News from Berlin
A driver of the economy and well-being
A study by the Institute for Cultural Participation Research demonstrates that culture in Berlin brings money to the city. The study was presented on June 29 in the foyer of the Deutsche Oper and was funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. One of its most striking findings mentions that for every euro invested in culture, an average of 3.50 euros flows back into the capital. Most of this revenue is generated by spending before, during, and after cultural events; the largest share comes from tourists, 63% of whom affirm they came to Berlin because of the culture of the city. In total, the Institute calculates that Berlin generates 1.35 billion euros annually from culture. Source: taz
News from Germany
Software update: train chaos in Germany
At some point on Tuesday night, 23 June, a system update was installed at Deutsche Bahn. By 11 pm, the entire national rail network had ground to a halt. Sabotage is not suspected, but rather a failure of the GSMR — the digital radio system used by train drivers to communicate with network control centers and digital operators. When it goes down, none of the trains can move. By around 12:20am, Deutsche Bahn announced the system fault had been fixed. However, the fact that a technical defect has brought the entire rail network in Germany to a standstill is a new low point in an already poor service quality. Source: heistberlin
Job cuts at Volkswagen: worse than expected
Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car manufacturer, is facing another round of job cuts. According to the “Manager Magazin” and NDR, up to 100,000 of the group’s current workforce of around 657,000 are set to be cut worldwide over the next years. This would amount to a doubling of the previous redundancy target, already a radical one. It is also reported that Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has presented his plans for the restructuring strategy as part of the “Vision 2030” to the Group Executive Board. Four sites in Germany are reportedly facing closure “in the medium term”: the VW plants in Hanover, Emden, Zwickau and the Audi site in Neckarsulm. Source: dw
EU wants to make it harder for Ukrainians of military age to seek refuge
Ukrainian men of military age are to be barred from receiving refugee status in the EU in the future. According to the responsible EU Commissioner, this was at the request of the Ukrainian government. Germany and other Member States had spoken out in favour of such a restriction at EU level. The EU’s current proposal is modelled on Ukraine’s exit regulations: men aged between 23 and 60 are still subject to an exit ban there. More and more young Ukrainians are evading military service. This poses a major problem for the army. For the men themselves, it is a matter of life and death. Source: zdf
AfD – deserving of a ban
In 2025, a report was published in which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution justified its reclassification of the AfD as “confirmed far-right extremist’. That report however failed to convince many experts: until the matter is resolved in a full trial, the party remains a “case of suspicion”. The Society for Civil Liberties (GFF) spent 13 months working on its own “open-ended” report on the AfD, which was presented on June 25. The GFF’s report stands out for its sheer volume of sources. Among them, more than 77,000 printed documents from the Bundestag and state parliaments, and 2.9 million social media posts. Source: nd-aktuell
Germany breaks another heat record with 41.7 degrees
The heatwave in Europe has reached a new peak in Germany: on June 28, the German Weather Service (DWD) recorded a record temperature of 41.7 degrees in Coschen, Brandenburg. For days, the heatwave in Germany has been bringing temperatures up to and above the 40-degree mark. The strain is all the greater because the temperatures were not dropping at night. Extreme weather conditions such as these have become more frequent in Germany as a result of climate change – and they are likely to increase even further. The high temperatures in the country have not only affected people’s well-being, but also its forests and infrastructure. Source: dw
Steinmeier warns of “new world disorder”
Frank-Walter Steinmeier fears a “new world disorder” and calls for greater global cooperation. “Crude power politics, zero-sum thinking, and confrontation are unfortunately increasingly replacing the pillars of the cooperative and rules-based order,” the German Federal President said at the opening of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC). The HSC is taking place for the third time this year. Its motto is: “The Power of Cooperation: Driving Progress Together.” The HSC also proposed the launch of a North-South Commission convened by the German government. Its aim is to identify new forms of development cooperation suited to a multipolar world. Source: dw
MEPs seek action against AfD-linked European party
MEPs are seeking to take action against the EU-level party “Europe of Sovereign Nations” (ESN), which includes Germany’s AfD, as reported by “Der Spiegel”. According to the report, at least 181 MEPs are calling for a legal review of the European umbrella party. The move follows a letter sent to EU institutions by the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF). The news outlet “Politico” reported on this in late May. According to the APPF, there are indications that the ESN party—founded in April 2024—is violating European Parliament rules. Source: web.de
