Germany news: Bavaria's state premier visits BMW plant in US

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has responded to criticism of his call on Monday to aim for the return of 80% of Syrian asylum seekers in the coming years. 

He said the figure, which the Green co-leader Franziska Brantner said was "plucked out of the air," was actually a target put to him by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was visiting Berlin on Monday. 

"The figure of 80% returnees within three years was named by the Syrian president," Merz said. "We have taken note of this figure but are aware of the dimensions of the task." 

Merz's phrasing of the notion on Monday also attributed the target to al-Sharaa, but could be interpreted more as a clear indication that it was a goal he and the relatively new Syrian president shared. 

During his visit to Bucha outside Kyiv in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was also asked about the comments on Tuesday. 

Wadephul said that Merz's words "naturally" represented the government's goals. 

"We are clearly committed as the federal government to consistently returning those who have used up their right to remain in Germany," Wadephul said. "And the core of the meeting yesterday was to work on making Syria into a country in which people can live safely and with an economic future. This should of course encourage them to return to their home and to work on its reconstruction." 

The victory of forces loyal to al-Sharaa over those of previous President Bashar Assad last year brought an end to Syria's drawn-out and destructive civil war. However, the extent to which the former Islamist terror group leader's rise to power improves the security situation for all in Syria — particularly religious and ethnic minorities like Alawites, Druze and Kurds — remains disputed. 

The headline study in a German quarterly review on demographics published on Tuesday argues that with no migration, even if the fertility rate suddenly rebounded to the so-called "replacement rate" of 2.1 babies for each woman, Germany's population would still decline by almost a quarter by 2050.

The reason for this is Germany's aging population and the fact that a great many of the women in the country are no longer of child-bearing age. A proportionally smaller share of women nationwide are still in the relevant age range. The researchers described this phenomenon as "population momentum." 

The study forecast that the population decline in Germany would only flatten out by roughly 2080 in this scenario of a consistent replacement rate birth rates.

Compounding this projection, the current German fertility rate is much lower than the break-even level of 2.1, at roughly 1.35 babies per woman. The replacement rate is just over two rather than exactly two to account for the small number of girls who never reach child-bearing age.

But this rate only ensures a stable population over the long term, with a roughly equal distribution of people across the age ranges. 

The study's data, which looks not only at Germany but much of the world, assumed zero immigration in its calculations. It forecast a 16% increase in the global population if all birth rates suddenly became and stayed at the replacement rate. This would be driven in large part by a 48% increase in Africa's population, with the young continent experiencing "population momentum" in the opposite direction. 

The humpback whale, which beached at several spots in the Baltic Sea in the past few days, is now stationary in a different location, off the island of Poel in the Wismar Bay in northern Germany. 

The whale briefly got underway late on Monday and into Tuesday morning, disappearing out of sight in the bay for a brief period. But rescuers located it at a new resting point by late morning.

As on Monday, experts believe the water level is deep enough that the mammal could swim away using its own strength if it was willing and able. 

"The whale's sitting up," Greenpeace whale expert Thilo Maack told journalists, saying its decision to stop again was a sign of "how weakened" and "in need of rest" the creature was at present. 

Maack said that accompanying boats were at least able to prevent the whale from swimming closer to the coast into more shallow waters. 

The rescue teams were planning another evening attempt, similar to Monday's, at coaxing the animal back into movement in the right direction, out of the bay towards the North Sea and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. 

Till Backhaus, the environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told reporters that officials were already making plans to continue round-the-clock monitoring over the bank holiday Easter weekend if necessary. 

Civil society initiatives are systematically coming under pressure from right-wing extremist groups, an analysis by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation has found.

The goal of the far right is to "completely paralyze civic engagement," the foundation's right-wing extremism expert Lea Lochau said Tuesday.

The report, titled "Civil Society as the Enemy," documents 112 incidents from the past year. Half of those incidents occurred in eastern German states, as well as 14 in the capital Berlin. The analysis recorded 42 such incidents in western Germany. Lochau said there were probably many more unreported cases.

The incidents refer to "political interventions" such as campaigns, defamation and intimidation in parliament, as well as "violence-related attacks," which include verbal threats and physical assaults.

The foundation said right-wing forces were deliberately attempting to defame state-funded initiatives as left-wing or extreme.

The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which has been working to counter right-wing extremism, racism and antisemitism since 1998, has faced fierce opposition from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Late last year, the AfD tried to pass a bill in the Bundestag to cut off all financial support for the foundation over "possible connections to a politically extreme environment."

