Germany news: Are Germans giving up their beloved meat and sausages?

Skip next section Lufthansa flight diverted after powerbank explosion

September 27, 2026

Lufthansa flight diverted after powerbank explosion

A Lufthansa passenger airplane flying was diverted after a passenger's powerbank caught fire on board, the airline said.

The aircraft was flying from Frankfurt to Lisbon and was ultimately diverted to the French city of Lyon, where it landed safely at around 10 p.m. (20:00 UTC) on Saturday evening, the German flag carrier said.

The 198 passengers and six crew members on board the flight were put up in hotels for the night and rebooked onto alternative connections to Lisbon the following day.

Travelers often carry powerbanks to charge their smartphones, in the event that no power outlet is available. But using powerbanks has been banned on Lufthansa Group flights since the beginning of 2026. The airline made an exception for the use of approved medical devices.

Lufthansa does not allow the powerbanks to be stored in overhead compartments, only in the front seat pocket, on the passenger's person or in hand luggage stored under the seat.

The crew on the Lisbon-bound flight were able to secure the powerbank in a designated lithium safe bag until landing.

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

Skip next section US politician suggests entry ban for German politicians seeking to ban far-right AfD

September 27, 2026

US politician suggests entry ban for German politicians seeking to ban far-right AfD

US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has reportedly threatened a travel ban to the US for German politicians who support banning the far-right AfD party.

The AfD recently won massive vote shares in regional elections. Germany's intelligence service however has classified parts of the party as right-wing extremist. That's why many politicians and people in Germany think the party should in fact be banned.

Anna Paulina Luna is a Republican and dedicated Trump supporter. According to German magazine Focus, she sent a letter to local MPs in Germany's state of Thuringia, in which she expresses support for the AfD, outrage at the proposed ban and raises the idea of refusing entry for German politicians who are publicly calling for a ban on the far-right party.

Her letter comes as Thuringia's socialist Left Party has submitted a motion to start the process of banning the AfD. The Thuringia parliament will begin debating the motion next week. According to Focus, the AfD had asked the US politician to submit a statement on the matter.

Focus cites Luna's letter as saying that seeking to ban the AfD was a threat to democracy. She also said that, should the party indeed be banned, she'd talk to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about a travel ban for all those politicians who backed the plan.

While members of the AfD have welcomed Luna's involvement, politicians from the Left Party have sharply criticized it as an attempt to intimidate lawmakers.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NMX1

Skip next section Two people killed as bus crashes on way to Oktoberfest

September 27, 2026

Two people killed as bus crashes on way to Oktoberfest

Two people were killed and more than 20 were injured when a bus carrying a group of tourists overturned on a motorway in southern Germany on Sunday.

Most passengers were reportedly from the Philippines and the bus was thought to have been headed for Munich's famous Oktoberfest.

The accident happened in the early hours of the morning when the bus went off the side of a highway and overturned.

Munich's Oktoberfest draws millions of visitors from around the world every year, with large numbers of international tourists traveling to the Bavarian capital and surrounding region.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NMQ7

Skip next section Merz's conservatives no longer a big tent 'people's party'?

September 27, 2026

Merz's conservatives no longer a big tent 'people's party'?

Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the conservative party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, continues its soul-searching after its terrible results in recent regional elections.

While the party is generally considered to be more pro-business, it does have a workers' and employees’ wing and that part of the party is now warning the wider CDU that it is no longer a true Volkspartei, literally a "people’s party" or a big tent party.

Germany has two parties that traditionally have been considered a Volkspartei: CDU on the center-right and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) on the center-left.

One of the two parties used to reliably get the biggest share of the vote, but that was not the case in elections in three German states this month.

The SPD has fallen further from its heyday, often coming only third or fourth in the polls. The poor showing of the CDU in recent elections in Saxony-Anhalt and especially Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania suggests the CDU is on a similar trajectory. Instead, it’s the far right and the far left that are gaining voters.

In a new appeal, the CDU's employees' wing argues that too many people no longer feel represented by the party — and that the party risks becoming a political bubble talking mainly to itself.

The group says it wants the CDU to become more representative, not just in its rhetoric but in who actually gets involved and ends up in parliament. That means more people from different backgrounds and professions — from industry and skilled trades to healthcare, education and small businesses.

The group’s leadership also took aim at Chancellor Merz directly, saying that he had promised years ago to broaden the party’s appeal, but failed to do so.

What's behind the rising polarization in German politics?

