Germany news: Raids on DFB, host cities over Euro 2024 perks

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling coalition has reached an agreement on a broad package of reforms, DPA news agency has reported.

The details of the agreement will be presented on Thursday.

Merz's conservative bloc and his center-left Social Democrat partners have spent months working on a package to strengthen Germany's social security system.

Debates over a number of those thorny issues from taxes to raising the retirement age have had an impact on efforts to revive the economy that has stagnated for several years.

But there was more push this week because senior lawmakers said they were adamant about reaching a deal before parliament's summer break at the end of this week.

"While we have to grapple with one another, in the end we have to reach results and get things across the finish line this week," senior SPD lawmaker Dirk Wiese told public broadcaster ARD earlier in the day. "That is what we're aiming for."

Lawmakers reportedly reached an agreement after having held discussions over seven hours on Tuesday. 

French-German tankmaker KNDS said it has postponed its planned initial public offering (IPO) due to unfavorable market conditions.

The dual listing in both Frankfurt and Paris was meant to be one of the largest stock market listings in Europe in recent times.

KNDS is one of Europe's most important defense companies and competes globally against firms like the American defense giant General Dynamics. 

The company was hoping investors would back a valuation between €12 and €18 billion.

"In light of current market volatility for the European Defense sector, KNDS... announces that its shareholders have informed the Company of their intention to resume the Initial Public Offering process upon the return of more favorable market conditions," a statement said.

The statement added, "KNDS and its shareholders will continue to monitor the capital markets conditions closely and stand ready to resume the IPO process as soon as market conditions allow."

Germany and France, and the Wegmann founding family, struck a deal in June outlining joint governance of the company.

KNDS started the process following that agreement at the end of June.

Political pundits in Germany regularly point out how a sitting government can benefit from the upbeat mood created by success on the world stage of the German national football team.

But failure can have the opposite effect and politicians can find themselves treading on egg shells, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz has found out this week.

"You've inspired us," Merz posted on social media after Germany's embarassing early elimination from the World Cup. 

A PR error from a young social media assistant, insists the Chancellery. 

Read the full story here.

 

A Ukrainian national has been charged in Germany in relation to a series of explosions which severely damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2022.

Serhii K., a 50-year-old soldier from Kyiv, is accused of leading a team of seven accomplices in the operation which destroyed three of four key gas pipelines.

He has denied involvement.

Read the full story here.

Germany's cabinet has approved a package of reforms to strengthen the armed forces.

The measures were decided upon in meeting at the defense ministry attended by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

The government said the measures aim to boost readiness and modernize the Bundeswehr.

Here are some of the key decisions the ministry said were taken:

• Creation of a more operationally ready reserve
• Mandatory service for reservists under defined conditions
• Improved conditions for reservists
• Aims to improve availability and planning of reserve forces
• Up to 260,000 active soldiers and at least 200,000 reservists by 2035
• Faster planning and construction of barracks, depots and training grounds
• Modernization of emergency and preparedness laws

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) has begun equipping around 2,000 long-distance staff with body cameras to improve safety.

The move covers train attendants, onboard catering staff and employees in lounges, with use of the devices remaining voluntary.

The company said the cameras are intended to help document assaults by passengers and act as a deterrent, while also providing evidence in incidents.

The rollout follows a fatal attack on a train conductor earlier this year, after which DB pledged to expand bodycam use to all customer-facing staff.

The measure is part of a broader safety plan that also includes hiring 200 additional security personnel and upgrading an emergency alert system for staff.

Visitors have begun paying to enter Cologne Cathedral for the first time, with tourists largely calling the price fair.

A mother and son from Ukraine were among the first to enter after the new system took effect at 10 a.m., saying the landmark justified the cost.

“It’s a fair price. It’s such a beautiful building," the mother told the DPA news agency.

Many visitors backed the move, citing maintenance costs, though some locals said the €12 ($13.65) fee was too high.

The launch saw minor disruption, with queues and scanning issues at entry points, but these were quickly resolved, staff said.

Entry remains free for worshippers via a side entrance, though access there is limited.

The cathedral chapter said the change was necessary after running deficits since 2019.

A German-Rwandan man has been detained in Germany on suspicion of genocide and 25 murders linked to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, federal prosecutors have said.

Read more about the story here.

Former Germany defender Mats Hummels has said Pep Guardiola or Jürgen Klopp could take over the national team as pressure mounts on national coach Julian Nagelsmann after the World Cup exit.

Hummels said both managers would be a strong fit "anywhere," calling them the best coaches of the past decade or more.

Germany were knocked out 4-3 on penalties by Paraguay in the round of 32, extending a run of early exits.

Nagelsmann, under contract until 2028, has said he will not step down and wants to continue if backed.

