Germany updates: Army improving, risks remain warns chief

Karoline Preisler, a member of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), was attacked at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin, police said Sunday.

A police spokesperson said that the politician sustained an injury to her hand after a man and a woman tried to snatch a poster and an Israeli flag she was holding.

Police said that the two attackers had been temporarily detained and were being investigated for theft and physical injury.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany expressed concern over the incident, which occurred on Saturday evening.

"Is this the Germany that we want to or should get used to?" asked Council president Josef Schuster, adding that there was a "threatening mood in our country."

Schuster also pointed to a separate incident in Frankfurt a day earlier.

Activists from the Honestly Concerned group were reportedly verbally and physically harassed.

They were then smeared with red paint when they attempted to attach photos of hostages held by Hamas to the fence of a pro-Palestinian encampment in the city's Grüneburgpark. 

Dozens of NGOs called on the German government to take in Afghans who had been guaranteed protected status in Germany.

The organizations made the plea in an open letter to Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

"Act now — before it is too late for many people affected," the letter said.

The joint statement comes amid news that Pakistani authorities have been deporting people with approved asylum status in Germany to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The letter, which was cited by the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland media group, was signed by groups including Amnesty International Germany, Caritas Germany, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Medico International.

The NGOs called for called for a drastic reduction in security clearance and visa procedures, as well as the immediate evacuation of Afghans from Pakistan who have been granted asylum.

"Germany bears a special responsibility towards the people who have trusted us and whose commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law now makes them a target in Afghanistan," the statement read.

Last week, human rights organization Pro Asyl filed a suit against Dobrindt and Wadephul over their role in deportations to Afghanistan.

Germany's Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the Social Democrats (SPD) has reiterated his support for a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"We cannot simply stand by and watch as an obviously right-wing extremist and anti-constitutional party attempts to destroy democracy and pursue policies that show contempt for humanity," Klingbeil told the Funke media group.

He said that anyone who values democracy would therefore have to consider a ban, but added that such decisions were to be made after careful investigations by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV. 

However, the SPD's senior coalition partners, the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) have been hestitant to back such a move. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he is "highly skeptical" that a ban was the best course of action.

The BfV classified the AfD as  "confirmed right-wing extremist" in May, but the use of this term has been put on hold due to a legal appeal from the party.

German firefighters helping tackle wildfires in Spain were redeployed Sunday to the northern Castile and Leon region.

The 67 firefighters and 21 vehicles from Germany had completed a successful deployment farther south, Spanish media reported.

Spanish authorities sent the teams to La Bana, just north of the Portuguese border, where more than 300 residents have been evacuated as flames approach.

Although the situation is easing, 14 fires are still burning across the country, public broadcaster RTVE said.

The northwest is currently experiencing the worst of the fires, and the German firefighters will continue assisting their Spanish counterparts until Tuesday. 

In August, Spain suffered its worst wildfires in years, following a 16-day heatwave that was "the most intense on record," the country's State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, said.

Additionally, August 8 to 17 marked the hottest 10 consecutive days recorded in Spain "since, at least, 1950," AEMET explained.

More than 1,100 deaths in Spain have been linked to this summer's heatwave, according to an estimate released last Tuesday by the Carlos III Health Institute.

In 2019, the Bundestag voted to create a memorial for the victims of communism.

Progress on the project has stalled, but there are now plans to move forward.

DW's Christoph Strack writes when the German parliament debates the 2026 federal budget in September, the State Minister for Culture's budget is expected to receive the necessary funding for the memorial.

An Italian executive has come under fire at home after filming himself driving at speeds of up to 260 km/h (160 mph) on a German motorway.

The 48-year-old posted clips of himself driving his SUV, allegedly near Stuttgart, on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, but deleted them following a backlash.

Opposition politicians in Lodi, southeast of Milan, have called for the manager of a local water provider to be fired, saying his “dangerous behavior” encourages young drivers to speed.

However, according to local newspaper reports, the man said he had not broken any laws, as the German autobahn has no speed limits.

In Germany, motorists can be fined or have points added to their driver’s licenses for using a mobile phone while driving. If authorities determine others were endangered, licenses can be confiscated. Penalties are similar in Italy.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Germany next week as part of a European tour that also includes Poland and Latvia, his office has said.

In Berlin, Carney is set to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz for talks on strengthening ties with European allies.

