A Forsa poll for RTL/n-tv's Trendbarometer found only 13 percent of Germans satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and 11 percent satisfied with his CDU/CSU–SPD government — record lows since the coalition took office. Dissatisfaction reaches 89 percent on the economy, inflation, pensions and health, and 95 percent among 18- to 29-year-olds, blue-collar workers and the self-employed; 82 percent of SPD voters and 56 percent of Union supporters are unhappy with the government's work. Only 17 percent rate Merz a better chancellor than predecessor Olaf Scholz, and just one in ten believes either the government or the chancellor can recover significant trust this year.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) on Tuesday ruled out forming a minority government or calling new elections, speaking on the eve of the first anniversary of his coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). "A minority government is not an option for me," Merz told the CDU Economic Council's Business Day. The coalition, which holds a narrow parliamentary majority, has been strained by policy disputes and internal criticism from both parties.

BMW reported a 23.1% drop in first-quarter net profit to 1.67 billion euros ($1.96 billion) on Wednesday, citing fierce competition in China and the impact of US tariffs. The company's core profit margin fell to 7.6% from 9.2%, while sales volume in China declined 10%. BMW maintained its full-year outlook but warned of higher tariff-related volatility.

German police on Wednesday searched around 50 locations in 12 federal states targeting 36 suspected members of two far-right youth groups, Deutsche Jugend Voran (DJV) and Jung und Stark (JS), the Federal Public Prosecutor said. The groups are being investigated for forming a criminal organization, with some suspects accused of attacking left-wing individuals and people they believed to be pedophiles. No arrests were planned as the searches aimed to clarify grounds for suspicion.

German defense contractor Rheinmetall has made a €12 billion offer to take over Germany's troubled warship construction project, which has faced delays and cost overruns. The bid signals a major consolidation in the European defense industry and could bolster NATO naval capabilities while reshaping German defense spending priorities. Rheinmetall has submitted a €12 billion bid to acquire the delayed and over-budget warship construction project, aiming to consolidate European defense manufacturing and strengthen NATO naval capabilities.

Germany's interior ministry has disclosed that up to 14,000 federal police officers are required to sustain the border controls implemented a year ago under Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The police union warns that this deployment is causing significant staffing shortages at train stations and airports, where crime prevention is needed. The Greens party criticizes the policy as illegal and economically damaging, citing court rulings against blanket asylum rejections and calling for an end to the national approach.

A 166-page draft of Germany's Building Modernization Act (formerly Heating Act) proposes allowing gas and oil heating installations even after 2045, provided they use at least 60% green fuels by 2040. Critics, including Greens and energy experts, argue the law weakens climate targets and makes carbon neutrality by 2045 harder to achieve. The government plans further revisions by 2030.

Background: The Green Party and CDU in Baden-Württemberg had previously agreed on a coalition deal after the March 8 state election, with Cem Özdemir set to become Minister-President. On Wednesday, the parties finalized a 129-page coalition agreement presented by Özdemir and Manuel Hagel. It includes a clause guaranteeing the Greens hold the minister-president position for the entire 18th legislative period. Key policy areas cover economic strengthening with a new high-tech strategy, a centralized digital citizen platform, a Landes-Cloud, and a digital technology platform. The agreement also includes a new deportation detention facility at Stuttgart Airport, a requirement for asylum seekers to perform community work, and a plan to replace the Palantir police platform with an in-house solution by 2030. The last year of kindergarten will be free, costing about 800 million euros annually. The coalition will expand AI-driven video surveillance under the Mannheim model, create 1,000 additional police positions, and establish a separate police presidency for civil protection. Climate neutrality by 2040 remains, but the 2030 sector targets are softened to sector responsibility. The coalition also plans to reduce administrative positions by 2031 and raise quorums for local citizen initiatives.