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  Germany is poised to introduce substantial tax reductions to attract foreign skilled workers and address labor shortages. The proposed policy, spearheaded by Finance Minister Christian Lindner, aims to lower taxes for these workers by up to 30% for their initial three years in the country. The tax relief is structured to offer rebates of 30%, 20%, or 10%, depending on certain criteria that are yet to be fully outlined. This initiative is part of a broader effort to make Germany more appealing to international talent. The government hopes that by easing the financial burden, more skilled professionals will choose to relocate and contribute to the German economy. However, the proposal has sparked a debate. Critics, including some politicians and unions, argue that the policy might be unfair to domestic workers and those foreign employees already residing in Germany. They claim it could create an unequal playing field, favoring new arrivals over the current workforce. Despite the co...

Politically motivated crimes in Germany rose in 2023 more than in any year over the past two decades. War in the Middle East and increased political polarization at home both appear to have played a role. German officials on Tuesday revealed that the number of politically motivated crimes logged in 2023 had risen to a new high as part of a continuing upward trend. The news comes after Germany saw a string of violent attacks against politically active people promoting parties ahead of European elections in June. It also comes at a time of mounting antisemitic attacks at a time of renewed war in the Middle East. How the numbers work out Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) president, Holger Münch, said politically motivated crime has almost doubled in the past 10 years, with 60,028 recorded offences. That figure is the highest since figures were first compiled in 2001. The increase compared to 2022 is less than 2%, but it is still seen as part of an unwelcome trend. "Th...

Someone dug a meter-deep hole at the grave of German politician Wolfgang Schäuble, but didn't reach the coffin. The motive for the incident is not yet known. By Monday afternoon, only a rectangular patch of dirt could be seen at Schäuble's cemetery plot A hole more than a meter deep was discovered by city workers at the grave of German politician Wolfgang Schäuble in the southwestern city of Offenburg on Monday morning, triggering an investigation. Investigators said the hole was about 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) deep and did not reach the coffin of Schäuble, who died in December  at the age of 81. The criminal investigation department of the Offenburg police took over the investigation in cooperation with the public prosecutor's office. There is no information about a possible background or motive of the incident, according to the authorities. Police are looking for witnesses. Who was Wolfgang Schäuble? Schäuble was a member of the conservative Christian Democratic U...

The German economy has shown a marginal upturn in the first part of the year. The latest figures give some hope that Germany may be escaping the economic doldrums. Europe's largest economy grew in the first quarter of 2024, reversing a slump at the end of last year, according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office Destatis on Tuesday. The figure could vindicate those economists who have said Germany's energy-intensive economy could now be set for a turnaround after a period of slump. What is the German economy growth rate? Output rose by 0.2% from January to March compared with the previous three months, when the economy shrank by a revised 0.5%, Destatis said. The office said the latest increase reflected an improvement in both the construction industry and exports.  However, household consumption fell in the quarter, it added. There has been a prevailing mood of economic gloom in Germany, as businesses struggle with raised energy costs, high inflation, and el...

Prosecutors are looking at whether German far-right MEP Maximilian Krah received payments from Russian and Chinese sources. This comes just a day after Krah's aide was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. The AfD has said Krah will remain the candidate for upcoming European Union German public prosecutors have launched two preliminary investigations into the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)'s top European parliamentary candidate after media reports suggested that he had received payments from foreign powers. A spokesperson for the state prosecutor in the eastern German city of Dresden confirmed to the AFP news agency on Wednesday that initial probes have been opened against lawmaker Maximilian Krah over "alleged payments" from Russian and Chinese sources. What payments is Krah alleged to have received? The purpose of the preliminary proceedings, according to the spokesperson, is to establish "whether or not an initial suspicion of illegal...

German FM calls for 'maximum restraint' in call with Iranian counterpart. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian about the "tense situation" in the Middle East, the German Foreign Ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Tensions have escalated in the region after Iran blamed Israel for an attack on an Iranian consulate in Syria earlier on April 2. The US military believes Israel was behind the attack and has vowed backing for Israel in the face of Iranian threats, as Iran has vowed to retaliate. Israeli officials did not make any comment on the attack. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes on Iranian targets. "Avoiding further regional escalation must be in everyone's interest. We urge all actors in the region to act responsibly and exercise maximum restraint," Germany's Foreign Ministry said. "No one should be allowed to throw more fuel onto the fire. No one can have any inte...

