Daily Briefing 04.04.2026, 16:59 (CEST)

Annual Easter peace marches draw thousands across 70 German towns

Germans gathered at around 70 locations across the country on Saturday for the traditional Easter marches calling for peace.

Germany's far-right AfD tops poll ahead of Merz's conservatives

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday drew ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives in a new opinion poll.

Germany sees third consecutive diesel price record after rule change

Germany has recorded a third consecutive day of record diesel prices after the government introduced a new measure earlier this week, the country's ADAC automobile association said on Satur...

German city breaks world record for longest fish roll

A caterer has brought the world record for the longest fish roll to the northern German city of Rostock with a length of exactly 42.37 metres, the Record Institute Germany confirmed.

Germany and other EU states press for windfall taxes

Finance and economy ministers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain are pressing for the European Commission to impose windfall taxes on energy companies as they profit from the ...

German trade union chief calls for scrapping of VAT on food

The head of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) has called for the reduced rate of value added tax (VAT) on certain goods to be abolished entirely.

"Reducing the reduced VAT...

German foreign minister backs abandoning EU's unanimity principle

The European Union should abandon the unanimity principle that governs most of its decision-making, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has told news outlets of the Funke Media Group in...

Merz government not considering autobahn speed limit to save fuel

The German government is not considering imposing a speed limit on its unrestricted motorways to save fuel but could take fiscal measures to ease the burden on motorists, Economy Minister K...

Germans change holiday plans in face of political crises

Many Germans are changing their travel plans for Easter and the months ahead on account of war, crises and political uncertainty, according to a survey conducted for the tourism sector publ...

German industry sees growing opportunities in defence

German industry is increasingly turning its attention to defence production, according to the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).