Fuel prices rise: oil routes blocked, CDU in crisis, Germany offers arms production for the USA

My colleagues from our crossmedia department talked to customers at a gas station (you can see the video here). Everyone is frustrated, and one customer asks a good question: "I would be particularly interested to know whether these are machinations of the oil industry or whether we only have Trump and his idiocies to thank for all of this." The answer is: It's probably both. But not only.

My colleague Benedikt Müller-Arnold has researched what factors are driving up prices at the pumps: Firstly, two important sea routes are already blocked due to armed conflicts, forcing oil tankers from the Persian Gulf to take long and expensive detours.

This one big question has dominated German domestic politics for days: Will the Union overthrow its own Chancellor? This is not unlikely, because there is great uncertainty in the CDU after the election debacle in Saxony-Anhalt. Many officials and MPs believe that their party's decline cannot be stopped with Merz. In the past few days we have repeatedly heard voices calling for his withdrawal. However, not everyone wants to take part in the boss's swansong. My colleagues Paul-Anton Krüger and Christian Teevs asked around in the CDU and spoke to Christian Democrats who still support Friedrich Merz (more on this here).

When Pistorius meets his counterpart at the Pentagon this afternoon (local time), a completely different tone will be struck. Pistorius' house prepared this visit to the head of the so-called War Ministry through painstaking detailed work, dozens of conversations between generals and top officials with the US side. The Germans hope that Hegseth has now understood how much money Berlin is investing in the Bundeswehr and that the accusation that Berlin is a free rider in terms of security policy is no longer valid.

Instead of continuing to argue, Pistorius wants to open a new chapter with Hegseth. His officials have prepared a comprehensive declaration of intent for both ministers to sign. “Germany and the USA want to further deepen their defense industrial cooperation,” said Pistorius before his departure to the USA. That could certainly be attractive for the USA. After the strikes against Iran and the regime's counterattacks, the US stockpile of anti-aircraft missiles or cruise missiles is pretty much empty. That's why President Donald Trump has called on American defense companies to ramp up production as quickly as possible. In this precarious situation, Germany wants to offer itself to step in as an extended workbench. For example, US weapons could be manufactured here.

Germany is ready, Pistorius said before his arrival. With a powerful industrial base, sufficient skilled workers and technological know-how, one could help to produce US weapons systems faster and in greater numbers and thus strengthen the operational readiness of Germany, the United States and the entire alliance. My colleague Matthias Gebauer will observe whether the offer is enough to make Hegseth lenient. He accompanies Pistorius on his trip to the US.

More background here: “The war against Iran has weakened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific”

...is ProSiebenSat.1, because the station has taken out a whole family from the competition from RTL Zwei: “The Geissens” are moving after 15 years on the remote control. But when I really think about it: who actually won here? Maybe it's more like RTL Two, after all they've gotten rid of these people there now. Then again: To be able to decide that, you might have to take a look at “The Geissens”. Do I really want to go that far? I don't believe.

The whole story here: The Geissens will share their lives on ProSiebenSat.1 in the future