The war between the United States and Israel against Iran has reactivated internal disputes within the German far-right. Within Alternative for Germany (AfD), a Trumpist wing coexists with a critical sector that increasingly distances itself from the occupant of the White House. The far-right party sought to get closer to Trump after his return to the White House. They share with him the rejection of immigration, climate change denial, and criticism of the European Union. However, with the start of the war against Iran, AfD leaders are again trying to distance themselves from Washington.

The German Social Democratic Party (SPD) is mired in an internal crisis after suffering two major electoral defeats in two weeks. in the regional elections of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-WürttembergThe leaders of the SPD, Bärbel Bas and Lars Klingbeil, rejected calls for their resignation within their own party on Monday, despite acknowledging that the election results in Rhineland-Palatinate were "catastrophic." A crisis meeting of the SPD leadership will be held on Friday, but personnel issues will not be discussed. "We will not plunge the second-largest party in the government into chaos now, nor will we enter into a process where we focus on ourselves and neglect the country," said Klingbeil, who cited the difficult political situation and the looming global economic crisis to justify his stance. The SPD was one of the biggest losers in the Baden-Württemberg state elections on March 8, obtaining 5.5% of the vote, its worst result to date in that federal state. Below 5%, it would not have gained any parliamentary representation in the state parliament. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, He won the regional elections in Rhineland-Palatinate on Sunday, ending 35 years of Social Democratic presidents in that federal state.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is poised to win the regional parliamentary elections in the southwestern German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, according to projections based on the vote count. Pending final results, conservative candidate Gordon Schneider is projected to win with 31% of the vote, defeating incumbent Social Democrat Alexander Schweitzer, who is expected to garner 25.9%. The CDU, the party of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, would wrest control of the state government from the Social Democrats (SPD), dealing a significant blow to the party after 35 years in power. The Social Democrats lose their red stronghold: they had governed since 1991.

The United Kingdom faces a decisive decade for its energy future at a time when most of its nuclear fleet is nearing the end of its lifespan due to aging. Currently, the country generates approximately 15% of its electricity from nuclear power, thanks to an installed capacity of around 6.5 gigawatts, generated by nine reactors at four plants. But all but one must be decommissioned by 2030. This has forced the British government to accelerate a political and financial commitment to a new generation of power plants, a commitment that is fraught with controversy and challenges. Currently, the UK is building two major projects: Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk. Both, the first new plants built since 1988, symbolize both the ambition and the difficulties of the British nuclear model. With estimated costs reaching €54.57 billion for the first and €43.23 billion for the second, these plants have become some of the most expensive energy infrastructure projects in the world, as the Working Group on Nuclear Regulation, established by Keir Starmer the previous February, warned at the end of November of last year. The cost overruns and delays have been so significant that EDF, the French state-owned company in charge of building Sizewell C, has accumulated multimillion-euro losses and has demanded that the British government assume almost all the financial risk for the project to move forward. Hinkley Point C is expected to come online between 2030 and 2031; Sizewell C, in 2035-36. The Working Group also warned that the UK has become the most expensive country in the world to build a nuclear power plant, not so much because of the technology used, but because of an accumulation of environmental, safety, and administrative processes that, according to the report, often do not provide real benefits in terms of public health or environmental protection. The document denounced a regulatory culture that is excessively risk-averse, which has resulted in thousands of pages of environmental impact assessments and increasingly lengthy and unpredictable planning processes.

Friedrich Merz is now speaking frankly. The German Chancellor initially showed understanding for the US and Israeli attacks against Iran. However, as the days passed, he nuanced his position. Now, three weeks after the start of the offensive, he rules out any German involvement in the conflict—unlike what US President Donald Trump is demanding—and proclaims: "It's not our war."

Germany's super-election year kicks off with a razor-thin victory for the Greens in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament elections over the conservatives, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to become the third-largest party in the state, according to ARD television. The Greens are projected to have won 30.3% of the vote, slightly ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with 29.7%, pending final results. Meanwhile, the AfD, which campaigned on security and immigration issues and capitalized on voters' fears about the deteriorating economy, is projected to improve its results, rising from 9.7% in 2021 to 18.7%.

The public silence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the face of the recent Criticism and threats from US President Donald Trump in Spain Not only has it outraged the Spanish government, but it has also perplexed the Germans. The question being asked by the German press these days is: should the Chancellor have defended Spain against Trump? Should he have responded on camera, or was he right to defend Spain afterward, behind closed doors?

Germany and France are the two main powers in the European Union and the most influential within the bloc. All major decisions must have, at least, the support or approval of one of these two member states. They are decisive in all negotiations and positions taken by European institutions. However, it is common for Berlin and Paris to find themselves defending completely opposing viewpoints. The last time the Franco-German divide became evident was with the Iran war and their support for or condemnation of the US and Israeli offensive against the ayatollahs' regime.

German police raided Deutsche Bank offices in Frankfurt and Berlin on Wednesday on suspicion of money laundering, just one day before the bank was due to release its financial results for the past year. The Frankfurt prosecutor's office reported that executives and employees, whose identities have not been released, are under investigation, according to the weekly magazine. Der SpiegelA Deutsche Bank spokesperson confirmed to EFE the search of its offices and stated that they are fully cooperating with the Public Prosecutor's Office. "We confirm that a measure ordered by the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office is currently being implemented at Deutsche Bank's offices," the spokesperson for the German bank said. Deutsche Bank shares fell 3% to €32.48 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange during the day, following news of the investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt). The investigation focuses on Deutsche Bank's past business dealings with foreign companies suspected of being created for money laundering and owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to reports. Der SpiegelAbramovich has been on the European Union's (EU) sanctions list since spring 2022. Approximately 30 plainclothes police officers searched Deutsche Bank's headquarters offices starting at 10 a.m., according to the weekly magazine.

