Berlin-Brandenburg Airport announced it would cancel all flights and suspend operations for a day after the Verdi trade union called a full-day warning strike amid stalled pay talks with public-sector employers. The airport advised passengers to contact airlines or tour operators to rebook or explore alternative travel arrangements. Verdi said it had turned down an employers’ offer in the second negotiation round as unacceptable.
The warning strike at BER is part of broader industrial action planned by Verdi across Germany. The union has scheduled warning strikes impacting public transport in several states; buses and trams are to remain in depots for a full day in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg. Regional branches have also signalled possible action in Saarland and Brandenburg, while decisions on Hesse and Bremen were still pending. In a related development, pilots at Lufthansa’s Eurowings voted overwhelmingly in a strike ballot, with 94% of participating members backing industrial action, though no dates were announced initially.
Transport and mobility updates
– The shutdown at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport has caused significant disruption for the capital region, leaving travellers dependent on airline updates and rescheduling options.
– Deutsche Bahn reported paying out more than €156 million in passenger compensation for delays and cancellations in 2025, down from almost €197 million the year before. DB handled around 6.2 million compensation claims in 2025—roughly three times the 2019 figure—while long-distance punctuality remained weak.
– Germany and Poland signed an agreement to improve and accelerate rail links on key international corridors, including Warsaw–Berlin, Krakow–Wroclaw–Zielona Gora–Berlin and Gdansk–Szczecin–Berlin. Officials said the deal aims to expand passenger and freight services and to evaluate potential high-speed projects on several cross-border routes; about 1.2 million passengers travelled by rail between the two countries last year.
Politics and government
– In Brandenburg, Andreas Büttner, the state commissioner for antisemitism, resigned from the Left Party, citing irreconcilable differences over the party’s handling of antisemitism and internal conflicts. Büttner criticised the Left’s rejection of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition in favour of the Jerusalem Declaration, saying the switch risks relativising antisemitic narratives.
– The SPD and CDU in Brandenburg finalised a coalition agreement to replace the collapsed SPD–BSW government, outlining priorities for the next three and a half years. Premier Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and CDU regional chair Jan Redmann signed the deal.
– Jens Spahn, head of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament, denied allegations that members of the European People’s Party had cooperated with the far-right AfD on immigration issues after reports of such contacts. Bavarian premier Markus Söder described the revelations as troubling but said reassurances from EPP leadership were acceptable for the moment. Lawmakers were urged to maintain a clear boundary against the AfD.
Foreign and security policy
– The German government said that the conflict involving Iran is not a NATO responsibility and indicated it would not take part in military efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Officials, including Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, argued NATO lacks a mandate for such deployment and that sending German forces to keep the strait open would not be appropriate. Broad political consensus in Berlin opposes sending European warships to the area, with many warning naval forces could be vulnerable to asymmetric threats.
Society, law and finance
– Church membership in Germany fell by more than a million in 2025. The Protestant Church lost roughly 580,000 members, leaving about 17.4 million, while the Catholic Church declined by about 550,000 to roughly 19.2 million members. Baptisms and church weddings also decreased.
– Satirical sculptor Jacques Tilly faces an in absentia trial in Moscow on charges including libel and “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” over Carnival floats critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Closing arguments have been presented and a verdict may follow; a conviction would not result in deportation from Germany but could restrict travel to countries without extradition protections.
– Italian bank UniCredit launched a formal takeover bid of around €35 billion for Germany’s Commerzbank, aiming to surpass the 30% notification threshold under German takeover rules. UniCredit is already Commerzbank’s largest shareholder; the proposed deal is expected to encounter resistance from Commerzbank’s management, employee representatives and German regulators.
Elections and public mood
– Germany’s federal coalition faces multiple state elections in 2026. Following a narrow CDU loss in Baden-Württemberg, five state ballots will test party standing, with attention focused on rising support for the far-right AfD, especially in eastern regions.
– Early partial results from Hesse’s regional elections showed the CDU leading with about 29.7% and the SPD at approximately 20.2%. The AfD made notable gains, overtaking the Greens to become the third-strongest party in the partial count, underscoring concern about the far right’s growing influence.
Other
– UN Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute to the late German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, calling him a towering public intellectual whose work significantly influenced democratic thought.