Germany news: CDU faces opposition over sick notes proposal

Thousands of demonstrators were again on the streets in western Germany, protesting against a visit by a senior leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) Björn Höcke.

Crowds of around 4,000 people gathered ahead of party meetings involving Höcke in Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The AfD is the fourth-biggest party on Düsseldorf's city council with 10 of the 92 seats and is the largest opposition party in Germany.

Protesters chanted anti-fascist slogans and waved banners with phrases such as "Red card for Nazis."

A German court ruled in 2019 that the 53-year-old, who has twice been convicted of using illegal Nazi rhetoric, may legally be described as a "fascist."

Around 3,000 people protested on Sunday, as Höcke met with AfD politicians in Dortmund.

German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer proposed placing Beijing-based social media company TikTok in the hands of European companies, citing security concerns.

"When it comes to TikTok, I believe we need to ask the question of ownership, just like the Americans," Weimar said during a panel discussion at a conference hosted by Germany's DPA news agency.

"Europe should find an answer to this question: Who owns TikTok, and should we not place it in European hands, in agreement with ByteDance?"

TikTok and its Chinese parent, ByteDance, closed a deal last month to transfer parts of their US operation to American investors.  

The US government long demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their shares or face a potential ban on the app in the US, evoking national security concerns.

German public-service broadcasters ARD and ZDF reported record numbers of viewers during the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.

The two free-to-air TV channels had an average of 3.173 million people watching live broadcasts, representing a market share of 23.2%. That's almost twice as much as the viewership of the 2022 Games in Beijing, although the different time zone was likely a contributing factor.

The last Winter Games that took place in the same time zone as Germany were 20 years ago, and their viewership on German TV were still significantly lower than this year's Olympics.

The most popular sport was the men's doubles in luge, with 6.79 million people tuning in live. 

Besides TV, the two broadcasters also had wide reach online. ARD recorded more than 85 million video views, while ZDF had more than 50 million.

"The digital figures are going through the roof. We were successful in every way," ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky said.

Poland has arrested an alleged Belarusian spy who engaged in espionage for Belarus military intelligence. 

Poland's Internal Security Agency, or ABW, announced Monday that the man had been taken into custody on February 9. 

The ABW has accused the suspect of gathering intel on criticial infrastructure in Poland, Germany and Lithuania — all NATO members.   

The suspect, known as Pavlov. T, will stay in provisional detention for a period of three months. If convicted, Pavlov T. could face a minimum prison sentence of five years.   

Belarus is a close ally of Russia, and has allowed Russian troops to use its territory for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

Poland is a strong supporter of Ukraine. Poland has previously said that it has detained dozens of people spying on behalf of Russia since the beginning of the invasion. 

A man attacked three people at a Jehovah's Witnesses stand at a train station in the southern German city of Würzburg, Bavarian police said in a statement.  

The man approached the stand and "made several stabbing motions toward" a 68-year-old man and also "physically attacked" a 55-year-old and a 51-year-old. The three people had minor injuries.

Bystanders intervened and stopped the suspect until he was arrested, police said.

The 35-year-old suspect was subdued by several bystanders and taken into custody.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounced what he called the "utter barbarity" of Russia under President Vladimir Putin's rule.

"This country, under this leadership, is currently at the lowest point of utter barbarity, and no one should have any doubt about what kind of regime and barbarity we are dealing with out of Russia these days," Merz said a speech Monday, a day before the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The German chancellor also praised Ukraine's effort. "February ‌saw astonishing territorial ‌gains ​by the Ukrainian defense forces, and the Russian ​economy is creaking under the weight ⁠of ​sanctions and ​of warfare — more ​than we ‌may sometimes surmise from our own ​media ⁠coverage here," he said.

Democracy is indispensable, according to most respondents to the new "Germany Monitor 2025" survey.

However, many say it is functioning less well than in the past, and rapid change is causing great uncertainty.

Read DW's full report on what Germans think about democracy.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was "astonished by the Hungarian position" after Budapest vowed to block new EU sanctions on Russia.  

"I do not believe ‌it is right for ‌Hungary ​to betray its own struggle for freedom and ​European sovereignty," Wadephul said.

"That is why we ⁠will ​once ​again present our arguments ​to the Hungarians ‌in Budapest, but also here ​in ⁠Brussels, of course, and ask ⁠them ​to reconsider their position," he added.

Hungary is stalling the 20th EU sanction package as it seeks to pressure Ukraine to reopen a key oil pipeline. EU sanctions must be approved by all 27 countries in the bloc. 

The Druzhba pipeline, which transports oil from Russia through Ukraine and onward to EU countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, was damaged by a Russian attack in January. 

Germany exported machinery and equipment worth a total of €198.5 billion ($234 billion) in 2025, declining by 1.8% compared with 2024, according to the VDMA industry association

The decline, which looks even sharper at 3.3% when adjusted for inflation, marks the third consecutive year of contraction.

The fall in exports came amid a trade dispute with the US and weak business in China, the VDMA said. 

"US tariffs, increasing protectionism, and the associated uncertainty on the world markets are hitting the export-oriented mechanical and plant engineering sector hard - and they pose major challenges for companies," VDMA chief economist Johannes Gernandt said.

The association expects that exports to China will continue to decline, while high US tariffs on the steel and aluminum content of machinery weigh on business.

A proposal by the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to end sick notes issued via telephone is facing opposition from the party's coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD). 

Dirk Wiese, SPD parliamentary secretary, said telephone-issued sick notes "make perfect sense." 

"They relieve the burden on doctors' offices and prevent further infections in waiting rooms," Wiese told daily tabloid Bild on Monday. 

He said the government should instead focus on taking action against the "abuse of online sick notes."

"As a coalition, we should now focus on this instead of questioning sensible rules and placing patients under general suspicion," he added. 

Under current rules, patients who are already known to a practice and show only mild symptoms can receive a sick note by phone for up to five days. For any extension, they must see a doctor in person.

CDU delegates at the party's convention over the weekend backed the proposal against tele sick notes. They argued that the easier it is to obtain a sick note, the more likely people are to make what they call a "bedside decision," choosing to call in sick without much hesitation.

CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has previously criticized what he considers a high level of sick leave in Germany.

Health Minister Nina Warken, also from the CDU, now says the regulation will be reviewed.

Moin from Bonn, where a blue sky is slowly coming out from under the clouds after showers over the weekend. 

We're watching reactions come out from political parties after the CDU convention wrapped up on Saturday with some unpopular proposals, including an end to telephone-issued sick notes. 

Another big topic today is the US tariffs and their effects on Germany and Europe. 

Also on Monday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is hosting Ukraine's ambassador at the Bellevue Palace.