German deindustrialisation deepens at BASF's Ludwigshafen as the new heating law faces a constitutional challenge
BASF cut 2,500 jobs since 2022 at its Ludwigshafen headquarters and is selling thousands of worker apartments, even as it inaugurated a €8.7bn China complex last month; industrial Germany cut 124,000 jobs in 2025 — double 2024 — and manufacturing's GDP share fell to 19.5%. A CDU-affiliated Klimaunion legal opinion calls the Reiche/Hubertz Heizungsgesetz draft likely unconstitutional. UNICEF placed Germany 25th of 37 EU/OECD countries for child well-being, with 60% of 15-year-olds meeting minimum reading and maths proficiency.
Top Stories
BASF sells Ludwigshafen flats and cuts 2,500 jobs as €8.7bn China complex opens
German chemical giant BASF has cut around 2,500 jobs since 2022 at its Ludwigshafen headquarters and put thousands of company-owned apartments on the market, even as it inaugurated a €8.7 billion ($10 billion) complex in China last month — its largest-ever single investment. Works council chair Sinischa Horvat told AFP that "the mood is obviously not good" in the 175,000-person company town, where BASF still employs over 30,000 staff and has agreed to hold off on compulsory redundancies until at least 2028. The cuts sit inside a wider 124,000-job industrial drawdown across Germany in 2025 — roughly double the 2024 figure, according to consultancy EY — that has shrunk manufacturing's GDP share to 19.5%, with DIW president Marcel Fratzscher warning the losses are accelerating.
Legal opinion: Germany's new heating law likely unconstitutional
A legal opinion commissioned by the CDU-affiliated Klimaunion concludes that the German government's new building modernization law (Heizungsgesetz) is likely unconstitutional. The draft, presented by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) and Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) and approved by the cabinet, would allow fossil-fuel heating systems to operate indefinitely beyond the 2045 climate-neutrality target. The opinion argues this violates the Federal Constitutional Court's requirement for a coherent emissions-reduction pathway.
UNICEF study ranks Germany 25th in child well-being among EU and OECD countries
Germany placed 25th in a UNICEF study of child well-being across 37 EU and OECD countries, with 60% of 15-year-olds achieving minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics, ranking 34th out of 41 countries. UNICEF Germany called the results 'alarming' and warned of squandered future opportunities. The child poverty rate in Germany has remained stagnant at 15% for years.
All Events
Every other event tracked in Germany, with a one-line preview.
de30German Justice Minister Proposes Easing Divorce Rules for Domestic Violence Victims and Open to 'Yes Means Yes' Consent Law
German Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig has announced plans to amend divorce law to allow victims of domestic violence to bypass the mandatory one-year separation period. She also supports allowing victims to choose the venue for court proceedings to prevent tracking by ex-partners, and is open to introducing a 'yes means yes' standard in sexual criminal law, replacing the current 'no means no' standard. Hubig has reiterated these proposals, emphasizing the waiver of the separation year, venue choice, and openness to an affirmative consent model.
Show summaryHide
German Justice Minister Proposes Easing Divorce Rules for Domestic Violence Victims and Open to 'Yes Means Yes' Consent Law
German Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig has announced plans to amend divorce law to allow victims of domestic violence to bypass the mandatory one-year separation period. She also supports allowing victims to choose the venue for court proceedings to prevent tracking by ex-partners, and is open to introducing a 'yes means yes' standard in sexual criminal law, replacing the current 'no means no' standard. Hubig has reiterated these proposals, emphasizing the waiver of the separation year, venue choice, and openness to an affirmative consent model.
German Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig has announced plans to amend divorce law to allow victims of domestic violence to bypass the mandatory one-year separation period. She also supports allowing victims to choose the venue for court proceedings to prevent tracking by ex-partners, and is open to introducing a 'yes means yes' standard in sexual criminal law, replacing the current 'no means no' standard. Hubig has reiterated these proposals, emphasizing the waiver of the separation year, venue choice, and openness to an affirmative consent model.
de28Italy launches criminal investigation against German NGO Sea-Watch after ship searched in Brindisi
Italian authorities searched the German NGO Sea-Watch's vessel 'Sea-Watch 5' in Brindisi harbor and initiated a criminal investigation against its captain on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration. The ship had rescued 166 migrants and reported being shot at by the Libyan coast guard during the operation. This marks the first criminal investigation against a private rescue ship in six years, escalating tensions between Rome and humanitarian organizations. Sea-Watch condemned the move as an 'absurd escalation' and accused Italy of supporting Libya's coast guard, which it says commits crimes against rescuers.
Show summaryHide
Italy launches criminal investigation against German NGO Sea-Watch after ship searched in Brindisi
Italian authorities searched the German NGO Sea-Watch's vessel 'Sea-Watch 5' in Brindisi harbor and initiated a criminal investigation against its captain on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration. The ship had rescued 166 migrants and reported being shot at by the Libyan coast guard during the operation. This marks the first criminal investigation against a private rescue ship in six years, escalating tensions between Rome and humanitarian organizations. Sea-Watch condemned the move as an 'absurd escalation' and accused Italy of supporting Libya's coast guard, which it says commits crimes against rescuers.
