News from Berlin
Record number of people leaving Berlin
In the last decades, a whole list of economic, political and cultural factors has been drawing people to Berlin: affordable rent, a diversity of start-ups, an excellent nightlife and food, among other things. Now, according to figures from the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office (AfS) and reported by Tagesspiegel, a record number of people chose to leave the capital in 2025. In its first 11 months, roughly 161,000 left the German capital. In 2020, 145,000 people left the city. According to Frederick Sixtus, who studies German demographics at the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, a large proportion of those leaving Berlin last year were young families. Source: iamexpat
News from Germany
How is Germany planning to regulate AI at work?
On May 19, at the re:publica media conference in Berlin, Federal Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) affirmed that Germany shouldn’t “hand over the future of the country to some tech bros.” What regulation therefore does the government have in mind? According to the minister, by 2030 there will be no jobs in Germany that do not involve AI. As such, the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition has decided to focus on continuing education. Apart from Bas’ plan for training, it remains to be seen how the federal coalition will regulate AI use in the workplace at the national level. Source: iamexpat
Childhood without privacy
According to the Department of Social Affairs in Hamburg, as of late April, 7,253 families—totaling 13,401 minors—live in shelters and facilities operated by the city-owned agency Fördern & Wohnen (F&W). This is detrimental to their well-being, a fact acknowledged by the city itself. On May 16, the Youth Parliament (Jugend im Parlament) demanded a remedy. The Youth Parliament, comprising some 40 young people, distributed a document calling for a “change of perspective.” By the next specialist conference in November, shelter inspections will be required to verify whether children’s rights are being upheld there. Source: taz
Investigation against Ulmen for domestic violence
Following a criminal complaint filed by actress Collien Fernandes, the Potsdam Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated investigative proceedings against her ex-husband, Christian Ulmen. The case centers on allegations of bodily harm within the scope of domestic violence. “This involves several incidents alleged to have occurred in Spain during 2022 and 2023,” the spokesperson added. Allegations of digital violence are also reportedly still under review. The former couple, Ulmen and Fernandes, had lived in Potsdam—the state capital of Brandenburg—prior to their move to Mallorca in 2023. Fernandes’s complaint has sparked a broad public debate in Germany regarding digital violence against women. Source: tagesschau
Record numbers take German passports in 2025
Germany has seen a rise in the number of people seeking German citizenship since it made it possible in mid-2024 for people to have passports from multiple countries and reduced the required time of residence to five years from eight: at least 309,852 people obtained a German passport in 2025, beating the 291,955 naturalizations the previous year, according to preliminary data. Moreover, several municipalities reported that they are preparing for a new rise next year when the many Ukrainians who fled to Germany amid the war in their country reach the required residency duration. Source: dw
“Rapid militarization” threatens basic rights
According to the 240-page “2026 Fundamental Rights Report,” presented in Karlsruhe on May 21, in an era of populism and authoritarian regimes worldwide, fundamental rights are coming under increasing pressure in Germany, a country governed by the rule of law. The annual report has been published since 1997, sponsored by human rights organizations including Pro Asyl. The Fundamental Rights Report highlights this “rapid militarization of Germany,” unprecedented since the end of World War II. At the same time, government development aid is being slashed. The budget of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development was cut by €910 million to €10.31 billion in 2025. Source: dw
AfD remains ahead of the Union; Greens gain slightly
One week after the RTL/ntv Trendbarometer recorded a record-high approval rating of 28% for the AfD, the party has slipped by one percentage point. However, the largest opposition party in the Bundestag remains well ahead of the Union (CDU/CSU-SPD coalition). The only party to make gains is the Greens—up by one percentage point. Consequently, both shifts fall within the statistical margin of error of 2.5%. Approval ratings for Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz remain at an extremely low level. Furthermore, if an election were to be held this week, the share of non-voters and undecided voters would be around 25%—significantly higher than the share of non-voters in the last federal election (17.9%). Source: n-tv