These incidents contribute to uncertainty and potential self-censorship among the initiatives, the analysis states. On the ground, other actors resort to hostility, even physical attacks, against groups that oppose far-right actors. “This is a wildfire; it affects all levels and is happening nationwide," said Lochau.

Family Minister Karin Prien, of the ruling center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has said that cuts to the federal program "Demokratie Leben!" ("Live Democracy!") have affected the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

She said the restructuring of the federal program were needed to better reach the "silent center." She told German daily newspaper Taz that the "impression has arisen" that the program leans too heavily towards the "left-liberal milieu."

She also told the Bundestag, however, that she continues to "view right-wing extremism as the greatest threat to our democracy."

Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has been awarded a German press freedom prize amid the uproar over his lengthy prison sentence issued last month for violating the Chinese territory's controversial national security law. 

The Media Association of the Free Press and the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers split their 2026 "Press Freedom Prize" between Lai, the Austrian correspondent for the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper Cathrin Kahlweit and the Jan Jessen, a crisis and conflict reporter for the Funke group of newspapers. 

The award ceremony is scheduled for May 6 in Berlin, with Lai highly unlikely to be able to attend. 

The 78-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison in early February for alleged violations of Hong Kong's national security laws including colluding with foreign powers and publishing "seditious" material. 

Lai founded the now defunct Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong and was among the highest-profile arrests for alleged violations of the controversial new laws imposed on the island by the central government in Beijing. 

China committed when reclaiming control of Hong Kong from colonial power Britain to uphold democratic standards in the coastal city under a regime that was dubbed "one country, two systems." The national security laws and other changes since the 1997 handover are perceived by some including the UK government as breaches of this pledge.

In the international friendlies before the FIFA World Cup, some players on Germany's national football team made the most of their chances, while others missed the opportunity to impress.

Learn more about which players are set to be on the plane to fly across the Atlantic for soccer's biggest event this summer, and who is likely to be left behind.

The German government has denounced the decision by Israel's parliament (Knesset) to pass a law allowing the death penalty to be imposed against Palestinians convicted of terror offenses.

Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Tuesday that Berlin "regrets the Knesset's decision" and views it "with great concern," adding that opposition to the death penalty is a "fundamental feature of German policy."

"The German government is additionally concerned that such a law would likely apply exclusively to Palestinians in the Palestinian territories," Kornelius said.

The spokesperson said it was "understandable" that Israel had "cracked down hard on terrorism" in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Palestinian militants Hamas. However, Germany could "not endorse" the Israeli parliament's decision, in particular because of its uneven application against Palestinians.

Several of Israel's other international allies, including France and the United Kingdom, have also condemned the move.

Authorities in Austria have issued avalanche warnings in parts of the Alps after heavy snowfalls of between 50 and 60 centimeters (roughly 19-24 inches) fairly late in the ski season. 

In parts of Vorarlberg, between the borders to Germany and Switzerland, level 4 warnings on a 5-step scale were in place on Wednesday. 

In much of the neighboring state of Tirol, level 3 warnings were in place. 

The ÖAMTC Austrian motoring club said that snow chain usage was mandatory on certain high-altitude roads in the country. Authorities did not report any major traffic disturbances.

To the west, Switzerland was experiencing similar risks, with level 3 warnings in place across most of the southern half of the country and level 4 warnings issued across a narrower band of the mountains.

The snows are forecast to abate by Wednesday, and much warmer temperatures, with highs of up to 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) are forecast for the Easter bank holiday weekend in a few days. 

Nine out of 10 manufacturing companies in Germany expect the war in the Middle East to impact their business operations, the Munich-based Ifo economic institute said Tuesday.

Ifo said only 9% of industrial companies said they do not expect the Iran war to have an impact.

"The conflict impacts manufacturing directly but above all causes major uncertainty," said Ifo's head of surveys, Klaus Wohlrabe. "Many companies are preparing for additional burdens in the coming months."

Over three-quarters (78%) of companies said the main cause for concern was rising energy prices as a result of the war and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen oil prices surge.

More than a third (36%) pointed to restrictions on shipping routes and issues with deliveries, while 16% were worried about disruptions to air freight traffic. Many firms also point to financial risks, such as logistics costs, rising insurance premiums, or increased payment risks.

"The results make it clear that the economic consequences of the war in Iran are already becoming apparent and could intensify through various channels," said Wohlrabe.

"The longer the uncertainty persists, the greater the economic problems for companies will become."

German armaments manufacturer Rheinmetall plans to partner with Boeing Australia to offer a sophisticated autonomous drone to the German military. 

Rheinmetall said it expected the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, currently being developed for the Royal Australian Air Force, to be made available to Germany's Bundeswehr by 2029. 

