Germany

Balcony solar systems - small photovoltaic units - are reshaping the look of German cities: their number has doubled within a year and are now around one million, according to Market Master Data Register and estimates by German Solar Industry Association

Mascha Schilinski, Berlin-based filmmaker, was awarded the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 for Sound of Falling; she dedicated it to those living in places 'where making films is difficult, nearly or entirely impossible' to young and women

A clear decline in asylum applications from people from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey led to a 45,3% lower figures than in March 2024; Germany, for a long time number one in Europe for asylum applications, sees its figures are falling rapidly

"Terror supporters, antisemites and extremists" could have their German citizenship revoked if they hold a second nationality, according to planning documents; critics say the measure would lead to unequal treatment

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc of German election winner Friedrich Merz and the Social Democrats reached an agreement in principle with the Greens on plans for a massive increase in state loans ahead of next week's parliamentary vote

The federal election of 23 February saw a record turnout: 82,5% of the 59,2 million eligible voters participated to elect 630 members of the federal parliament Bundestag; it's the highest turnout since 1987, which is prior to reunification in 1990

Carmaker Porsche plans to cut a further 1.900 jobs company-wide over the next four years, after a programme already initiated proved insufficient; the news came just weeks after sports brand Adidas announced it would cut 500 in its headquarters in Bavaria

A major reform of the Advisory Commission for Cultural Property Looted by the Nazis has been announced; it is specifically designed to deal with claims for compensation for works of art looted during the Nazi era

The state music councils in Germany choose an instrument of the year every year, and in 2025 it is the human voice: from singing to speaking, from whispering to shouting, these sounds can also be used musically and creativity can be expressed through them

The Bundestag has approved an amendment to the Basic Law to protect the Federal Constitutional Court; key provisions regarding the structure and functioning of Germany’s supreme court have now been incorporated in the constitution

Amid workforce shortages, healthcare leaders hope Syrian doctors working in Germany will decide to stay; they return to motherland after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would have a hard impact on the health system

Less than 48 hours after the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Germany, home to the largest Syrian population outside the Middle East, has declared that it will freeze asylum procedures for Syrian citizens