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

Skip next section How Cold War espionage helped to boost East Germany's economy

September 27, 2026

How Cold War espionage helped to boost East Germany's economy

Would you think that espionage could significantly boost a country's economy? In the case of communist East Germany, that seems to have been the case — and to a significant degree.

According to Reuters news agency, a study by the Rockwool Foundation suggests that espionage boosted East Germany's GDP by a whopping 7.4% in the 1970s and 80s.

How, you ask? Well, the notorious Stasi stole scientific and technical information from companies in the West, handed it to companies in the East and helped them increase productivity and growth.

"Stasi espionage strengthened East Germany's ​position within the socialist ‌bloc," said Albrecht Glitz, co-author of the study. "It did not, however, significantly improve success in ​Western markets."

The authors stressed that the East Germany case offers crucial insights for today, as countries again seek to protect strategic technologies, tighten export controls and screen foreign investment in sensitive industries.

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

Skip next section Berlin Marathon winner just shy of world record in dramatic finish

September 27, 2026

Berlin Marathon winner just shy of world record in dramatic finish

Even as the Berlin Marathon continues for many runners, the winners have already crossed the finish line.

In the Women's category, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa looked almost certain to set a new world record only to fall short in the very final stretch. It was only during the last kilometers that she appeared to struggle with a muscle injury or cramp.

She did win, clocking a time of 2:11:04, but did not beat Ruth Chepng'etich's world record of 2:09:56 from 2024.

Among the men racing in Berlin, fellow Ethiopian Guye Adola won the race, crossing the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate with a time of 2:02:51.

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

Skip next section Germans grow more conscious about (not) eating meat

September 27, 2026

Germans grow more conscious about (not) eating meat

Germany is famous for its variety of sausages and meats. But things seem to be changing somewhat and more people are eating less of some forms of meat — even if they're far from giving it up entirely.

A study in connection with World Vegetarian Day (on October 1) found 93% of households purchase meat. And the overall amount of meat bought hasn't actually gone down. That's only the case for sausages: Fewer people buy them and their overall sales have dropped.

According to the authors of the study, the data suggest that people are not necessarily moving toward vegetarianism or veganism. Instead, many are becoming more conscious about their diet and are trying to reduce their meat consumption without giving it up completely.

Around 43% of meat-eaters do concede that it would be better for them to eat less meat, and 27% say they do hope to buy less in the future. The favorite meat is chicken, followed by pork.

Meat substitutes are also becoming more popular with around 35% of households buying them.

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

Skip next section Welcome back

September 27, 2026

Welcome back

Andreas Illmer

It's Sunday morning, and we're back with our coverage to keep you up to date on what's going on across Germany.

We'll see what the day will bring, but so far there'll be the question of whether Germans are eating less of their beloved (formerly beloved?) meat and sausages, there are new insights into the extent the notorious East German espionage helped to prop up the communist country's economy. We'll look at more soul-searching within Chancellor Merz's Christian Democratic Union over how to react to the battering they received in recent regional elections.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NM67

Skip next section We are pausing our coverage

September 27, 2026

We are pausing our coverage

We will be back on Sunday morning to bring you more of what's happening in Germany this weekend.

See you then!

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

Skip next section Germany Olympic bid: Munich named candidate city

September 26, 2026

Germany Olympic bid: Munich named candidate city

The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced on Saturday that Munich has been chosen as Germany's candidate city to host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in either 2036, 2040 or 2044.

The Bavarian capital beat a rival Cologne-led bid from the western Rhine-Ruhr region.

Berlin had withdrawn its bid earlier in the week, while the residents of Hamburg voted against a bid in a referendum earlier this year.

Read the full story here.

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

Skip next section Mass protests against cuts to social services

September 26, 2026

Mass protests against cuts to social services

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of cities across Germany on Saturday to voice their opposition to planned government spending cuts and call for a stronger welfare state.

Trade unions said a total of 175,000 took part in the protests, including in Nuremberg (over 20,000), Stuttgart (16,000), Frankfurt (15,000), Hanover (13,000), Essen (12,000), Berlin (5,500) and elsewhere under the slogan: "Hard-earned! Your work. Your health. Your pension."

Speaking in the western city of Essen, German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) leader Yasmin Fahimi criticized plans by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government to reform working hours and pensions, and warned against cuts to social security benefits.

"We will not simply allow what we have built up over many years in terms of social standards to be taken away from us," she said.

Pension reform has been the focus of attention for months in Germany, while automobile giant Volkswagen has also announced sweeping job cuts.

