News from Berlin
Israeli state-owned defence company to manufacture in Berlin
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is Israel’s largest state-owned aerospace and defence company. It is currently affecting a strong push on the German market: on the sidelines of the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA), the defence company signed a strategic letter of intent with the State of Berlin to establish a new “innovation center” in Adlershof for the military, aerospace, and defence sectors. Plans include research, support for start-ups, and “local production.” In doing so, the capital is competing with established centers such as the greater Munich area and Bremen, both of which are considered hubs for military aerospace. Source: nd
“Spätis” in Berlin want referendum on Sunday opening
The “Spätis” are a big part of what makes being out on Berlin’s streets at any hour so outstanding. However, the late-night shops are only allowed to open from Monday to Saturday (but a few loopholes regarding furniture and which products are sold mean some Spätis can open on a Sunday). The head of Berlin’s Späti Association, Alper Baba, has then announced the association plans to hold a referendum on whether such shops should be allowed to open on Sundays. For now, the campaign timeline remains unclear. In Berlin, potential referendum campaigns must collect petition signatures from at least 7% of the city’s eligible voters (around 170,000 people) within a four-month window. Source: iamexpat
Activists block access to aviation exhibition
On June 10, 2026, the access road to the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin was blocked by several people who had glued their hands to the street. According to the police, the sit-in blockade began around 9:00 a.m. The protest was organised by the group “Peacefully against Genocide,” which opposes the exhibition of weapons and drones as well as Rheinmetall’s planned ammunition production in Berlin. The group has claimed responsibility for several protest actions in the past; for instance, its activists have climbed the Brandenburg Gate and damaged the Chancellery. Source: rbb24
News from Germany
What changes will the pharmacy reform bring for patients?
The idea for a pharmacy reform was originally initiated by the previous German Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach (SPD). Nina Warken (CDU) now takes forward the reform, which is officially titled the Pharmacy Care Further Development Act (Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz). Among likely changes for patients, pharmacists will soon be permitted to dispense certain prescription-only medicines; the range of vaccination services offered in pharmacies will be expanded (such as polio, tetanus, pneumococci, shingles, among others); and smokers wishing to quit will also receive support in pharmacies in the future, with pharmacists offering relevant counselling sessions. Source: taz
Merz health insurance package – VdK voices sharp criticism
According to the Association of Substitute Funds (VdJ), statutory health insurance funds spent around 336 billion euros on services in 2025—an increase of 7.7% compared to 2024. Hospitals, doctors, and medication: these spending categories are frequently the focus of debates. Yet one area usually remains invisible: the provision of assistive devices—covering medical supply stores, orthopaedic technology firms, and home care services. It is precisely this area that is now slated for cost-cutting measures. The social association VdK commented on the matter: “assistive devices are not luxury goods; for people, they are a prerequisite for social participation, self-determination, and a dignified life,” as its president, Verena Bentele, observed. Source: vdk
“Frau Bär, why don’t you fight for students?”
Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) argued some days ago she considers the situation of university students in Germany as “privileged”. With this, she made clear that the reform of the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)—enshrined in the coalition agreement—is not currently a priority for her. However, according to the Federal Statistical Office, more than a third of students in the country are at risk of poverty. On average, they must shell out €512 a month for housing costs alone—and in major cities like Munich, or Hamburg, that can reach up to €800. Vasco Silver, an astronomy student in Bonn, asks the minister to consider the interests of students. Source: dw
Thuringia: police investigate 19 cases
Dozens of pages filled with anti-Muslim slurs, neo-Nazi slogans, and fantasies of murder: Police have confirmed that at least 19 letters containing such content were sent in the state of Thuringia in May. Some of them even bear the label “NSU 2.0.” The letters were sent to recipients including educational institutions, police stations, and the Left Party (Die Linke) parliamentary group in the state legislature. The sender listed on the envelopes is Christian Tischner—the CDU state minister for education, science, and culture. In response to an inquiry from taz, the ministry stated that Tischner neither wrote nor sent the letters. His ministry had forwarded all letters that came to its attention to the police. Source: taz
Fast-track procedures loom in Germany
With the EU’s asylum system, Gemeinsames Europäisches Asylsystem (GEAS), Germany can now offload asylum applications to other European countries. Brandenburg has already been testing this approach for several months. The issue concerns refugees who have entered via neighboring European countries—some of whom have already applied for asylum there—but who come to Germany because living conditions for those seeking protection are catastrophic in many southern European states. The prospects for refugees within the asylum procedures themselves will deteriorate. Asylum applications are to be decided within less than three months. While speeding up Germany’s sluggish protection system seems to be positive, there is a risk that assessments will become merely superficial. Source: taz
