- 3d ago
Markus Söder says Minijobs 'remain' in clash with German pension reform blueprint
CSU leader Markus Söder has broken with a government pension commission's call to abolish low-paid 'Minijobs', promising they will endure and warning of damage to hospitality, retail and farming.
- 4d ago
German parliament passes health insurance savings package, GPs warn of 'massive cuts' and 'pitch-black' care
Bundestag and Bundesrat approved the savings package on Friday. The head of the GP association says practices will now run 'massive cutting programmes' and predicts severe supply problems in rural areas.
- Jul 6
Germany's coalition softens health insurance reform, shifting burden to pharma and federal budget
Health Minister Nina Warken adjusts her savings package for statutory health insurance, reducing planned surcharges for families and co-payments while increasing contributions from the federal government and pharmaceutical industry.
- Jun 27
Nursing home residents evacuated in North Rhine-Westphalia as indoor temperatures reach 35°C during Germany heatwave
Firefighters rescue elderly residents in Dormagen and Krefeld after indoor temperatures reach 35°C and 50°C respectively, with the German Weather Service warning of up to 41°C on Saturday.
- Jun 27
Germany plans 20% alcohol tax rise, ignoring expert panel's call for 40% increase
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's draft law proposes a 20% increase on spirits and sparkling wine, while an expert commission had urged a hike of over 40%.
- Jun 22
German hospital association warns every second clinic could go bankrupt under reform savings
The German Hospital Association says government savings plans would cut revenues by 8% in 2027 and put 49% of locations at high failure risk by 2030, threatening 140,000 jobs.
- Jun 16
Statutory health insurers demand €2.5bn top-up to savings package or face contribution rises
Germany's statutory health insurers have warned that a planned government savings package must be expanded by at least €2.5 billion to prevent contribution increases next year, after first-quarter spending jumped 8%.
- Jun 12
Germany's health insurance reform faces blistering critique from opposition and states as Bundestag begins debate
Health Minister Nina Warken's proposal to close a €19 billion deficit in statutory health insurance draws a chorus of condemnation from Greens, Left, and AfD while federal states warn the cuts endanger rural hospitals and innovation.
- Jun 9
German employer chief demands pension brake as 4.2% rise takes effect and contribution rate nears 20%
Employer president Rainer Dulger calls for slower pension increases and a higher retirement age, warning that back-to-back rises above 4% are outpacing wages and prices.
- Jun 6
American doctor treated for Ebola in Berlin discharged after experimental therapy clears the virus
Peter Stafford, a 39-year-old American missionary surgeon, was discharged from Berlin's Charité hospital on 6 June after 17 days of treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine.
- May 26
Germany considers hiking long-term care insurance contributions for the childless to plug billion-euro deficit
Health Minister Nina Warken is exploring a 0.1-point increase in the surcharge for childless individuals, pushing their total contribution rate to 4.3 percent as the statutory long-term care insurance faces a deficit exceeding one billion euros this year.