The issues played a central role in the recent state elections in Berlin and the eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which resulted in disastrous defeats for Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Nevertheless, the chancellor insisted earlier this month: "The reforms must go ahead."

Christiane Benner, leader of the trade union IG Metall, warned in Nuremberg against scaling back social security in times of restructuring and job cuts, for example in the automotive sector.

"Economic change can only succeed with confidence in the future and with solidarity," she said.

German employers, however, accused the trade unions of a "ritual refusal to reform."

Steffen Kampeter, chief executive of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), told the DPA news agency that "the trade unions say 'no' to almost every change" and accused them of "dreaming of the world of yesterday."

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

Skip next section Migration: Dobrindt calls for expanded Frontex role

September 26, 2026

Migration: Dobrindt calls for expanded Frontex role

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has called for an "expanded mandate" for the European Union's border protection agency Frontex when it comes to the deportation of illegal migrants.

"We are of the belief that we can strengthen the use of Frontex in deportation cases," he said ahead of a meeting of EU interior ministers in Munich on Saturday, calling for Frontex's area of operation to be expanded to "transit countries" outside the bloc.

"Of course, only with the agreement of these countries," he added.

Dobrindt said he also wanted to expand Frontex's responsibilities to "Dublin Regulations" – referring to the rules which determine which EU member state is responsible for the processing of an asylum application.

"A new European migration mechanism is needed," he said.

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

Skip next section Police close 2 autobahns to free giant wind-turbine

September 26, 2026

Police close 2 autobahns to free giant wind-turbine

A wide-load truck carrying a nearly 100-meter-long (328-feet-long) wind turbine blade forced the closure of two motorways in western Germany after it got stuck along a narrow section of the carriageway.

The daily Bild newspaper reported that the truck was traveling along the A43 autobahn near the Recklinghausen interchange in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia when the dramatic incident unfolded on Wednesday evening.

Police said the driver ignored warning signs that the highway was unsuitable for heavy-load vehicles.

"The highway is not permitted for heavy transport vehicles in that area. They have to exit because the route crosses the Rhine-Herne Canal a little further on," a spokesperson for Münster Police's highway patrol told Bild.

An automatic barrier and weighing system is meant to prevent loads over 3.5 tons from crossing an old bridge over the canal.

After initially blocking traffic on A43, the truck was ordered onto the hard shoulder to allow traffic to restart along one remaining open lane.

The police spokesperson said "several attempts" were made to free the truck with its ultra-wide cargo over the next two days.

On Friday night, the driver agreed to reverse his truck onto the nearby A2, which forced the temporary closure of a second autobahn, before being allowed to continue his journey just after midnight on Saturday.

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

Skip next section Rail services canceled, delayed after suspected cable theft

September 26, 2026

Rail services canceled, delayed after suspected cable theft

Police blamed disruption to high-speed rail services in western Germany on deliberate damage to signal cabling overnight.

National rail operator Deutsche Bahn said trains running between Dortmund and Munich, Hamburg and Basel, and northern Germany and Cologne faced cancellations, delays and diversions.

According to the Zuginfo.nrw website, the entire Gelsenkirchen metropolitan area is currently impassable.

A police spokesman said officers were investigating suspected cable theft on a railway line in Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf, where signals and control systems had failed.

The suspects are believed to have crudely cut and ripped out cables beside the tracks at several points.

It is unclear how long the repair work will take.

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

Skip next section Caritas honors Merkel with prize for social cohesion

September 26, 2026

Caritas honors Merkel with prize for social cohesion

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, a Protestant, received one of the highest honors of the Catholic Church's social welfare charity in Germany.

The 72-year-old was awarded the Elisabeth Prize by the Catholic Caritas Association at an event in the southern city of Augsburg on Friday evening.

The prize is named after Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, who lived from 1207 to 1231 and who helped people in need. She is the patron saint of Caritas.

The honor recognized Merkel's commitment to social cohesion, with Caritas President Eva Welskop-Deffaa paying tribute to the "inner compass with which she [Merkel] successfully steered the country's fortunes."

The former chancellor told the roughly 400 guests that "there will always be a need for people to be there for one another."

Once seen by some as Mutti — Germany’s reassuring mother figure — Merkel has become an increasingly divisive figure because of her 2015 decision to open the borders to more than a million refugees.

Critics say Merkel’s decision fueled years of backlash that helped turn the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from a fringe protest party into a force that now leads most national polls.

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

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