Germany, Europe's largest coal user, is reconsidering its coal phase-out timeline due to a surge in global gas prices following the US-Israel-Iran conflict and energy security concerns. A parliamentary committee is studying whether to allow six hard-coal backup plants to operate continuously. The governing coalition is divided, with the CDU/CSU favoring flexibility and the SPD opposing a rollback. A statutory review in August will assess the phase-out's impact on supply and prices.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has tempered expectations for a swift Bundestag mandate for a Bundeswehr mission in the Strait of Hormuz, citing unresolved international framework and volatile ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran. The mission, potentially involving mine clearance, requires a stable truce and a UN resolution for legal legitimacy, which are not yet in place. Parliamentary leaders from CDU and SPD also express skepticism about rapid approval. Pistorius emphasizes that reopening the strait is in Germany's energy and European interest, but any German contribution would focus on safe passage, not combat.

Background: Germany has previously deported convicted criminals to Afghanistan under a direct agreement with the Taliban. Currently, only two Taliban consular officials are in Germany, who have effectively taken over the Afghan embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn. In a new development, Germany has agreed to allow six additional Taliban diplomats into the country as a concession to secure an increase in deportation flights to three per month, plus individual deportations on commercial flights. The agreement was reached during a confidential meeting in Istanbul between Taliban representatives and German interior ministry officials. The Taliban had linked cooperation on deportations to the demand for more diplomatic personnel to identify deportees and issue travel documents. A previously scheduled deportation flight in late May was delayed due to Germany's initial refusal to meet the Taliban's demand for more diplomats.

German and French parliamentarians have introduced a joint initiative calling for enhanced countermeasures against Russia's shadow fleet, including increased oversight, detention of violating vessels, and diplomatic pressure on flag states. The initiative, to be adopted by the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly, highlights geopolitical, security, and environmental risks. It coincides with the EU extending sectoral sanctions against Russia for 12 months and preparing a new package targeting circumvention via China, UAE, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

Background: German politicians have faced criticism for using AI to write speeches and articles without disclosure, leading to fabricated quotes and government guidelines on AI use. Today: Two major German newspapers, Tagesspiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, deleted articles after undisclosed AI use. Tagesspiegel suspended former publisher and editor-in-chief Stephan-Andreas Casdorff for using AI to write opinion pieces, removing several of his columns. FAZ removed a guest op-ed by Thuringia's state premier Mario Voigt after discovering it was AI-generated. The incidents have intensified debate on AI's role in journalism, trust, and disclosure rules. Media researcher Vera Katzenberger warned that AI-generated opinion pieces interfere with democratic opinion formation. The German Press Council maintains that responsibility for content lies with newsrooms but sees no need for a labeling requirement. Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner criticized FAZ's deletion, publishing an AI-generated polemic against the newspaper.

Germany is considering abolishing Section 188 of its Criminal Code, which provides special protection against defamation for politicians. The debate follows controversial cases, including a pensioner's home being searched for calling a minister an 'idiot' online. Supporters argue the law protects democracy, while critics say it stifles free speech and is selectively applied. The Bundestag will decide the law's fate.