Skip next section Physical retail stores on the decline in Germany — association
Physical retail stores on the decline in Germany — association
Brick-and-mortar retail stores in Germany are declining in number, the German Retail Association (HDE) has said.
The HDE estimates that the number of physical retailers is set to fall below 300,000 this year for the first time since German reunification in 1990, dropping by some 4,900 stores to reach around 296,000 in 2026.
The forecast takes into consideration both closures and new openings.
Germany still had some 372,000 shops at the end of 2015, but some 70,000 have closed since then, with the situation worsening significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2023, when the number fell by 11,500 in 2021 and by 11,000 in 2022.
HDE said that physical stores are under increasing pressure from online retail.
The association's president, Alexander von Preen, warned that German city centers are being negatively impacted by the rising vacancies, with small and medium-sized retailers the worst-affected.
"This cannot and must not continue," he said, adding that the state needed to reduce energy and employment costs.
Skip next section Munich mayoral race in focus as Bavaria holds run-off local elections
Munich mayoral race in focus as Bavaria holds run-off local elections
Voters in the southern state of Bavaria are to go to the polls in a second round of local elections, with the race for the mayor of the capital, Munich, seen as a highlight.
Elections for mayoral and district administrator roles are set to take place in 29 districts and more than 250 towns and municipalities.
In Munich, Mayor Dieter Reiter from the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) is facing a close contest with the Green Party's Dominik Krause.
Reiter won 35.6% of the vote in the first round two weeks ago, ahead of Krause on 29.5%.
It was Reiter's weakest performance ever and came after he faced criticism related to posts he holds at Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
The performance of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavaria-only sister party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), will also be watched carefully,
The CSU is traditionally the state's strongest force, but it turned in its worst local election result since 1952 during the first round on March 8, receiving 32.5%, compared with 34.5% at the last vote in 2020.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), in contrast, made massive gains, receiving 12.2% as compared with 4.7% in 2020.
However, it was unable to advance to run-off elections in the state's major cities.
Skip next section Voters to go to the polls in Rhineland-Palatinate's state elections
Voters to go to the polls in Rhineland-Palatinate's state elections
Voters in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate are set to go to the polls in the second of Germany's five state elections this year.
Pre-election surveys show that the vote is likely to be a tight race between the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who have governed the state for 35 years, and the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), making a coalition of the two parties likely in the state for the first time.
The two currently make up Germany's conservative-led government in a so-called grand coalition.
The state, home to some 4 million people, is at present governed by a "traffic light" coalition of SPD (signature color red), pro-business Free Democrats (FDP, signature color yellow) and environmentalist Greens.
Altogether 2.95 million people are eligible to vote.
Rhineland-Palatinate's premier since 2024 has been the SPD's Alexander Schweitzer, 52, the former state labor minister, who took over from his party colleague Malu Dreyer after she stepped down for health reasons.
He is being challenged by CDU candidate Gordon Schnieder, 50, who, while his party enjoys a slight lead over the SPD in voter polls, trails Schweitzer by a large margin when respondents are asked who they want as leader.
A recent Infratest-Dimap poll gave the CDU 28% and the SPD 27%, while Schnieder himself received just 25% compared with Schweitzer's 40% in a ZDF-Politbarometer survey.
At the last state elections in 2021, the SPD won 35.7%, the CDU 27.7%, the Greens 9.3%, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) 8.3% and the FDP 5.5%.
Recent polls show that the AfD has more than doubled its voter support, while the FDP has sunk beneath the 5% hurdle needed for parliamentary representation in the surveys.
Two weeks ago, the AfD reached 18.8% in the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg despite widespread concern that the party constitutes a danger to democracy and the constitution.
Skip next section Welcome back to our coverage
Welcome back to our coverage
Guten Morgen once more from DW's newsroom in Bonn as we restart our coverage of news from and about Germany.
You join us as voters in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate prepare to go to the polls in the second of five state elections slated for this year.
Pre-election surveys show the election is likely to be a close race between Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), with their candidate, Gordon Schnieder, and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), led in the state by the current premier, Alexander Schweitzer.
The two parties make up Germany's ruling coalition at a national level, so the vote will be being watched closely as a barometer of the popularity of the government.
The success or not of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party will also be under scrutiny, particularly from those who consider the party a danger to democracy and the rule of law.
You can follow this and other stories in our Germany news blog on Sunday, March 22.
Skip next section We are pausing our coverage
We are pausing our coverage
Skip next section Lufthansa to test 'light cleaning' on certain routes
Lufthansa to test 'light cleaning' on certain routes
The German airline Lufthansa has been conducting reduced cleaning services on certain routes, according to the Aerotelegraph portal that cited an internal crew memo.
The test began on March 16 and will run until March 29, on around 20 routes within Europe.
