Germany news: Trial starts of ex-Transport Minister Scheuer

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September 22, 2026

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading our Germany news blog.

We'll be back with more news on Tuesday from the heart of Europe. Bis dann!

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Skip next section Mercedes-Benz considers plant shutdowns in Germany if cost cuts fail

September 21, 2026

Mercedes-Benz considers plant shutdowns in Germany if cost cuts fail

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz could close two of its factories if it fails to reduce operating costs, the company's Head of Production, Michael Schiebe, warned during an employee meeting on Monday.

"Our clear goal is to maintain all of our production sites in Germany," Schiebe said. "To achieve this, we must agree on measures that are acceptable to everyone in order to reduce costs in Germany. If we fail to do so, we will have to close a body shop and a German powertrain plant."

The employee meeting took place in Sindelfingen, a city near Stuttgart, where thousands of workers took to the streets on Monday to protest job cuts and cost-reduction measures in the automotive industry.

According to Schiebe, the facilities at risk are a body shop plant, where vehicles are assembled, and a powertrain plant, where automotive components are manufactured.

In Germany, Mercedes-Benz's body shop plants are located in Sindelfingen, Rastatt, and Bremen. Its powertrain plants are based in Untertürkheim, Affalterbach, Berlin, Hamburg, Kamenz, Kölleda, and Arnstadt.

Protests across Germany

IG Metall, the country's largest industrial union, said that around 175,000 employees took part in rallies on Monday at 280 locations, including key automotive hubs such as Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt, and Munich.

Mercedes-Benz has stepped up its cost-cutting efforts and announced a "productivity campaign for Germany."

With this move, the automaker has sparked a broader public debate about labor costs. The company's management board published an open letter to employees proposing longer working hours without additional pay.

Volkswagen crisis: Emden plant closure impacts whole region

https://p.dw.com/p/5N0A9

Skip next section Oktoberfest debuts first event for queer women

September 21, 2026

Oktoberfest debuts first event for queer women

The first official party for queer women at Munich's Oktoberfest took place on Monday.

It is the first time in the history of the Bavarian festival that an event exclusively for lesbian women has been held. "There have been established queer events for decades, but so far lesbian women have hardly had a visible role as a community of their own," said co-organizer Sina Scherer, who also runs a series of events for Munich's queer community.

"At some point, we said, 'We're not going to wait for someone to create a space for us. We'll create it ourselves," she added.

Although the first Sunday of the festival has long been celebrated by Germany's gay community, queer women had never before had their own official event at Oktoberfest. Scherer said many venues for lesbians had shut in Munich in recent years and warned that visibility remains a challenge for the community during Oktoberfest, the world-famous beer festival.

Revelers gathered in one of the iconic "Festzelte," the large tents that accommodate thousands of people each year during the festival, under the slogan "Beer, Breasts, Pretzels." Attendees wore traditional dirndls as the rainbow flag flew above the stage.

The party followed the traditional "Gay Sunday" celebration and welcomed members of the FLINTA community, a German acronym referring to women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender people. Co-organizer Silke Völlig said about 700 people registered to attend the celebration.

Oktoberfest is held every year in Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria. It is the largest beer festival in the world and runs until October 4 this year. The event kicked off on Sunday.

More than six million visitors are expected to attend Oktoberfest, enjoy beer, amusement rides, traditional Bavarian food and live music.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MzsN

Skip next section Berlin says fuel price discount to take effect on October 1

September 21, 2026

Berlin says fuel price discount to take effect on October 1

The German government plans to approve a planned discount on gasoline on Monday and introduce it at the start of October, according to a Finance Ministry spokesperson.

The spokesperson said a draft bill on the discount had been finalized at the weekend and would likely be passed by both houses of parliament later this week.

The German government on Friday announced that it will cut taxes on gas and diesel by 17 cents ($0.20) per liter, days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised relief for consumers and businesses hit by soaring fuel prices.

The announcement comes after Merz's party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suffered a heavy defeat in regional elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

German economy faces setback

Germany has endured an extended period of economic weakness since late 2022.

Europe's largest economy stagnated during the first half of 2026, with gross domestic product increasing by 0.4% in the first quarter and 0.3%, in the second.

Germany’s central bank said on Monday that the economy has experienced a "temporary loss of momentum" due to low water levels on the Rhine river and high energy prices. But Bundesbank expects growth to pick up back up toward the end of the year.

https://p.dw.com/p/5MzJH

Skip next section Automotive workers protest nationwide as industry suffers crisis

September 21, 2026

Automotive workers protest nationwide as industry suffers crisis

Protesters from Germany's automotive industry have called for action from the government and company managements to save their jobs and factories as the country's car production sector faces a growing crisis.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in rallies, which, according to the IG Metall union — Europe and Germany's largest — will take place at more than 280 sites.

Car industry being driven 'into a brick wall'

Speaking at carmaker Volkswagen's Wolfsburg factory, IG Metall's chairwoman, Christiane Benner, who is also a member of VW's supervisory board, said: "Things have really hit the fan."

"Companies like VW, BMW, Audi, Bosch, Mercedes and Porsche were synonymous with fantastic cars and high quality," she said.

"Now, management is driving the industry at full throttle into a brick wall."

Benner called on the government to bring down energy costs, give financial help to suppliers to help them adjust to new challenges and use "Made in EU" rules to bolster domestic production.

Massive job cuts underway

Many observers put the blame for the current crisis on companies having started too late with the shift to electric vehicles, while others say China's government support for its own producers has led to an unequal playing field in the sector.

US tariffs have also done their bit to damage what is one of Germany's key industries, while domestic demand has weakened.

VW itself plans to cut 100,000 jobs by the end of the decade in what would be the biggest ever restructuring in global automotive history, while Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also reducing their workforces.

VW is bringing out the axe

https://p.dw.com/p/5My8s

Skip next section German car exports down in first seven months of 2026 — Destatis

September 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/5Mxy0

Skip next section Elections latest: Merz defiant after state poll drubbings

September 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/5MxVM

Skip next section Germany brings in bumper cherry harvest

September 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/5MxHI

Skip next section Ex-Transport Minister Scheuer goes on trial for perjury

Published September 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/5Mx20

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

September 21, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

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/5MwuR

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