s coalition deal, the last step before the new government comes in, is taking place at noon today.
Meanwhile, the are slowly revealing is picks for government posts.
We will bring you the latest on the coalition deal signing, the SPD’s top picks, the preparations for the new government’s swearing in tomorrow, as well as all things Germany, whether in politics, society or culture.
https://p.dw.com/p/4tvEb
The post Germany updates: Conservative-led coalition agreement signed appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
