What you need to know
– Almost 60% of people in Germany think the conservative-led coalition will not last till the 2029 elections.
– The head of the Ifo Institute warns Germany could face a recession if a trade war with the US erupts.
– Schalke return to the Bundesliga.
May 3, 2026
Schalke returns to Bundesliga with home win over Fortuna Düsseldorf
Schalke 04 secured promotion back to the Bundesliga after three seasons in the second division with a 1-0 home win over Fortuna Düsseldorf in Gelsenkirchen. Tens of thousands of fans celebrated into the night; police said behavior remained largely under control despite disruptions to traffic and tram services. Coach Miron Muslic, who led the team to promotion, extended his contract until 2028. Captain Kenan Karaman scored the decisive goal and said: “Schalke belong in the first division and we’re staying there now.” Schalke remains one of Europe’s best-supported clubs, with about 200,000 members.
German economy at recession risk if EU retaliates to US tariffs — Ifo head
Clemens Fuest, president of the Munich-based Ifo Institute, warned that Germany could enter a recession in 2026 if escalating US tariffs trigger a trade war. US President Donald Trump said he would raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the EU to 25%, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with a trade agreement. The EU denies the accusations and has not ruled out a response. In July 2025, Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached an agreement capping tariffs on most EU imports, including cars and parts, at 15%, but the deal has not yet received full approval from the bloc, which is not expected until June. The US remains a key market for German automakers such as Porsche, BMW and Mercedes‑Benz.
AfD beats out Merz’s conservative bloc — INSA survey
A new INSA survey published Sunday shows the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU conservative bloc. Support for the AfD is at 28%, while the conservative bloc stands at 24%. The SPD remained at 14%, the Greens rose to 13%, and the Left Party was at 11%. The AfD’s rising popularity comes despite parts of the party being classified as right‑wing extremist by local intelligence agencies; a federal designation by the BfV has been suspended pending appeal. The BfV has cited allegedly racist and anti‑constitutional elements in the party platform.
Majority has little faith in coalition’s staying power — survey
An INSA survey conducted for Bild am Sonntag found that 58% of respondents believe the current coalition government — the CDU/CSU with the SPD under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, sworn in May 6 last year — will collapse before the 2029 elections. Only 24% think it will last the term, while 18% were undecided or did not answer. The coalition also scored poorly on performance: 75% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the government’s record so far, compared with 16% who said it was doing a good job.
Welcome to our coverage
The DW newsroom in Bonn highlighted these stories and other developments, including the economic outlook amid tariff threats and the US decision to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany in coming months. Read on for more.