German business is pinning its hopes on greater stability in US trade relations after a midterm blow for Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Germany's automakers appear to be feeling less gloomy than in recent years.
This blog is now closed. It was a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, November 4, 2026:
Bavaria's deputy premier Hubert Aiwanger was found dead in a hotel in Berlin
Germany's main Chamber of Commerce says it's hoping for more predictable US trade policy after Donald Trump's Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress
Germany's auto industry confidence has jumped to its highest level since mid-2024, according to a survey
Despite the improvement, experts warn that uncertainty remains high and German carmakers still face major challenges
Housing giant Vonovia has criticized Berlin's proposed takeover of large private housing portfolios
Bavarian politician found dead in Berlin hotel
Bavarian politician Hubert Aiwanger was found dead in a hotel in Berlin on Wednesday, the German capital's public prosecutor's office said.
Aiwanger was Bavaria's deputy premier, economy minister and the chairman of the right-wing populist Free Voters party. He was 55 years old.
The circumstances surrounding Aiwanger's death are still unclear. Police and prosecutors in the German capital have launched an investigation.
On Wednesday evening, investigators said the goal is to "determine the specific cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it, as well as to rule out any possible foul play."
German government moves to halve 'Western Balkan quota' migration
The German Cabinet has decided to slash the number of workers it admits into the country every year as part of the Western Balkans Regulation.
The program provides a simplified pathway for nationals of six Western Balkan nations to migrate to Germany for work, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
The quota currently allows 50,000 people from these countries to move to Germany each year. But Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government has now slashed that figure to 25,000 per year starting January 1, 2027.
The government says its aim is to ensure that unemployed individuals already in the country are given priority for vacant positions.
The measure needs approval from the Bundesrat, or upper house of parliament, which represents Germany's states.
Numerous business associations have opposed the decision and warned of a loss of workers.
New asylum-seeker numbers drop significantly in October
The number of new asylum-seekers in Germany fell last month to the lowest October figure since 2011, the tabloid Bild reported citing figures from the Interior Ministry.
According to the report, the number of initial asylum applications and new arrivals in the asylum process in October stood at 5,707, marking a 40% decline compared to the same period last year and a nearly 70% drop compared to 2024.
"We are successfully curbing illegal migration," the newspaper quoted Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt as saying.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government had initiated what it said was a "migration turnaround" at the start of its term in May 2025.
As part of it, Dobrindt ordered stricter border controls with neighboring countries and the return of migrants. The number of unauthorized entries has since fallen significantly, and asylum applications have also declined.
In the first ten months of this year, the Federal Police recorded 40,193 unauthorized entries at Germany's land, air, and sea borders — about 24% fewer than in the same period last year.
Interior minister reiterates controversial comments about migrant 'troublemakers'
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt reiterated his statements about the groups responsible for the riots that followed nationwide protests led by young people on October 31.
"There were violent left-wing extremists, and there were troublemakers from migrant communities," he said on Wednesday during a special debate in parliament.
Opposition parties like the Greens and The Left criticized the minister's comments.
Irene Mihalic, the parliamentary secretary of the Green Party, even accused Dobrindt of using "racist remarks" to divert attention from the legitimate demands of young protesters.
Some members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) defended their coalition partner.
"We can only solve the problem if we name it," said Sebastian Fiedler, the SPD parliamentary group's spokesperson on domestic policy.
His party colleague Helge Lindh, however, cautioned against "stigmatization."
Meanwhile, Bernd Baumann, a member of parliament from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), said Germany is standing on the "brink of an abyss," accusing the far left of allying itself with those he described as "radical migrants who reject Western civilization."
Of the more than 8,000 people who took part in the mostly peaceful protests in Frankfurt, authorities estimated there were 1,000 to 1,500 violent troublemakers, "predominantly from a migrant background."
Lamya Kaddor of the Greens argued that such categorizations must take into consideration the demographic makeup of Frankfurt.
"If more than one in two people in Frankfurt have a migrant background, then it is hardly surprising that many of the suspects also have a migrant background," she said.
German finance minister vows to boost private investment in 2027
Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said more private investment was needed to boost the German economy and put it on a self-sustaining recovery path.
Government spending alone would not be enough, he said, adding that 2027 should become the year of private investment.
