This blog is now closed. It was a round-up of some of the top headlines from and about Germany on November 2, 2026:
Merz says a woman should become Germany's next president
Merz calls for 'digital sovereignty' at AI summit
Education minister says weekend riots raised questions on integration
Far-right AfD hopes to set up summit with US and Russia
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Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has spoken out in favor of having a woman succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Germany's president.
"I will propose a consensus candidate to the party, a candidate from the political center," Merz said at a non-public meeting of local Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chairs in Berlin, participants told the German DPA news agency.
"I am firm in my belief that it must be a woman," he reportedly added.
Germany's federal president is the country's official head of state, as opposed to the chancellor, who is the head of the government.
Current incumbent Steinmeier, a former Social Democrat (SPD) foreign minister, became president in 2017 and his second term will end in March 2027.
Bavarian premier Markus Söder recently proposed Ilse Aigner from his Christian Social Union (CSU), the CDU's Bavarian sister party.
But the CDU itself may propose an alternative candidate from within its own ranks, with current parliamentary speaker Julia Klöckner, Families Minister Karin Prien and former CDU leader and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer all having been mentioned.
The CDU's top leadership is expected to propose a candidate on November 9.
Edited by: Rana Taha
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Germany must speed up its development of artificial intelligence capabilities to protect its "digital sovereignty" in an era of rapid change.
Speaking at a conference on AI in Berlin, the chancellor said countries risked surrendering control to outside providers by failing to keep pace.
"That is why we must, at all costs, avoid becoming entirely dependent on third parties when it comes to developing and using this technology," he said. "And that is why the issue of digital sovereignty in the context of AI becomes a truly existential question."
Merz stressed that people and their dignity must remain central to political efforts to manage rapid technological progress, saying AI development should be guided by human values.
He also said adapting to AI-driven changes required "an enormous technological and organizational effort, a far-reaching modernization of our state and our economy."
Merz pointed to Germany's strength as a business location and home of industrial engineering. He also said international cooperation was crucial, and that Berlin would seek to work with like-minded partners such as France and Canada to share knowledge and diversify supply chains.
Merz appointed a minister for digitalization and modernization last year after taking office. Although many German companies have adopted and integrated AI technology, critics say Germany has been too slow to build the digital infrastructure and skills needed to exploit it fully.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Alexander Zverev officially rose to the No. 1 spot in the men's tennis rankings on Monday, becoming only the second German man to hold the title after Boris Becker 35 years ago.
"Today is a historic day for German tennis," said German Tennis Federation President Dietloff von Arnim. "Sascha has earned this spot at the top of the world rankings through extraordinary perseverance and hard work."
The 29-year-old beat Flavio Cobolli to win the French Open title in June, before going on to lift the US Open trophy after defeating Ben Shelton in September.
He also reached the final at Wimbledon this year, ultimately falling to Jannik Sinner, and the Australian Open semifinals.
He is the 30th male player to reach No. 1, and the oldest in more than 50 years to top the rankings for the first time.
"I had to wait," said Zverev, who reached the top spot more than four years after becoming No. 2. "But sometimes you've got to wait for the best things in life. I'm super happy, super thrilled."
Sinner, who had been holding the No.1 spot since April 13, dropped to second, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has confirmed that a summit with Russian and American advisers "at the highest possible level" is being planned.
The AfD's foreign policy spokesman, Markus Frohnmaier, said the meeting is likely to take place in Abu Dhabi in early 2027 and will focus on restoring Russian gas deliveries to Germany.
DW understands that AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla would attend the meeting if US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were also present.
Such a meeting would represent a major PR coup for the far-right party, which remains shunned by most of Germany's political establishment despite leading national opinion polls.
"The focus here will be on discussions with the American side, as well as the Russian side, particularly with regard to economic partnership, energy partnership and also the Nord Stream question," Frohnmaier told journalists in Berlin.
According to Frohnmaier, Kirill Dmitriev, a special adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is coordinating with contacts in the US administration.
Dmitriev greeted Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, when he arrived in Russia for talks last month.
Dmitriev has also been cultivating contacts in Germany. He and Frohnmaier met at an economic forum in St. Petersburg earlier this year.
In September, Dmitriev described the anti-immigration, anti-EU AfD as "the hope for Germany" during regional election campaigns. The party wants to end sanctions on Russia and halt weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
While the Abu Dhabi summit is expected to focus on business and economic ties, Frohnmaier said such formats can "establish a framework for dialogue" and help "work toward peace."
Edited by: Rana Taha
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the opening of a new Jewish Academy in Frankfurt on Monday.
