Pro-Palestine activists disrupted a German army recruitment event on Armed Forces Day on June 6 by climbing onto a tank and unfurling a banner reading 'Genocide with German weapons,' specifically naming Rheinmetall — the Düsseldorf-based defence group that supplies artillery ammunition and armoured vehicles to Israel's military. The protest targeted a public-facing Bundeswehr exhibit and drew a direct link between Germany's ongoing defence export approvals to Israel and the conduct of the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon.

Germany recorded at least 85,000 politically motivated crimes in 2025, a new high surpassing the previous record of 84,172 set in 2024 and more than double the 39,000 cases counted in 2015, according to a Welt am Sonntag analysis of 15 of 16 state datasets. Violent politically motivated offenses rose 1.2 percent to 4,156, with right-wing extremists responsible for 1,598 and left-wing actors for 1,087; left-wing extremist crimes rose 35 percent overall to more than 13,000 cases, while right-wing extremism accounted for more than half of all offenses.

Volkswagen confirmed in late April it is negotiating with defense companies to take over its Osnabrück plant, which is set to end vehicle production in September 2027. The potential conversion of a car factory to military equipment production reflects a broader shift in Germany as the auto industry struggles with Chinese competition and falling sales. IG Metall, the 2.1-million-member industrial union, has a statutory commitment to peace and disarmament that could complicate such transitions.

Background: Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a potential mediator in the Ukraine war, a suggestion rejected by Ukraine and the EU. On June 2, 2025, Schröder met with Putin in Moscow for a private, friendly one-on-one conversation at the Kremlin. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed the meeting, describing it as "friendly" and "good" but declined to disclose details, stating it was a private discussion. The meeting occurs ahead of E3 consultations in London and upcoming G7, EU, and NATO summits, underscoring ongoing diplomatic maneuvering around the Ukraine conflict. Schröder, a personal friend of Putin, has continued to work for Russian energy companies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The German BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, is actively campaigning for the removal of EU sanctions against Hüseyin Doğru, a German-Turkish media operator whose portal 'Red' is considered by EU and German authorities to be deeply intertwined with Russian state propaganda. The party frames the sanctions as an attack on press freedom, while critics note Doğru's platform celebrated the October 7 Hamas attack and spread disinformation to polarize German society. The article details the links between Red and the former RT-affiliated platform Redfish, and the broader pattern of Russian influence operations in Germany.

German Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) gave a mixed assessment of the black-red coalition's performance, criticizing internal government conduct as discouraging and acknowledging that reforms are taking longer than expected. She defended planned changes to the 'Demokratie leben!' program against accusations of targeting left-wing projects, calling the debate 'hysterical.' Prien also left open the option of an AfD ban procedure and stressed the need to address youth concerns in reform packages. Additionally, she noted a broader loss of trust in politics across liberal democracies.

The leadership crisis in Turkey's main opposition CHP continues after a court reinstated former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and ousted current chair Özgür Özel. On May 28, 2026, a SPD delegation—including Alexander Schweitzer, Katarina Barley, Serdar Yüksel, and Philipp Türmer—visited Özel in Ankara, where he warned that his arrest would be 'crossing the Rubicon' and stated he has risked everything to challenge the autocracy. Özel also revealed that other CHP deputies supporting him face threats of arrest and immunity removal. The visit received unusually high Turkish media attention, with pro-government outlets criticizing Özel for complaining to Germans. Schweitzer expressed deep concern and emphasized Germany's responsibility as a sister party. The delegation aimed to create visibility and solidarity, with Türmer praising the courage of CHP youth organizers.