Italian authorities searched the German NGO Sea-Watch's vessel 'Sea-Watch 5' in Brindisi harbor and initiated a criminal investigation against its captain on suspicion of aiding illegal immigration. The ship had rescued 166 migrants and reported being shot at by the Libyan coast guard during the operation. This marks the first criminal investigation against a private rescue ship in six years, escalating tensions between Rome and humanitarian organizations. Sea-Watch condemned the move as an 'absurd escalation' and accused Italy of supporting Libya's coast guard, which it says commits crimes against rescuers.
de23German prosecutors debate overreach in hate speech investigations against politicians
German prosecutors and legal experts are debating the proportionality of hate speech investigations against politicians, following the 2019 murder of CDU politician Walter Lübcke. Specialized cybercrime units in Hesse (ZIT) and North Rhine-Westphalia (ZAC) have conducted house searches and prosecutions for online insults, but critics argue some cases were excessive and chilled free speech. A recent shift shows fewer politicians filing complaints, and Hesse's Interior Minister now advocates prosecution only when human dignity is violated or Nazi references are made. The article details the work of these units, the role of a now-restructured reporting center, and differing interpretations of Paragraph 188 of the criminal code, which penalizes defamation of politicians.
Show summaryHide
German prosecutors debate overreach in hate speech investigations against politicians
German prosecutors and legal experts are debating the proportionality of hate speech investigations against politicians, following the 2019 murder of CDU politician Walter Lübcke. Specialized cybercrime units in Hesse (ZIT) and North Rhine-Westphalia (ZAC) have conducted house searches and prosecutions for online insults, but critics argue some cases were excessive and chilled free speech. A recent shift shows fewer politicians filing complaints, and Hesse's Interior Minister now advocates prosecution only when human dignity is violated or Nazi references are made. The article details the work of these units, the role of a now-restructured reporting center, and differing interpretations of Paragraph 188 of the criminal code, which penalizes defamation of politicians.
German prosecutors and legal experts are debating the proportionality of hate speech investigations against politicians, following the 2019 murder of CDU politician Walter Lübcke. Specialized cybercrime units in Hesse (ZIT) and North Rhine-Westphalia (ZAC) have conducted house searches and prosecutions for online insults, but critics argue some cases were excessive and chilled free speech. A recent shift shows fewer politicians filing complaints, and Hesse's Interior Minister now advocates prosecution only when human dignity is violated or Nazi references are made. The article details the work of these units, the role of a now-restructured reporting center, and differing interpretations of Paragraph 188 of the criminal code, which penalizes defamation of politicians.
de15Germany and Japan deepen hydrogen cooperation with BMW-Toyota fuel cell development
German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder visited Japan to promote green hydrogen cooperation, touring projects with BMW and Toyota. The two automakers are jointly developing third-generation fuel cell technology, with BMW planning a hydrogen series model by 2028. Germany and Japan aim to scale hydrogen infrastructure and supply chains, though green hydrogen remains a niche fuel. Germany allocated €220 million for hydrogen refueling stations and trucks, while Japan focuses on ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.
Show summaryHide
Germany and Japan deepen hydrogen cooperation with BMW-Toyota fuel cell development
German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder visited Japan to promote green hydrogen cooperation, touring projects with BMW and Toyota. The two automakers are jointly developing third-generation fuel cell technology, with BMW planning a hydrogen series model by 2028. Germany and Japan aim to scale hydrogen infrastructure and supply chains, though green hydrogen remains a niche fuel. Germany allocated €220 million for hydrogen refueling stations and trucks, while Japan focuses on ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.
German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder visited Japan to promote green hydrogen cooperation, touring projects with BMW and Toyota. The two automakers are jointly developing third-generation fuel cell technology, with BMW planning a hydrogen series model by 2028. Germany and Japan aim to scale hydrogen infrastructure and supply chains, though green hydrogen remains a niche fuel. Germany allocated €220 million for hydrogen refueling stations and trucks, while Japan focuses on ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.
de13German schlager star Heino sues AfD politician for unauthorized use of his name in election ads
German schlager icon Heino is taking legal action against AfD politician Felix Teichner for using his name in election advertising without consent. Teichner posted on social media that Heino would vote for him, prompting Heino to demand compensation. The case highlights tensions between pop culture and far-right political appropriation in Germany.
Show summaryHide
German schlager star Heino sues AfD politician for unauthorized use of his name in election ads
German schlager icon Heino is taking legal action against AfD politician Felix Teichner for using his name in election advertising without consent. Teichner posted on social media that Heino would vote for him, prompting Heino to demand compensation. The case highlights tensions between pop culture and far-right political appropriation in Germany.
German schlager icon Heino is taking legal action against AfD politician Felix Teichner for using his name in election advertising without consent. Teichner posted on social media that Heino would vote for him, prompting Heino to demand compensation. The case highlights tensions between pop culture and far-right political appropriation in Germany.