02/08/2026February 8, 2026Wind energy production down despite expanded capacityGerman wind turbine electricity production dropped in 2025 despite a hefty expansion in capacity.?

Experts say the drop was the result of a low-wind year.

"In 2025, there was only a moderate breeze, especially onshore; under normal circumstances, the wind yield would have been significantly higher due to the expansion of wind power capacity," said 50Hertz, which is responsible for Baltic Sea offshore operations.

A total of 132.6 terawatt hours (TWh) of onshore and offshore wind power were produced last year, down from 138.3 TWh in 2024, according to German grid operator TenneT.

Though onshore wind energy production was down, offshore production remained stable with 20.8 TWh of North Sea offshore energy produced —?enough to power 6.5 million homes.

Operator 50Hertz says its six Baltic Sea offshore wind farms generated about 5.4 TWh of electricity in 2025, a roughly 10% year-on-year increase.

Germany's Federal Network Agency, which regulates the country's electricity and gas networks, said 437.6 TWh of electricity were produced across all generation sources in 2025.

Wind power — controversial but indispensable?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Finance Minister Klingbeil says Germany can afford to host OlympicsFinance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil voiced clear support for German bids to host future Olympic Games and said money should not be a concern.

"We can afford Olympic Games," said Klingbeil in remarks published in the tabloid Bild am Sonntag.?

"I am convinced that big sporting events like these make our country stronger and are wonderful occasions that benefit our country and ultimately also offer Germany an opportunity to present itself in a positive light," he said, pointing to the impact of the 2006 World Cup as well as the 2024 Olympics hosted by neighboring France in 2024 as positive examples.

Klingbeil said the fact that four German municipalities had stepped forward in hopes of hosting, "shows just how important the Olympic Games are considered to be in Germany."?

Germany is looking to launch campaigns for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 games; with Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region all putting their hats in the ring to compete for the honor.

With a decision set for September, Klingbeil said candidates could count on support from the federal government.?

"Of course the whole country will profit. Regardless of where the games will be — It will set the whole country in motion," Klingbeil said. ? The summer games have taken place in Germany twice before. The Nazi regime hosted the 1936 Olympics in Berlin while West Germany hosted the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Meanwhile, the 1936 Winter Olympics was also held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Take a tour of Berlin's iconic Olympic StadiumTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

02/08/2026February 8, 2026AfD parliamentary aides denied Bundestag access passes over security concernsThe far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Sunday confirmed that seven individuals working for the party had been denied entry passes for the German Bundestag.?

The passes were reportedly denied over security concerns raised during mandatory police background checks.?

Germany's domestic intelligence agency is consulted in cases where individuals have access to particularly sensitive government information.

News of the situation was first published in December by the weekly magazine Der Spiegel.

A party spokesman said five of the seven had been working for individual parliamentarians and two were employed by AfD's parliamentary group.?

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has proposed canceling the salaries of individuals denied access to the building and its IT systems.

Klöckner said such individuals should not be the recipient of public funds.

The body has not yet voted on the proposal, which Bernd Baumann, parliamentary secretary of the AfD parliamentary group, has criticized.

Young, far-right and radical? Meet the AfD's future leadersTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Mercedes CEO warns Germany risks economic stagnation, far-right driftMercedes chief Ola Källenius is warning that Germany has been heading in the wrong economic direction for 10 to 15 years and could face a political shift to the far right if it fails to change course.

Speaking to German magazine?Der Spiegel, Källenius said that without a turnaround, "the right-wing populists will come, who have no solution for anything."

He pointed to what he described as a weakening willingness to perform, saying it was like going into a World Cup believing training was sufficient while others train twice as much.

Källenius said Germany has some of the highest labor costs in the world and can no longer rely on productivity gains alone to offset them. He argued that while the country does not want "Asian conditions," it must move on energy, taxes, and labor costs toward making entrepreneurship and investment worthwhile again, or capital will flow elsewhere.

He defended the right to part-time work in cases such as childcare or caregiving but said Germans overall need to work more, warning that the country’s "unique productivity machine" could otherwise slow further.

Mercedes, Nvidia target thinking AI cars by 2026To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Poll shows Germans back stronger Ukraine supportA majority of people in Germany have been saying they are ready to support Ukraine more strongly in its defense against Russia, according to a new Insa survey for the German tabloid?Bild.

