German defense contractor Rheinmetall has made a €12 billion offer to take over Germany's troubled warship construction project, which has faced delays and cost overruns. The bid signals a major consolidation in the European defense industry and could bolster NATO naval capabilities while reshaping German defense spending priorities. Rheinmetall has submitted a €12 billion bid to acquire the delayed and over-budget warship construction project, aiming to consolidate European defense manufacturing and strengthen NATO naval capabilities.

Germany's interior ministry has disclosed that up to 14,000 federal police officers are required to sustain the border controls implemented a year ago under Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The police union warns that this deployment is causing significant staffing shortages at train stations and airports, where crime prevention is needed. The Greens party criticizes the policy as illegal and economically damaging, citing court rulings against blanket asylum rejections and calling for an end to the national approach.

A 166-page draft of Germany's Building Modernization Act (formerly Heating Act) proposes allowing gas and oil heating installations even after 2045, provided they use at least 60% green fuels by 2040. Critics, including Greens and energy experts, argue the law weakens climate targets and makes carbon neutrality by 2045 harder to achieve. The government plans further revisions by 2030.

Background: The Green Party and CDU in Baden-Württemberg had previously agreed on a coalition deal after the March 8 state election, with Cem Özdemir set to become Minister-President. On Wednesday, the parties finalized a 129-page coalition agreement presented by Özdemir and Manuel Hagel. It includes a clause guaranteeing the Greens hold the minister-president position for the entire 18th legislative period. Key policy areas cover economic strengthening with a new high-tech strategy, a centralized digital citizen platform, a Landes-Cloud, and a digital technology platform. The agreement also includes a new deportation detention facility at Stuttgart Airport, a requirement for asylum seekers to perform community work, and a plan to replace the Palantir police platform with an in-house solution by 2030. The last year of kindergarten will be free, costing about 800 million euros annually. The coalition will expand AI-driven video surveillance under the Mannheim model, create 1,000 additional police positions, and establish a separate police presidency for civil protection. Climate neutrality by 2040 remains, but the 2030 sector targets are softened to sector responsibility. The coalition also plans to reduce administrative positions by 2031 and raise quorums for local citizen initiatives.

The German cabinet has approved a final one-year extension of the Bundeswehr's naval deployment as part of the UNIFIL mission off the coast of Lebanon, until June 2027. This follows the UN Security Council's decision to end the overall mission. The frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen and personnel on land are to be withdrawn by the end of 2026, pending Bundestag approval, concluding over 20 years of German participation in one of its longest naval operations.

More than 2,900 German customs officers conducted nationwide, suspicion-free inspections of parcel delivery companies, targeting illegal employment, wage theft, and social security fraud. The operation focuses on large depots and distribution centers, with results expected later in the week. This action highlights ongoing enforcement against labor violations in the courier, express, and parcel industry.

In a column marking his first year in office, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is defended as more strategic than critics acknowledge, particularly on defense and security. He has worked to reinforce Ukraine, reduce German reliance on Russia, and push Germany toward NATO's 5% defense spending target by 2029. Domestically, his coalition with the SPD struggles with reforms, but Merz's bluntness and transparency are seen as a contrast to predecessor Olaf Scholz. The piece notes low approval ratings and internal party divisions but argues Merz is addressing Germany's need for self-reliance and hard choices.

Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow has filed an emergency motion with the Left Party's arbitration commission to prevent the party executive from putting a binding salary cap for MPs to a vote at the upcoming party congress. Ramelow argues the proposal is unconstitutional and violates party statutes, deepening an internal conflict over mandatory salary limits for elected officials.