The US economy continues to grow at a strong pace. US gross domestic product (GDP, the indicator that measures economic activity) grew by 1.1% in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous three months, according to the second estimate published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce. Meanwhile, Germany, Europe's largest economy, confirmed its return to growth, closing the last three months of last year with quarterly growth of 0.2%. In annualized figures, US GDP growth was 4.4%, six-tenths of a percentage point higher and the best figure in two years. This also represents a significant improvement over the 0.6% decline observed at the beginning of 2025, when US GDP fell for the first time since early 2022. The increase in real GDP in the third quarter reflected increases in consumer spending and exports. Imports, which are subtracted from GDP calculations, decreased. Compared to the second quarter, household spending accelerated, and investment, exports, and government spending rebounded, while imports declined less in the third quarter than in the second.

Ahead of the regional elections in March, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a conservative, is searching for the best way to combat the far right, which he has long considered a "tough rival" and probably his party's "biggest political rival." The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has categorically rejected any cooperation between his party and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the main opposition party, although some conservative voices have raised the possibility in recent months of opening up to some form of cooperation with the far right.

The German economy, the largest in Europe, left behind the recession in 2025 and recovered growth after two consecutive years of declining economic activity.

One in four Germans feels nostalgic for former Chancellor Angela Merkel, even though many of her compatriots question her legacy, even within her own party. Four years after he left office, 25% of Germans long for the old days when the Christian Democrat was Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

A new episode in Russia's increasingly palpable hybrid war against Europe. This Friday, Germany accused Moscow of being behind several attacks against Berlin, in the form of cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, especially during the recent general elections.which resulted in the victory of Chancellor Merz. After making the accusations public, the German government summoned the Russian ambassador to Germany, Sergei Netschajew, to the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Berlin to formally protest these acts.

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) The AfD has relaunched its youth wing in an attempt to improve its image ahead of the 2026 regional elections. Far-right leader Alice Weidel emphasized that Generation Germany—the name of the AfD's new youth wing—will be the party's "talent pool." Although founded just a week ago, the youth organization is already under scrutiny from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the intelligence service of the German Interior Ministry. Generation Germany takes over from the AfD's former youth organization, Alternative Jove, which was considered too radical and difficult to control, even for the far-right party's leadership, and classified as far-right by German authorities. Its status as an independent association made it more vulnerable to a potential ban, which could have severely damaged the party's image. The AfD leadership therefore decided in March to dissolve Alternative Jove and create a new, less extreme organization more closely linked to the party. This makes its banning legally more difficult and increases Weidel's control. Experts believe it cannot be banned unless the entire organization is. Members of Alternativa Jove will also be members of the AfD, unlike before. In this way, rule violations or misconduct by AfD youth members can be sanctioned, even with expulsion from the party.

Friedrich Merz traveled to Israel this weekend for his first visit as Chancellor in an attempt to ease tensions with Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Expectations are high in both countries regarding the German leader's trip. It is the first visit by a European head of government to Israel. following the ceasefire on October 10 between Israel and Hamas more than two years after the start of the war, and it occurs a few weeks after Berlin decided to resume arms exports to Tel Aviv

Under the slogan "We don't want to be cannon fodder," thousands of German students protested this Friday in several German cities against the possible reintroduction of mandatory military service. The "school strike" has called for demonstrations in ninety locations across the country against the plans of the conservative government of Friedrich Merz to reintroduce military service, currently on a voluntary basis. The new law will, however, include a series of mandatory elements for eighteen-year-olds, such as the obligation to answer a questionnaire and undergo a medical examination.

MediaMarkt is one of Germany's most iconic companies, just as Fnac is in France. "It's cultural sovereignty. It's the leading bookseller in France, a French cultural institution," a former French Minister of Economy declared, referring to Fnac. In the neighboring country, MediaMarkt, which sells electronics and household appliances, has always been the epitome of a company that started from scratch and became a multinational. It's the pride of a country considered the economic engine of Europe and an industrial leader.

The German government announced on Monday that it will resume arms exports to IsraelGermany has lifted the partial arms embargo imposed this summer by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, citing the fact that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is holding and that humanitarian aid is arriving. This decision will take effect on November 24, according to German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius. Kornelius justified the lifting of the embargo, which he said was due in part to the fact that the truce, in effect since October 10, "has stabilized in recent weeks." He also mentioned efforts to achieve a lasting peace and the increase in humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. The German federal government has warned that in the future it will "generally review each case individually and react to new developments" regarding arms exports. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed Berlin's decision: "I urge other governments to adopt similar decisions, following Germany's example," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Iris Stalzer, who was elected mayor of Herdecke in western Germany ten days ago, was severely stabbed outside her home on Tuesday, and her life is in danger. According to several local media outlets, the Social Democrat politician was stabbed several times and, before losing consciousness, told her son that she had been attacked by several men on the street.