Calls have grown for Klopp in particular, with Hummels saying his former Borussia Dortmund coach could "unite a whole country" with his counter-pressing style.

Former captain Philipp Lahm questioned Nagelsmann's performance and urged the German Football Association to carry out a swift review.

The federation said it will decide on the coach’s future after the team returns from the tournament.

Germany has pledged to step up defense spending and take on a greater leadership role within NATO, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a "more European” alliance with less reliance on the United States.

Germany will "decisively" increase spending and reach NATO's 3.5% target by 2029, "many years earlier" than planned, he added.

"We do not want national go-it-alone approaches within NATO. We want more cooperation, both transatlantic and European," Merz told a press conference.

"Our neighbors should feel safer when Germany is strong — when Germany firmly embeds its armed forces and its alliance obligations within the alliance and within NATO."

Following a Cabinet meeting attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Merz said the government had approved measures to accelerate military infrastructure, strengthen reserves and update security laws.

"That may sound a little cumbersome, but in truth it is what we understand as a comprehensive security concept," he said.

At the same press conference, Rutte praised Germany’s contribution to the alliance during a visit to Berlin. "Germany leads and Germany delivers," he said, highlighting the country's role in strengthening collective security.

Renewable energy has covered a record share of Germany's electricity consumption in the first half of the year.

Renewables accounted for 58% of power use, up nearly three percentage points year on year, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).

Total renewable generation reached 152.2 billion kWh, driven mainly by strong gains in offshore wind, which rose by 28.3%. Onshore wind output increased 7%, while solar generation climbed 3.7%.

Hydropower fell by 7.7% due to low rainfall, while biomass output was largely unchanged.

Capacity expansion continued, led by solar installations with an additional 8.3 gigawatts. Onshore wind added 2.5 GW and offshore wind 0.9 GW.

"These positive figures are only possible thanks to massive investments by the energy industry," said BDEW head Kerstin Andreae, who warned that faster progress on key legislation was needed to sustain momentum.

Flight operations at Munich Airport have been temporarily suspended due to severe weather warnings.

The airport said ground handling was halted, with disruptions to air traffic expected.

It was not immediately clear how many flights or passengers were affected.

The German Weather Service warned of thunderstorms with heavy rain of up to 35 liters per square meter per hour, as well as strong winds and hail in areas northeast of Munich.

The German Football Federation (DFB) is no stranger to raids, with its Frankfurt headquarters searched several times over the past 15 years in tax and governance probes:

• 2011: Tax officials searched the DFB headquarters over suspected tax evasion by referees. The DFB said the probe concerned referee income, not the association’s own activities.
• 2015: Police and tax investigators raided the DFB in the 2006 World Cup affair, centered on a disputed €6.7 million ($7.6 million) payment to FIFA. The controversy led to DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach resigning.
• 2020: Prosecutors and tax authorities searched DFB offices and homes of current and former officials over suspected tax evasion linked to advertising income from national team matches in 2014 and 2015
• 2022: Frankfurt prosecutors searched DFB offices in a breach-of-trust investigation involving a former DFB official

German authorities have carried out nationwide raids over suspected improper perks linked to Euro 2024, police have said in a statement.

More than 150 officers from the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Criminal Police Office searched the headquarters of the German Football Association (DFB) as well as city halls in multiple host cities.

Investigators are probing whether officials received unauthorized benefits, including match tickets, travel and hotel stays, potentially amounting to bribery.

The case focuses on two suspects, a 66-year-old German and a 46-year-old French national, linked to the tournament’s organizing body, Euro 2024 GmbH.

Authorities are examining whether host city officials were offered exclusive access to tickets, including for high-profile matches such as the Spain-France semi-final in Munich.

"A football ticket is not part of a salary," Interior Minister Herbert Reul told German tabloid Bild.

"Anyone in public service who holds out their hand can expect a visit from us."

Searches were also carried out in cities including Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich, as well as at several companies

Leaders of Germany's ruling coalition are gathering today for a key meeting to push forward major reforms ahead of their summer vacations.

Center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting the coalition committee at the chancellery, with a "major package" of measures on the agenda.

Talks are expected to focus on income tax reform, pensions, labor market flexibility and cutting bureaucracy, with the aim of agreeing concrete steps or at least a timeline.

Income tax reform is considered among the biggest hurdles. The coalition aims to provide tax relief, primarily for low and middle income, from the start of next year. The crucial question is how to fund the measures.

Participants include Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, Labour Minister Bärbel Bas, both from the center-left Social Democrats. The leader of the Christian Social Union, the CDU's sister party in Bavaria, Markus Söder, is also set to attend.

Given the scope of issues, the meeting could extend beyond a single day.