Germany news: Pistorius brushes off SPD leadership talk

Germany's top civil and criminal court has dismissed climate lawsuits against BMW and Mercedes-Benz, rejecting efforts to force an early end to combustion engine sales.

The Karlsruhe-based Federal Court of Justice ruled against the German Environmental Aid (DUH) group, which had sought to ban the sale of new combustion-engine cars after November 2030.

The case centered on whether companies can be legally required to take climate action beyond existing regulations through civil courts.

Plaintiffs argued that high emissions by carmakers would limit future freedoms, citing a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling on climate protection.

The court rejected that argument, upholding earlier decisions from lower courts in Munich and Stuttgart.

DUH said it will review the ruling and may seek to have the case re-examined by the Constitutional Court.

Carmakers had argued that climate targets should be set by lawmakers, not courts.

Indonesia has deported a German national who was found allegedly conducting unauthorized research in a protected national park.

Officials said Vlad Alexandru Tataru was expelled from Central Sulawesi after allegedly collecting endemic plant samples in Lore Lindu National Park without required permits.

He had entered Indonesia on a visa on arrival. This does not allow research activities, according to the local immigration office.

Inspectors found plant specimens in his possession taken from protected sites, including areas under the National Research and Innovation Agency.

Authorities said the case violated immigration rules and regulations governing access to Indonesia’s natural resources.

A whale has been stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast with authorities working to guide the animal back to open water.

Police said the whale was spotted overnight in the Bay of Lübeck near Niendorf, a district of Timmendorfer Strand, resting on a sandbank and still alive.

Officials said efforts are underway to move the animal, though the situation is "naturally difficult," with experts from a wildlife research institute called in to assist and identify the species.

Authorities have urged the public to stay away, warning that drones or close contact could further stress the whale, and the area around Niendorf harbor has been sealed off.

The whale is believed to be the same animal seen repeatedly in the Baltic Sea in recent weeks, including earlier sightings in Wismar and near Travemünde.

Conservation group Sea Shepherd said it had recently freed the whale from fishing net debris and believes it is a humpback whale.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH) is set to rule on two climate lawsuits against BMW and Mercedes-Benz over future combustion engine sales.

The cases, brought by environmental group DUH, seek to ban the companies from selling new combustion-engine cars from November 2030.

At the core is whether companies can be legally required — beyond existing state regulations — to take stronger climate action.

Their case draws on a landmark 2021 Constitutional Court ruling that required the government to strengthen climate protections to safeguard future freedoms.

Lower courts in Munich and Stuttgart rejected the lawsuits, but the BGH will now decide whether major emitters can be held accountable in civil court.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rejected calls for a full leadership change for his center-left Social Democrats (SPD) after a major state election loss, saying he is not seeking additional roles.

The SPD, which has led coalition governments in Rhineland-Palatinate continuously for 35 years, was pushed out of the top spot by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats in Sunday's election.

Speaking to the DPA news agency during a visit to Tokyo, Pistorius called the result in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate "very poor," adding that it did not reflect the strong campaign led by state premier Alexander Schweitzer.

However, he added: "Neither the party nor the coalition needs a personnel debate right now. That would be irresponsible, and I am not available for that. Given the global situation and the challenges we face in Germany, we have other problems to deal with. We need to focus on our work in government."

Pistorius, who is consistently ranked as the most popular SPD politician and one of the most popular political figures in German, stressed the focus should remain on government work rather than internal personnel changes.

His comments come after SPD lawmaker Doris Schröder-Köpf called for a complete leadership reshuffle and suggested Saarland Premier Anke Rehlinger and Pistorius for top roles, including replacing Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil.

Sunday was a double whammy for Germany's oldest political party, with the Greens defeating long-time SPD incumbent Dieter Reiter in the mayoral election for the Bavarian capital, Munich.

Guten Tag from DW's newsroom here in Bonn.

You join us as the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) licks its wounds after a bruising defeat in the Rhineland-Palatinate state election.

The defeat has led to soul searching among some in the party, which has presided over a multitide of coalitions in the southwestern state for the past 35 years

However, the SPD's most popular politician Boris Pistorius has said the time is not right for a debate about the party leadership.

You can follow this and other stories in our Germany news blog on Monday, March 23.