"With Boeing Defence Australia as a partner, we are laying the groundwork to optimally tailor the MQ-28 to the Bundeswehr's requirements," Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said in a company press release, saying he anticipated revenue potential for the German company "in the range of three-digit millions of euros." 

A so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the Ghost Bat is designed for use both as an uncrewed escort for crewed combat aircraft, increasing their efficiency and firepower, or for conducting missions independently using artificial intelligence. 

"This is not just a partnership between our companies but between two great countries, Germany and Australia, who share a similar strategy for integrating collaborative combat aircraft into their air forces," Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson said. 

German Defense Minsiter Boris Pistorius also inspected the Ghost Bat during his recent visit to Australia. 

The drone is a notable diversion from the low-cost, single-use so-called kamikaze drones, such as Iran's Shaheds that countries including Russia, Ukraine and the US have mimicked, with a unit cost that's often comparable to an expensive car. These are the drones most commonly credited with transforming battlefield calculus in recent conflicts in places like Ukraine, Armenia and the Middle East.

Precise figures for the Ghost Bat are not available, but estimated unit costs once mass production is streamlined is more in the region of $10-15 million.

Germany had demonstrated a reticence towards using kamikaze drones, amid questions over their compatibility with the Bundeswehr's more restrictive rules of engagement and operation that can be traced back to defeat in World War II. However, the Bundestag budget committee did approve initial plans to acquire such aircraft from Helsing and Stark Defence last month. 

The unemployment rate in Germany fell slightly in March to 6.4%, the country's Federal Employment Agency said on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed people dropped by 49,000 last month. The decrease is the largest for the month of March since 2022.

But despite the decline, the number of jobless people in Germany remained above 3 million.

Some 54,000 more people were unemployed compared to March last year.

"As usual, the spring upturn begins in March – though this year without any significant momentum," said Andrea Nahles, the head of the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg.

Germany's economic struggles in recent years have seen unemployment steadily rise. A third consecutive year of recession was narrowly avoided last year.

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the bloc, including Germany's Johann Wadephul, arrived in Kyiv to attend a memorial on Tuesday for victims of the 2022 Bucha killings.

The Russian army is accused of killing hundreds of civilians in the Kyiv suburb at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, as Moscow troops withdrew on March 31. Russia denies the allegation, claiming without evidence that the massacre was staged.

The top politicians attended a memorial service in the small town and then convened for a ministerial meeting.

The talks are expected to focus on continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces, as Hungary maintains its stranglehold on financial aid to Kyiv.

Wadephul said the visit was intended to send a clear signal: "The Ukrainian people are part of our European family," the minister said.

Wadephul said that the message to Russia was that those responsible for the war and the crimes committed must not go unpunished. He said the German government would support Ukraine in collecting evidence and documenting Russian crimes.

"As a founding member of the compensation commission for Ukraine and with our commitment to a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, we are working together with our partners to enable the legal prosecution of Russian atrocities," Wadephul emphasized.

Read our report for more on the EU ministers' meeting in Ukraine.

A woman was bitten by a wolf in Hamburg's central Altona district, local authorities said Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday evening on the Grosse Bergstrasse shopping street near an IKEA furniture store.

It was unclear how the incident unfolded, a spokesperson for the environmental agency said Tuesday morning. 

The woman's condition was unknown. The fire department said an ambulance had brought her to a hospital in Hamburg for treatment.

According to the Bild newspaper, the wolf had wandered into a shopping gallery and repeatedly ran into a glass window pane. The woman, 65, tried to free the wild animal. It then bit her in the face, Bild reported. Her injuries were not thought to be serious, although she did require stitches.

The wolf was reportedly captured later on Monday night in central Hamburg after police pulled it from the water at a pier on the Binnenalster, an artificial lake within the city.

The wolf has been taken to a wildlife park, the head of the city hunters’ department at the Altona district office told NDR.

Earlier this year, the German parliament passed a legal amendment to allow wolves to be killed again, as the animal's numbers have been recovering in recent years.

Germany's men's national football team capped off a confidence-boosting March international break with a narrow win over Ghana on Monday night in Stuttgart.

Local hero Denis Undav came off the bench to score the decider in the 88th minute to give the Germans a deserved victory over the 72nd-ranked team in the world.

A Kai Havertz penalty just before half-time had given Germany the lead for Julian Nagelsmann's side.

Read more in our full match report.

A special commission has presented a raft of proposals aimed at curbing Germany's spiraling health care costs. But whether the government can impose them is another matter.  

Read more on the 66-point plan to lower the ever-growing health insurance contributions that Germans have to pay into the system in DW's report.