The €40-million ($45-million) educational institution, which was inaugurated under tight security, is to be a "place of dialogue," Steinmeier said.
He denounced antisemitism and said it must be "put in its place, without loopholes or reservations," whether it comes from the left or the right of the political spectrum.
The president also warned against what he described as the increasing political exploitation of hatred toward Jews.
"All parties have a duty to confront antisemitism throughout their entire sphere of influence — from the party leadership down to the rank and file and among their supporters," he said. "Antisemitism must not be allowed to influence government work anywhere in Germany."
The academy's opening ceremony was also attended by the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, who described the center as a "milestone" that would be "dedicated to the full diversity of Jewish thought and Jewish experiences."
He said Jewish life in Germany was under greater threat than at any time since the Holocaust, with an "explosive rise" in antisemitism since the Hamas-led terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
He said the new center could play a role in turning this around, stressing the importance of openness, enlightenment, dialogue and "education, education and yet more education."
The academy is funded by the federal government, the state of Hesse, the city of Frankfurt and the Central Council of Jews.
It is aimed at a wide audience and offers a range of programs and events, including international conferences, educational courses, and panel discussions.
Edited by: Rana Taha
The German Retail Association says society as a whole has a responsibility to prevent the kind of violence that followed youth protests in several German cities on Saturday.
In Frankfurt, rioters threw stones and petrol bombs, smashed shop windows and looted businesses. Violent confrontations were also reported in other parts of the country.
"We must not tolerate a social climate in which retailers cannot always be certain, wherever they are, that they can go about their business unhindered," association boss Stefan Genth said.
"This applies to society as a whole. We are all called upon to act," he said, adding that it must be clear that violence, or the threat of it, has no place in Germany.
Tens of thousands of young people demonstrated across the country over the weekend calling for better education funding and measures to bring down the cost of living. The protests were largely peaceful, although in some cities they were followed by rioting and looting.
Genth said it was alarming "that some retailers in certain locations felt compelled last Saturday to take extra security measures or, in some cases, to close their shops entirely."
Edited by: Rana Taha
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is to tell a conference of local party leaders of his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) that he saw a positive aspect to weekend youth protests, while condemning violence that occurred in their aftermath.
"I take above all a positive message from the weekend: The young generation is politically engaged and is concerned about its future," he is to say, according to a speech released beforehand to news agencies.
In the planned speech, Merz says the government is making efforts not to burden the younger generation with the costs of an aging society.
"That is why we are carrying out pension reform for young people, why we are concerned about our security, and why we are preparing our economy for the digital future," Merz's speech runs.
'No tolerance' for violence
However, the chancellor has harsh words for those who rioted and attacked police on the sidelines of the mostly peaceful protests.
"Violence has no place on our streets, and my government will show no tolerance in this regard," the speech says.
"Anyone who attacks police officers and emergency service personnel and loots shops is attacking our freedom, mocking society and the legitimate interests of young people," the chancellor emphasizes in the speech.
"The offenders will feel the full force of the law."
Tens of thousands of young people demonstrated across Germany over the weekend, mostly peacefully.
However, several of the protests were followed by sometimes severe riots, such as in Frankfurt, where stones and petrol bombs were thrown, shop windows were smashed and looting took place.
More than 100 police officers were injured.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
The trade union IG Metall, which represents workers in the metalworking, electrical, steel, automotive and industrial manufacturing sectors, has called on thousands of employees to walk out at more than 2,000 workplaces nationwide by the end of the week.
A number of companies are expected to be affected, including carmakers Opel and Rolls-Royce, consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, e-mobility supplier Vitesco, Daimler Truck AG and precision engineering firm Paul Beier GmbH.
The union, Germany and Europe's largest, is calling for a 5% pay rise over a 12-month period, along with job and site security.
Employers have put forward an offer of a one-off payment next year and a pay rise of 1.3% in July 2028, citing Germany's economic woes and cost pressures on industry to justify not meeting the union's demand.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
Education Minister Karin Prien has said the violence that occurred in the aftermath of youth protests on Saturday evening was in part an indication that the integration of people of migrant background into German society could be improved.
Prien told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk said that the "for the most part peaceful demonstrations" had been followed by rioting by left-wing radicals "but also by others who probably come from migrant milieus."
She said that recognizing this fact was not about stirring up resentments, which she called "politically wrong," but about facing reality and getting a picture of why people resort to such means.
"And if they come from migrant milieus, we should be worried about it and look at the causes," said Prien, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).
She said one question was why integration succeeds less well in some groups than in others.
"And it's not about the question of a passport. It's about the question: Why have people not been integrated into our society and what can be