It consists of several cost-cutting initiatives, such as only cleaning bathrooms and emptying seat pockets upon request. Instead of thorough cleaning between flights, crews will carry out spot checks to determine whether cleaning teams need to be called in.
The test will also include looking into the option of employing only two rather than four cleaning staff at external cleaning stations, but giving them 10 minutes instead of five to clean each plane.
The company said it was testing out "numerous process optimizations for increased efficiency and for even better use of resources," a spokesperson told Aerotelegraph.
Skip next section F1 champ Verstappen disqualified in Nürburgring endurance race after win
F1 champ Verstappen disqualified in Nürburgring endurance race after win
Max Verstappen, the Dutch four-time Formula 1 world champion, tried his hand at the Nürburgring four-hour race in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state on Saturday.
He managed to drive his Mercedes, along with co-drivers Frenchman Jules Gounon and Spaniard Daniel, to victory by almost exactly a minute.
However, after the race, officials intervened because his team had used seven sets of tires instead of the six allowed.
Nevertheless, it gave Verstappen some practice on the circuit ahead of his planned participation in the 24-hour race in May.
"It is the craziest race track in the world — in a positive sense," Verstappen said post-race, before he had been stripped of his win. "It was a great experience to drive here. It was really fun and I really good."
Verstappen's appearance at the endurance race comes after a difficult start to the F1 season for him and his Red Bull team.
The Dutch driver has not made the podium after two Grand Prixs this season, and failed to finish the race last time out in China.
He is set to drive in the Japanese Grand Prix next Sunday.
Skip next section Diesel price in Germany nears all-time high
Diesel price in Germany nears all-time high
The Iran war has pushed up diesel prices in Germany by a further 12 cents over the previous two days.
On Friday, the nationwide daily average price for a liter (roughly 02.5 gallons) of diesel stood at €2.291 ($2.655), the motoring association ADAC announced, marking a 5% rise since Wednesday.
The figure is just 3 cents less than the all-time high recorded four years ago, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
E10 premium gasoline (petrol) also continued to rise, with a litre costing €2.086 on Friday, up 4.2 cents compared to Wednesday.
Diesel prices in Germany have risen 31% since the day before the US and Israel began the war with Iran, while petrol prices are up 17%.
The rise has been driven by higher crude oil prices linked to the war.
Oil companies, however, have been criticized for raising fuel prices disproportionately relative to the price of crude.
Skip next section Berlin group stages human chain to demand end to racism
Berlin group stages human chain to demand end to racism
Germany's capital is playing host to a 1,100-person human chain against racism and right-wing-extremist violence to mark the International Day Against Racism.
The mass linkup and accompanying rally are organized by the Rudow Outraged initiative, a local anti-fascist and community-based activist group in the Rudow neighborhood of southern Berlin.
Organizers said they would also protest against fascism, social cuts and migrant deportations.
The chain comes as Germany's public institutions face increasing scrutiny over racial discrimination.
Last month, researchers at Leipzig's Research Institute for Social Cohesion found evidence of racist discrimination across all government bodies when it comes to discretion in decision-making and organizational culture.
Studies published to mark International Day Against Racism found that racism and discrimination remain pervasive in Germany.
Skip next section Strike leaves Hamburg public transport users stranded
Strike leaves Hamburg public transport users stranded
Hamburg's subway services have been brought to a halt by a 24-hour strike by the Verdi trade union.
No U-bahn trains have been running across the northern German city since early morning, operator Hamburg Hochbahn said. Bus services have been severely disrupted.
The walkout by Verdi members is due to end on Sunday morning.
Suburban rail trains and harbour ferries are not affected.
The strike is the latest in a series of actions taken by the union in Hamburg, a city-state, as part of ongoing wage negotiations.
Talks are due to resume on Monday.
Wage and contract negotiations are underway across much of Germany’s public transport sector, with deals already reached in several states.
Skip next section End of EU chat-scan waiver puts kids at risk, police union says
End of EU chat-scan waiver puts kids at risk, police union says
Germany's GdP police union has called for an extension of a European Union rule waiver that allows messaging services in EU member states to voluntarily scan for child sexual abuse images.
The exemption from EU privacy rules was introduced in 2021. It allows messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal and others to scan chats to help root out criminal content — primarily images and videos — and hunt down perpetrators.
However, the EU exemption runs out on April 3 and despite talks this week, negotiators failed to agree on a compromise after the European Parliament pushed for scanning limits.
GdP said the impending end of voluntary chat monitoring would significantly hamper police efforts to effectively combat serious forms of crime against children and young people.
The union called for the exemption to be continued until a long-term solution is found.
Criminals must not be given "unnecessary access to commit their vile acts," it warned.
