#german-government-crisis-response

#german-government-crisis-response

"At the moment, we could sell almost twice as much as last year," Benger told Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln. "But it's hard to get the chickens to cooperate."

The result was a vote of no confidence in a centrist government led by the Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen. Her administration was, in the Danish context, an unusual political construction.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Germany's first political party, are struggling to muster their optimism in a year when five of Germany's 16 federal states are set to elect new parliaments. According to the latest opinion polls, the SPD could be voted out of power in two states that is has governed for decades. In two others, the SPD is polling in the single digits.

Merz has been under pressure following the US intervention in Venezuela. His reaction to the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the US military, was somewhat restrained and vague. The German chancellor described it as a "complex situation," also from a legal perspective, which the German government would now carefully examine. That was all. The words "breach of international law" did not pass the lips of the chancellor or his spokespeople.

While the previous law required most newly installed heating systems to use at least 65% renewable energy, often with a heat pump, the reformed legislation will allow households to keep using oil and gas. It also removes a mandate for expert consultation when installing a new heating system.

02/23/2026February 23, 2026 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party wants to end the option of employees getting a sick note by phone. Its coalition partner, however, opposes the proposal. DW has the latest. Merz has criticized the average of 14.5 sick days taken by employees in GermanyImage: Thilo Schmuelgen/REUTERS Skip next section

There are serious accusations on the table that must now be completely cleared up. I call for rapid and rigorous investigations,

Guten Morgen from a wet and dreary Bonn. We are expecting the five suspects who were arrested on Monday on suspicion of violating sanctions against Russia to appear in court today and we will be looking into a new report about poverty in Germany. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also expected to host a carnival reception at the Chancellery in Berlin, which will hopefully provide some interesting pictures. For this and more, keep reading.