The visit comes as Carney makes a stop in Kyiv, underscoring solidarity with Ukraine as the wider context of his trip.

Germany's army chief says his troops may not have enough time to prepare for an imminent attack, despite making "great progress" toward combat readiness.

Lieutenant General Alfons Mais told dpa that while the military is making strides in equipping troops, he is concerned about whether soldiers have the right mindset to defend Germany's values adequately.

"We must be aware that if the alarm goes off, it could hit us in a suboptimal state or at a less than optimal time," Mais said. "The commanders need to prepare mentally for this."

The army forms part of Germany's military or Bundeswehr. 

Mais, who is retiring in September, believes new recruits should look up to the examples set by former Bundeswehr soldiers who have received the military's Cross of Honor for bravery.

"I believe that our soldiers all know what to expect. And we see that. In conversations with the young people, I see that they have become much more serious," Mais said. "Someone who signs up for the Bundeswehr today knows there is war in Europe."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to make the Bundeswehr the strongest military in Europe, which will require better equipment and more personnel than the current 183,000 soldiers. To comply with NATO guidelines, the Bundeswehr needs to add another 60,000 people.

We're picking things up today with a look at the Bundeswehr and, more specifically, the German Army.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to make it the strongest Army in Europe, and while the chief says "great progress" is being made, he warned it is not quite ready. 

Merz and his Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt might face some tough questions about that and other issues this afternoon as the German government hosts an open day, or more like an open weekend, in Berlin.

We will cover that and other developments in Germany in this blog throughout the day. 

We are pausing our coverage of all things Germany for the night.

However, we will be back in DW's newsroom in Bonn in the morning with more updates from Germany on Sunday. 

Bayern Munich started the season in fine form, but does its dominance pose a problem for the Bundesliga?

The reigning champions hammered RB Leipzig 6-0 on the first day of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season.

The Bundesliga's lack of competition at the top has long been a criticism of Germany's top flight.

Read more about how Bayern Munich's league dominance hinders German football in both sporting and commercial terms. 

Will there soon be a meeting between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as suggested by US President Donald Trump?

And if the two can indeed agree on a way to end Russia's war in Ukraine, what will Germany's role be?

Read more to find out why these questions have triggered controversy in Berlin over the past week.

Local politicians in the neighborhood of Berlin-Mitte commemorated the replacement of the name Mohrenstrasse with Anton Wilhelm Amo Strasse on Saturday, marking the end of a years-long fight centering on racial sensitivity and inclusion.

The event capped a turbulent three days, with a Berlin court first siding with a neighborhood residents' injunction to stop the name change, before allowing it to go forward with a new decision in favor of municipal leadership on Friday. 

Leaders in favor of the change point to what they see as the negative racial bias of the word Mohr, or Moor in English. The term is rarely used nowadays but historically referred to people of African descent, often in a derogatory context.

Who was Anton Wilhelm Amo?

Anton Wilhelm Amo, for whom the street is now named, was born in 1703 in what is today, Ghana, West Africa. 

He came to Germany as a child and is considered the first well-known Black philosopher and legal scholar ever at a German university. He taught at the University of Wittenberg before returning to Africa in 1747.

Green Party politician Tuba Bozkurt on Saturday said she was happy to "finally see that racist term" disappear from sight, adding that the fight to rename the street had been won with "democratic tenacity."  

Bozkurt called the change "a clear sign in favor of respect and diversity."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for a reform of Germany's social welfare spending while ruling out tax increases on medium-sized companies.

The comments, made at a state-level party conference of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Lower Saxony, will likely be seen as paving the way for further contention with his government coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD).

"The welfare state that we have today can no longer be financed with what we produce in the economy," Merz said in the town of Osnabrück. 

Read the full story on Merz's call for welfare reforms and why that might put his coalition with the SPD under duress.

A large crowd of people gathered at the government quarter in Berlin on Sunday to take advantage of an open day where members of the public get to question ministers.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend on Sunday to take questions with many of the coalition government available throughout the weekend, including Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Dobrindt reject criticism of his ministry's processing of asylum applications from Afghan nationals when questioned on the issue on Saturday.

Lars Klingbeil, finance minister and vice chancellor, is expected to be available on Sunday too with the overall program including events for children.

The open day event takes place annually with the aim of providing information on the workings of government to German citizens.