Skip next section Banned Nureyev ballet set for Berlin opening night
Banned Nureyev ballet set for Berlin opening night
A ballet chronicling the life of legendary Soviet-born dancer Rudolf Nureyev, banned in Russia because of allegations that it is "gay propaganda," makes its international premiere in Germany on Saturday evening.
"Nureyev," which was created by Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, will be performed at Deutsche Oper (German Opera House) in Berlin. The performance is a sellout, but can be watched live online.
Originally premiered at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 2017, "Nureyev" was pulled from Russian stages in 2023 following anti-LGBTQ legislationanti-LGBTQ legislation, because it depicts same-sex relationships.
Serebrennikov, who fled Russia in 2022 and now lives in exile in Germany, is staging the work for the first time outside his homeland.
The ballet traces Nureyev's extraordinary career as one of the 20th century's greatest male dancers, his dramatic 1961 defection from the Soviet Union to France and his death in 1993 from AIDS-related complications.
It features scenes highlighting his relationships with men and immersion in Paris's gay scene, including sequences with dancers in high heels and drag.
Brazilian dancer David Soares, formerly with the Bolshoi, performs the title role.
The ambitious production blends ballet, opera and drama with a large ensemble, including vocalists and a jazz band.
Skip next section Task force to consider measures to curb food inflation
Task force to consider measures to curb food inflation
The task force set up by Germany's government to tackle soaring fuel prices caused by the Iran war is also to consider measures to help against potentially rising food costs.
Esra Limbacher, the deputy parliamentary group leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), told the Rheinische Post that the committee was considering aid for domestic fertilizer producers, as well as tax relief for the food industry.
Like oil and gas, fertilizer prices have shot up in recent weeks due to the conflict, as Gulf countries are also major producers of nitrogen-based soil nutrients, including urea and ammonia.
Around a quarter of the global fertilizer trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz for export. Iran has effectively shut Hormuz and carried out attacks on shipping.
"Higher prices for fertilizer and transportation threaten to lead to rising food prices," Limbacher said, adding that the task force will consider "measures to curb inflation" next week.
He warned that without countermeasures, life will become noticeably more expensive for many German residents.
"Inflation is poison for people with average incomes and for our economy. We must protect our population," Limbacher said.
The Iran war has driven up the cost of energy, which in the food production sector, is raising costs for farmers, food factories and transportation.
Skip next section Hundreds of far-right extremists and Reichsbürger at large despite arrest warrants
Hundreds of far-right extremists and Reichsbürger at large despite arrest warrants
More than 500 right-wing extremists are wanted in Germany on outstanding arrest warrants, data from the Interior Ministry shows.
Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), a shared newsroom for dozens of regional and local newspapers across Germany, published the data after a parliamentary request from the Greens.
The ministry said as of September 30, 2025, a total of 688 arrest warrants were outstanding against 515 individuals from the right-wing extremist scene.
Meanwhile, 185 so-called Reichsbürger (citizens of the Reich) and members of similar groups were wanted on a total of 242 outstanding arrest warrants.
The Reichsbürger are a loose network of conspiracy theorists who reject the legitimacy of the modern German state and claim that the 1871-1945 German Reich still legally exists.
While the Reichsbürger worldview often shows some overlap with right-wing extremism, including anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Germany's federal constitutional protection office (BfV) classifies the movement as a separate milieu.
Ministry data showed that German police registered 36,951 right-wing extremist crimes nationwide last year, a 13% fall on the previous year. Nearly 1,400 crimes were violent offenses.
Irene Mihalic, the Greens' parliamentary representative on interior affairs, said there was no reason to believe support for far-right extremism is on the wane.
"Almost 37,000 offenses demonstrate how massive the problem remains. Six attempted homicides and around 1,400 violent acts prove the scene's unbroken willingness to use violence," Mihalic was cited by local media as saying.
She called for outstanding arrest warrants to be executed.
Skip next section Merz-Trump call scheduled amid Hormuz crisis
Merz-Trump call scheduled amid Hormuz crisis
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to speak with President Donald Trump over the weekend as the US increases pressure on European NATO allies to help the United States secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait, which is a major chokepoint for global oil trade, has been effectively closed to most shipping since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.
Speaking at a campaign event for his Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) on Friday in Rhineland Palatinate, where state elections are taking place on Sunday, Merz confirmed he would be speaking to the US leader over the weekend.
Germany has joined several NATO allies in refusing to help patrol Hormuz, insisting that the conflict was started by the US and Israel and is "not NATO's war."
Recent reports, however, suggest a softening in tone, with Germany and France, expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait" once the fighting has stopped.
Merz, who held bilateral talks with Trump at the White House earlier this month, said he would repeat his invitation for the Republican to visit Germany, including Rhineland-Palatinate, where the US president's ancestors originated.