The poll found that 52% of respondents said the West should increase help for Ukraine if Russia is not willing to agree to a ceasefire and peace talks.

It said 28% favored both military and financial support, while 12% wanted only financial aid and another 12% wanted only weapons. About 35% said Ukraine should not be supported further, and 13% gave no answer.

The survey also showed continued concern about a wider war, with 54% saying they worry Russia could attack a NATO country such as Poland or Lithuania after Ukraine, though that was 8 points lower than in September. About 34% said they had no such worries, and 12% did not respond.

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Woman, 75, killed in Munich house attackA 75-year-old woman was attacked and fatally injured in her row house in Munich. Police arrested a 23-year-old suspect near the scene.

Officers detained the suspect shortly after the attack on Saturday night. Police said early findings indicate there was no prior relationship between him and the victim.

Witnesses reported hearing cries for help around 10:15 p.m. in the Bavarian capital's?Untergiesing district and called emergency services. Police found the woman inside the home with fatal injuries.

Investigators said it remains unclear why the suspect was in the house, and they are also examining whether he will be placed in pretrial detention. Both the suspect and the victim are German citizens.

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Complaints about phone scams in Germany have easedAnger over scam texts, chat messages and fraudulent calls has been easing, though it remains widespread, according to new figures from Germany’s Federal Network Agency.

The regulator said it received 85,158 complaints about number misuse last year, down from a record 154,624 in 2024. The agency did not give a specific reason for the sharp decline.

Most attempts involved scam SMS messages, such as fake parcel notices claiming a customs fee is still owed, as well as contact via chat apps or direct calls.

Parcel-related fraud, which was especially common in 2024, has decreased, with criminals apparently shifting tactics. The agency shut down around 6,200 phone numbers for misuse, roughly the same as the year before, and imposed bans on more than 2,000 numbers from demanding illegitimate payments.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Müller said "we are effectively protecting consumers from number misuse," adding that authorities rely on tips from the public to track and combat these abuses.

Many people also complained about automated recorded messages, expensive waiting loops, router hacking and fake hotlines. The so-called "grandchild scam," in which fraudsters pose as relatives urgently needing money or personal data, has been declining for several years, the agency said.

The drop in complaints may also reflect stronger warning systems from network operators. Vodafone launched a spam alert in May that displays "Caution: possible fraud" when a call comes from a number flagged as suspicious. Deutsche Telekom has introduced a similar system.

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Social Democrats urge EU to reset ties with US under TrumpGermany and the European Union must?fundamentally rethink their relationship with the United States, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) advocates, as?President Donald Trump's approach to international affairs raises?doubts about the US's?reliability as a partner and ally.

The SPD, the junior coalition member in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led government,?argues in a policy paper set to be adopted by the party executive board that Germany must carry out a realistic reassessment of the trans-Atlantic relationship.

Since the last major foreign policy positioning in December 2023, the SPD says the geopolitical situation has shifted, noting that ties with the US under President Joe Biden were still shaped by a deep shared values base. However, it said, Trump's?leadership has cast that dependability into question.

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s finance minister, said the US administration's noticeable turning away from alliances under Trump is now a reality, telling German news agency DPA that Europe should offer partnership but also build its own strength.

Klingbeil, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, said he wants a Europe that is politically and economically strong, an attractive center, and a reliable partner for other regions. He added that Germany was moving forward with France and other European countries.

He also promoted a "Buy European" principle, arguing that European products should be preferred in areas such as defense in order to strengthen independence and protect jobs in Germany and across Europe.

Merz: 'We don't want a trade dispute with the US'To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

02/08/2026February 8, 2026Welcome to our coverageWesley Dockery EditorGuten Tag from the DW newsroom here in Bonn. Join us as we bring you the latest news making headlines about Germany.

Germany's center-left Social Democrats have been calling for a realistic reassessment of trans-Atlantic relations, arguing that President Donald Trump’s approach to international affairs has raised doubts about the US's reliability as an ally.

The party's leader, Lars Klingbeil, has said Europe must strengthen its own political and economic independence while still offering partnership. Klingbeil currently serves as Germany's vice chancellor and finance minister.?

Stay with us for this and more news from Sunday, February 8.

Germany should look 'soberly' at its national interestsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video