To help achieve that goal, he pointed to improved depreciation rules for businesses and a gradual reduction in the corporate income tax rate starting in 2028.
The minister, from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), also rejected plans by Berlin's possible incoming post-communist Left Party-led administration to expropriate apartments to tackle the city's housing crisis.
Klingbeil argued that such a move would deter investors and damage Germany's reputation as a business location.
The federal government will introduce an investment protection law to prevent the plans in Berlin, he said.
The minister also called on the Left Party to expel antisemitic elements and individuals with ties to criminal clans from the party.
German automotive group urges EU to give plug-in hybrids a future
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has called for changes to the European Union's rules governing hybrid cars.
"It is utterly incomprehensible that the EU is sticking to its plan to tighten the so-called utility factor for plug-in hybrids this month," VDA President Hildegard Müller said on Wednesday.
"In doing so, Brussels is putting around 50,000 jobs at risk in Germany alone," she added.
Plug-in hybrids are cars that have both a combustion engine and an electric motor with a rechargeable battery. The utility factor indicates how effectively plug-in hybrids contribute to manufacturers' climate and fleet targets.
As usage data has shown that these vehicles run more frequently on the internal combustion engine than in electric mode, the EU plans to amend the utility factor from November 29.
And this change is set to apply more widely from 2027.
Plug-in hybrids will then, for calculation purposes, offset the impact of internal combustion engines to a lesser extent.
"We are in danger of losing a technology in Europe that is in demand worldwide. Brussels must give plug-in technology a future," said Müller.
BMW profits fall as China sales weaken
BMW has reported a nearly 15% drop in quarterly net profit as weaker sales in China outweighed gains in Europe and the US.
German commerce chief urges US tariff stability
The head of Germany's main Chamber of Commerce has called for more predictable US trade policy after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress.
"We are counting first and foremost on stability in trade relations with the US," Helena Melnikov, chief executive of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), told the broadcaster ARD television. "No more zigzagging."
Trump's repeated tariff announcements, reversals and changes to implementation deadlines have made it harder for German exporters to plan.
Melnikov said reliability in Germany's biggest export market was "extremely important," but cautioned against predicting President Donald Trump's next economic moves.
She urged Germany to expand trading partnerships beyond the US and implement promised domestic economic reforms.
Achim Wambach, president of Germany's ZEW economic research institute, warned that losing his congressional majorities could push Trump to pursue more of his agenda through trade and foreign policy, where he retains extensive powers.
"Uncertainty about the future direction of US trade policy remains high," he said, also warning of potential deadlock over the US budget.
Wambach said Democratic control would probably not bring a fundamental return to free trade, pointing to broad bipartisan agreement on protecting US industry and trade policy toward China.
Vonovia warns against Berlin housing takeover plans
Germany's housing group Vonovia has criticized plans by Berlin's prospective governing coalition to bring large private housing portfolios into public ownership.
The socialist Left Party, Greens and center-left Social Democrats (SPD) have agreed during coalition negotiations to target companies owning more than 10,000 apartments. Their plan envisages compensation of no more than €16 billion ($18 billion) for 160,000 homes — an average of €100,000 each.
"The plans to bring private companies' apartments into public ownership naturally concern us," Vonovia CEO Luka Mucic said while presenting quarterly results.
He called the proposal "simply the wrong approach" and legally questionable, arguing that it would create no additional housing and undermine confidence in investment.
The Financial Times estimated Vonovia's Berlin properties were worth €20.4 billion, compared with potential compensation of €12 billion.
But Maximilian Fuhrmann, a housing researcher at the German Tenants' Association in North Rhine-Westphalia, disputed that assessment. Using Vonovia's stock market valuation and debt, he calculated an average value of just over €100,000 per apartment across its portfolio — broadly in line with the proposed compensation.
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
You join us as German businesses express hope that the outcome of the US midterm elections will bring a little more predictability to trade relations.
With Republicans losing control of both chambers of Congress, business leaders have a simple message: "No more zigzagging."
And with the US being Germany's biggest export market, there's a lot at stake.
Meanwhile, there's some surprisingly good news from Germany's struggling car industry.
After a prolonged period of pessimism, confidence among German automakers has jumped to its highest level since mid-2024.
Stay with us here for these stories and more of what Germany is talking about today.
