Alemanha, Deutsche Welle, Inglês

Cem Özdemir has been elected state premier of Baden-Württemberg, becoming the first state leader in Germany of Turkish heritage.

Lawmakers in the state parliament in Stuttgart voted 93 in favor, 26 against, with four abstentions, surpassing the required majority of 79 votes.

The Greens politician leads a coalition with the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). Together, they hold 112 seats, but at least 19 coalition lawmakers did not back Özdemir in the secret ballot. CDU leader Manuel Hagel, put forward as a rival candidate by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) rather than his own party, received 34 votes.

Opposition figures described the result as a weak start, while coalition leaders downplayed the dissent, saying the outcome still showed the alliance was functioning. Center-left Social Democrat parliamentary leader Sascha Binder called it a “surprising false start,” suggesting Özdemir may need to resolve internal issues first.

Özdemir was sworn in by parliament president Thomas Strobl, using the oath with the religious phrase “So help me, God.”

The Greens narrowly won the March election with 30.2%, just ahead of the CDU on 29.7%, and later renewed their coalition agreement in the southwestern state.

German tennis star Alexander Zverev is still expected to play the Hamburg Open despite uncertainty after his Rome exit.

Tournament organizers said there had been no withdrawal and they were assuming he would compete in the clay event in his hometown ahead of the French Open.

Zverev had suggested he might take a break, saying he had nearly two weeks until his next match following his last-16 loss in Rome on Tuesday.

“I’m also human, and I get sick sometimes. I’ve been playing a lot of tennis, so my immune system has probably taken a bit of a hit,” he said.

He said he had not fully recovered from illness during the Rome tournament, where he lost to Luciano Darderi despite holding four match points. “I think this is the worst court I’ve ever played on,” he said.

Zverev said he wants to manage his schedule carefully this season to peak at Roland Garros. “The main goal is to play my best tennis in Paris,” he said.

The event in Hamburg from May 17-23 is considered a tune-up tournament for players who have already qualified for the French Open.

Germany’s coalition has scrapped plans for a €1,000 ($1,170) tax-free bonus for workers after it failed in the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.

The plan had been put forward in response to soaring prices due to the war in Iran. It was faced with heavy opposition from employers and Germany’s states, which are represented in the Bundesrat.

The proposal will no longer be pursued further after a Tuesday coalition committee meeting.

The government now plans to shift focus to broader reforms, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz set to invite labor and business representatives for talks at the Chancellery in early June.

Coalition leaders aim to reach joint decisions on key reforms covering taxes, the labor market, pensions, and cutting bureaucracy before the summer break.

Separately, the coalition agreed to keep carbon pricing stable next year, maintaining a corridor of €55 to €65 per ton of CO2. Leaders also plan to finalize the 2027 budget without drawing on reserves.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) remains the strongest force in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania about four months before an election there.

A survey by Infratest dimap for the broadcaster NDR put the AfD at 36%, up one point since January, while the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) rose two points to 27%.

The socialist Left Party reached 13%, moving into third place ahead of the Christian Democrats, who dropped to 10%.

The populist-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance stood at 5%, hovering around the threshold for entering parliament. The Greens polled 4% and would miss out, along with the business-focused Free Democratic Party.

Satisfaction with the state government has fallen, with 38% saying they are satisfied and 58% dissatisfied.

The state election is scheduled for September 20. Since 2021. State premier Manuela Schwesig has led a coalition between the SPD and The Left and is seeking to remain in office.

A German court has ruled that smaller Milka chocolate bars violate competition law.

The Regional Court of Bremen sided with a lawsuit brought by the Consumer Advice Center Hamburg against manufacturer Mondelez International.

Judges found the company could not sell 90-gram (3.17-ounce) bars in unchanged packaging if 100-gram versions had been offered in the previous four months. Mondelez had reduced the weight of several Milka products from 100 to 90 grams while keeping packaging largely the same.

The ruling is not yet final and can still be appealed.

A court spokesperson said “that has no direct consequences” for products already on sale but added the decision is relevant for future cases due to the risk of repeat violations.

Mondelez said it takes the ruling seriously and is reviewing the court’s reasoning.

Judges had earlier indicated consumers could be misled, with the presiding judge describing the product as a “relatively deceptive package” where “the consumer sees no difference.”

Internal discussions over a possible return of Manuel Neuer to Germany’s national team are reported to have intensified despite public denials.

The Kicker football magazine reported that the issue is being debated more deeply and controversially than coach Julian Nagelsmann has indicated, with Bayern Munich also aware of the talks.

Neuer and Nagelsmann have both recently ruled out a comeback for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“The World Cup will take place, but I’m not involved in it at all right now, and I’m not part of the whole thing, so I’m watching it calmly from the outside,” Neuer recently said during the Sportstudio TV show.

Neuer retired from international football after Euro 2024 but has impressed for Bayern Munich this season, fueling speculation over a return for one final tournament.

A comeback would likely come at the expense of keeper Oliver Baumann, who had been in line to start, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen has struggled with long-term injuries.

Germany have been drawn in Group E alongside Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

Germany’s auto industry is facing deeper job cuts than previously expected, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has warned.

VDA President Hildegard Müller told RND that up to 225,000 jobs could be lost by 2035, around 35,000 more than earlier forecasts.

The outlook depends heavily on future drivetrain policies, with the VDA saying greater technology openness could preserve up to 50,000 jobs in Germany.

Müller said the shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles is already hitting suppliers hardest.

The VDA warned that without changes to EU rules, a further 50,000 jobs could be at risk due to planned limits on combustion engine vehicles.

Müller also pointed to broader economic pressures and a “serious and persistent location crisis” in Germany and Europe as contributing to the negative trend.

Conditions are continuing to deteriorate, she said, pointing to high taxes and levies, expensive energy, high labor costs, and excessive bureaucracy.

Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn.

You join us as Germany’s powerful auto industry lobby says the sector’s future doesn’t look great in terms of jobs.

It warns that another 125,000 jobs could disappear by 2035 unless Europe changes course.

Stick with us for these and other stories that Germany is talking about.