German police have arrested two Iraqis suspected of being "Islamic State" members for allegedly enslaving two Yazidi girls between 2015 and 2017. They were arrested in the southern state of Bavaria. German police on Wednesday arrested two suspected "IS" members accused of enslaving and abusing two young Yazidi girls between 2015 and 2017 in Iraq and Syria. The suspects, an Iraqi couple, a man and a woman, were arrested in the city of Regensburg, and the district of Roth, in the southern state of Bavaria.  Prosecutors said in a statement the young girls were physically abused, repeatedly raped and banned from practicing their religion. The couple allegedly kept a five-year-old Yazidi girl as a slave starting in 2015 and a 12-year-old from October 2017. "Furthermore, the suspects exploited the slaves economically by consistently coercing them into household work and childcare. They prohibited the girls from practising their own religion; instead, they...

A new study shows Germany's population is expected to grow by only 0.6% by 2040, with large regional disparities. Concurrently, the number of working age people is expected to drop below 50% overall across the country. A study released by the Bertelsmann Foundation on Tuesday showed that Germany is expected to see a slight 0.6% increase in population by 2040. The forecast is based on births, deaths and migration provided by the Federal Statistical Office. Geographic disparities  The largest population increase is expected in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg with growth of 4.6%. The population of Berlin is expected to grow by 5.8%, and Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city, is projected to have 3.5% growth.  Conversely, the population in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt is expected to see a 12.3% decrease in population.  Population shrinkage is also projected in the eastern states of Thuringia with 10.9% and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 7.3%....

Prosecutors in Hamburg have said affiliates of the radical "Reichsbürger" movement planned to elicit Russian help in an attempt to overthrow the German state. Prosecutors in the northern German city of Hamburg filed charges against a 66-year-old man accused of supporting a terrorist organization and aiding and abetting the preparation of a treasonable enterprise in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the German government.  Prosecutors said the man who was arrested last November, has been a supporter of the "United Patriots" offshoot of the extremist "Reichsbürger" movement since at least 2022.  The Reichsbürger ("citizens of the Reich") movement doesn't recognize the post-Second World War Federal Republic of Germany, its laws or its institutions. The United Patriots offshoot seeks "to replace the liberal-democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany with an authoritarian system of government modeled on t...

Year-on-year inflation dropped to 2.2% last month in part due to a decrease in energy prices. It remains to be seen whether the European Central Bank will cut interest rates in response to easing inflation. Inflation in Germany dropped in March, Germany's statistics agency Destatis said on Monday. Consumer prices fell to 2.2% year-on-year, compared to 2.5% in February. This is the lowest inflation figure since April 2021, when it was 2%. The annual inflation rate in January of this year was 2.9%. The weakening of inflation has been buoyed by a decrease in energy prices. Energy became 2.7% cheaper in March despite the expiry of the energy price cap at the beginning of the year and the increase in the carbon price to €45 ($48.36) per ton of CO2. Could the ECB cut interest rates? Carsten Brzeski, a researcher at the ING Bank, said that "inflation in Germany could drop to two percent as soon as next month," adding that the rate could slightly increase again in the...

An Austrian far-right activist with hardline views on migration, Martin Sellner was allegedly the key speaker at a meeting of far-right figures in Potsdam. A court there has now made it illegal for him to enter Germany. German authorities in the city of Potsdam on Tuesday said they had obtained an entry ban against an "EU citizen." What do we know so far?   Several German news outlets reported that the ban was imposed on Austrian far-right activist Martin Sellner. Sellner also confirmed the news in a post to the social network X, formerly Twitter. Sellner said he was no longer allowed to enter German territory for three years, otherwise he would pushed back and punished.   The 35-year-old holds hardline views on migration, and has also expressed racist and antisemitic beliefs Sellner was reportedly the key speaker at a meeting of far-right individuals in Potsdam in November last year. Sellner is believed to have proposed the mass deportations of people f...

