Live coverage — Published March 20, 2026 (last updated March 20, 2026)
Overview
Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined CDU candidates on the last day of campaigning ahead of Sunday’s state parliamentary elections in Rhineland-Palatinate, where the CDU and SPD are running level in the polls. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius departed on a one-week Asia trip to meet counterparts in Japan, Singapore and Australia. Other items in today’s coverage include a high-profile bribery trial in Hanover.
What to know
– Merz campaigned with the CDU candidate Gordon Schneider in Rhineland-Palatinate as the state vote approaches. The SPD, which has governed the state for 35 years, is polling roughly even with the CDU. Incumbent state premier Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) also made final appeals to voters in his home area.
– Defence Minister Boris Pistorius flew to Asia for talks on security and defence cooperation amid ongoing regional and global tensions linked to the Israel–Iran conflict.
– Tehran has asked Germany to clarify the role of Ramstein Air Base in any US operations related to Iran. The German government has not publicly answered; Pistorius said he currently sees no reason to doubt the legality of Ramstein’s use.
– A former Hanover state prosecutor accused of supplying classified police information to international drug networks in exchange for cash awaits sentencing after admitting guilt on multiple counts.
Pistorius departs for Asia as international tensions continue
Boris Pistorius began a weeklong tour of Japan, Singapore and Australia to meet defence and security officials and coordinate with partners amid shifting geopolitical tensions tied to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. He said any German role in protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would depend on the situation after any ceasefire and whether operations could be conducted under an international mandate.
Tehran has formally asked Berlin to clarify whether Ramstein Air Base is being used by the US for operations related to Iran. The German Foreign Office has not issued a public reply; Pistorius said he sees no present reason to question the legality of Ramstein’s use by the US.
Former prosecutor in Hanover faces sentencing over alleged leaks to drug gangs
A former state prosecutor in Hanover and an alleged accomplice are awaiting sentences after a trial that examined accusations they passed sensitive police information to international drug gangs in return for cash. Prosecutors say the lawyer supplied inside intelligence between June 2020 and March 2021 that helped suspects avoid raids; in at least one case suspects fled abroad before authorities arrived.
Investigations into the matter began in 2022 and were closed in October 2023 for lack of evidence, then reopened in June 2024 after new testimony emerged in a separate organised-crime case. The trial began in April 2025. In his closing statement the ex-prosecutor admitted guilt on nine of 14 charges, apologised and expressed regret. State prosecutors are seeking eight-and-a-half years in prison for the former lawyer and a one-year-and-ten-month suspended sentence for his alleged accomplice. Separately, a logistics figure linked to the case was recently sentenced to 11½ years.
Final hours of campaigning in Rhineland-Palatinate
Chancellor Merz travelled to Rhineland-Palatinate to support CDU candidate Gordon Schneider in the campaign’s closing hours. Merz and Schneider held events in Bad Dürkheim as incumbent SPD premier Alexander Schweitzer campaigned in Landau. Both parties made final appeals to voters ahead of the Sunday ballot that will decide control of the state parliament.
Stay tuned
This is a summary of key developments for March 20, 2026. Follow DW for ongoing updates throughout the day.