News from Berlin
Exploiting suffering
An alleged Islamist attacker—born and raised in Germany—drove a car into a crowd of people near the Tiergarten on Jul 25. At least one person has died, and several others remain in critical condition. On social media, right-wing extremists are writing they “sympathize” with the attacker. Besides that, some politicians are shamelessly exploiting the queer community’s suffering to advance their own agendas, all while funding for queer associations and connected support projects are being cut. Queer venues in Berlin and beyond have long been targets of homophobic and transphobic violence. Source: taz
Muslim associations condemn attack
Following the suspected Islamist attack on the Christopher Street Day event in Berlin, various Muslim associations expressed their shock and condemned the act. “When people become targets of violence because of their identity or way of life, the fundamental values of our coexistence are under attack,” the Central Council of Muslims in Germany stated on Jul 27. If the perpetrator did indeed act out of Muslim motives, “this would be yet another instance of an extremist ideology misusing religious references to justify hate and violence and to turn people against one another.” Source: taz
Berliner bomb threats: a personal grudge
Schools, government agencies, businesses, a hospital: the Berliner Jörg Z. stands accused of threatening to detonate them all. When the trial over his years-long series of bomb threats kicked off this week, the 37-year-old man took the stand to defend himself — and also admitted to the crimes. “I didn’t want to spread fear and terror,” he said, claiming yet that his threats were all directed toward people in his private life, at acquaintances who had “offended and hurt” him. In total, more than 50 alleged offences are being deliberated in the trial, including a fabricated kidnapping. “I am deeply sorry for all of this,” he added. Source: heistberlin
News from Germany
Hoppermann: the new CDU Secretary General
Bundestag member and former CDU treasurer Franziska Hoppermann is the party’s new secretary general. Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz nominated her during a meeting of the CDU executive committee. The federal executive board subsequently elected the 44-year-old to the office unanimously. She will hold the position on an interim basis until her appointment is confirmed at the next party conference. The Hamburg native succeeds Carsten Linnemann, who is set to become Federal Minister of Health. Hoppermann has not previously been widely known to the general public. As federal treasurer, she worked largely behind the scenes. Source: tagesschau
AfD seeks to buy event hall in North Rhine-Westphalia
The AfD intends to buy a dedicated hall for party events in North Rhine-Westphalia. A letter sent to all members by party leader Martin Vincentz and treasurer Christian Blex states that such an opportunity has arisen. The AfD did not disclose exactly which property is involved. The background to this real estate move is that the AfD—like any political party—is required to hold regular meetings for purposes such as internal elections or drawing up candidate lists. However, the state branch reports that finding suitable venues has proven difficult, as many hall operators do not want to host the AfD. Its most recent events were held at a hall in Marl. Source: nd
The Expat Insider Survey 2026: Germany among the worst
German-based company InterNations has released the 13th edition of its annual Expat Insider Survey. This year’s survey asked nearly 8,000 respondents of 162 nationalities to rate expat life. In the overall ranking, Germany placed 30th out of 31 countries in 2025–only Norway performed worse. InterNations explained that Germany’s ranking went down in the “ease of settling in” and “expat essentials” categories. Respondents said German administrative services are poor, the internet is slow, paying with cash is annoying and finding somewhere to live is difficult. Besides, 62% of respondents also said that learning German was difficult and only 43% said that people in Germany are generally friendly. Source: iamexpat
Workers in Germany are changing jobs more often
Occupational mobility in Germany has increased in recent years, according to a study from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The share of employees changing jobs within a single year rose by 13% between 2013 and 2024. This increase in occupational mobility was observed “across all wage levels, though it was more pronounced among men than among women,” the report stated. Occupational mobility serves as an important balancing mechanism, said IAB researcher Mara Buhmann. “Structural change alters the demand for labor. Those who switch to a profession currently in high demand can often improve their earning potential as a result.” Source: Zeit