  The Verdi trade union has said security staff at several German airports will walk out on Friday, posing major disruption for travelers. Five rounds of collective bargaining have failed to yield results. Airport strikes have been announced for yet another day Strikes by security personnel at several regional airports are set to cause flight cancellations and disruptions in Germany on Thursday and Friday. Trade union Verdi announced that further labor action was planned for Friday, a day after it said personnel would strike at five airports on Thursday. What airports are affected? Trade union Verdi said that security staff would strike all day Thursday at Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Cologne and Berlin airports. Additional strikes on Friday will hit Hanover, Dortmund, Weeze, Dresden, Leipzig and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports.  At Munich Airport, staff in personnel and goods control as well as cargo control are also set to strike from 4 a.m. ...

Germany: a land known for its rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and of course, its unparalleled efficiency. But let's not forget the lighter side of Deutschland, where every day is a pretzel-twisting adventure into the heart of Europe's quirkiest customs. From a love affair with bureaucracy to an undying devotion to bread, this blog post explores the funniest tales of German life. Buckle up (efficiently, if you please), as we dive into the humorous abyss that is Germany, ensuring that politics, trending topics, and all things Deutschland get their moment in the comedic spotlight. Efficiency is Key, Unless You’re at a Biergarten In the land of punctuality and precision, there exists a magical realm where the rigid rules of efficiency blissfully evaporate under the warm glow of fairy lights: the Biergarten. This is Germany’s sanctuary of serenity, where the tick-tock of the clock loses its tyranny over the souls of beer aficionados. Picture this: a place where th...

A German warship in the Red Sea almost shot down a US drone in a narrowly averted case of friendly fire, according to reports. A German warship in the Red Sea almost shot down a US drone in a narrowly averted case of friendly fire, according to media reports A German naval frigate sent to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea nearly shot down a US drone by accident, German media reported on Wednesday. The German Defense Ministry confirmed a drone incident involving an allied nation occurred on Monday, without naming the country. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the Hesse frigate, which arrived in the region at the weekend as part of an EU mission to help secure international shipping from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, opened fire after efforts to identify the unknown drone "were unsuccessful." Ministry spokesman Michael Stempfle said, "The case was resolved when it turned out that it wasn't a hostile drone, which only became clear in ...

  Thousands of German doctors at university hospitals across the country are set to go on strike as part of a dispute over wages and working hours. Doctors at 23 German university hospitals are set to walk out on Tuesday German doctors at 23 state-owned university hospitals are expected to walk out on Tuesday after hospital managers and union leaders failed to reach an agreement in collective bargaining talks. Several thousand doctors are expected to rally in the northern German city of Hanover to demand wage increases and restrictions on rotating shifts, which entail irregular working hours. The Marburger Bund trade union, which represents the doctors, is demanding a 12.5% pay increase as well as higher bonuses for regular night, weekend and on public holiday shifts for the more than 20,000 doctors at the university hospitals, which are financed by Germany's 16 federal states.  Union leader Andreas Botzlar told the dpa news agency that ...

  The list of inefficiencies plaguing Germany's national railway service keeps growing, causing Deutsche Bahn to fall increasingly behind its European competitors. Deutsche Bahn, one of Europe's largest rail companies, has seen a steady decline in performance over the last decades For the second time in a month, a nationwide strike has forced German commuters to choose between being stranded at a train station or stuck in a traffic jam. Deutsche Bahn (DB) employees have been on strike since Wednesday, leading to disrupted train schedules and congested roads in what's planned to be Germany's longest rail strike to date. While not uncommon in Germany, these rail strikes are only one facet of the many challenges facing the national railway service. Passengers regularly grapple with prolonged delays and cancellations for a variety of reasons that go beyond labor disputes. Frequent cancellations DB operates the majority of Germany's railways ...

  It has been a long time since a chancellor was as unpopular with the public as Olaf Scholz. Observers put this down to his style of communication. Chancellor Olaf Scholz showed his face at a demonstration against right-wing extremism "Look, there's our chancellor, Olaf Scholz," a woman says excitedly, pushing two boys about 10 years old past the press photographers to the front.  "The little bald guy?" one of the boys asks, peering over the black barrier tape at two men and a woman standing a few meters away beside a farm vehicle, talking about the fully automated strawberry harvest. Cordoned-off walkways provided a wide berth for the chancellor at this year's Green Week, a big agriculture fair in Berlin. There was also something symbolic about the physical distance. For weeks, if not months, many citizens have had the feeling that their chancellor is not quite there, that his presence is barely felt. Since December 2021, Scholz has led a three-party gover...