https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed New state governments are coming together in the eastern German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg. What do the governing coalitions look like - and what do they say about the state of politics in Germany? https://www.thelocal.de/20241206/what-the-new-eastern-state-coalitions-tell-us-about-german-politics Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:47:44 +0100 what-the-new-eastern-state-coalitions-tell-us-about-german-politics Germans take fresh air seriously. And now in a pandemic, it's seen as potentially life saving. We looked into the German love of Lüften. https://www.thelocal.de/20201001/lften-why-germans-are-obsessed-with-the-art-of-airing-out-rooms Thu, 01 Oct 2020 18:06:19 +0200 lften-why-germans-are-obsessed-with-the-art-of-airing-out-rooms Germany is in the grip of a housing crisis, but no-one is talking about the real causes of it, writes Hamburg-based Brian Melican. https://www.thelocal.de/20211014/opinion-germanys-rent-crisis-is-fuelled-by-fear-and-foolish-solutions Thu, 14 Oct 2021 15:14:44 +0200 opinion-germanys-rent-crisis-is-fuelled-by-fear-and-foolish-solutions Angela Merkel is leaving office after 16 years with high approval ratings and at a time of her own choosing. How might Germans look back on her time in office? Aaron Burnett explores her legacy and how she's influencing the next chancellor. https://www.thelocal.de/20210913/an-era-ends-how-will-germany-and-the-world-remember-the-merkel-years Mon, 13 Sep 2021 14:21:44 +0200 an-era-ends-how-will-germany-and-the-world-remember-the-merkel-years A plot line worthy of a Netflix political thriller has entered the German election campaign at the very last minute. Could it have a decisive impact on the result? Jörg Luyken looks a little deeper. https://www.thelocal.de/20210915/analysis-will-a-controversial-police-raid-influence-the-german-election Wed, 15 Sep 2021 18:19:49 +0200 analysis-will-a-controversial-police-raid-influence-the-german-election Germany has its own version of a Covid health pass - the 3G rules. But does it actually do the job? The Local editor Rachel Loxton found Germany could learn lessons from its neighbour after a recent trip to Paris. https://www.thelocal.de/20210910/covid-health-pass-what-can-germany-learn-from-france Fri, 10 Sep 2021 12:25:46 +0200 covid-health-pass-what-can-germany-learn-from-france German politicians say the vaccination campaign has ground to a halt in recent weeks - but a new report from the Robert Koch Institute suggests that more people have had their Covid jab than previously thought. https://www.thelocal.de/20210812/analysis-is-germany-underestimating-its-covid-vaccination-numbers Thu, 12 Aug 2021 14:41:06 +0200 analysis-is-germany-underestimating-its-covid-vaccination-numbers In the United Kingdom, the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus has caused a new spike in cases, leading the UK government to push back the day on which it ends its pandemic restrictions. Does Germany also risk being caught out by the more infectious variant? https://www.thelocal.de/20210616/delta-variant-how-worried-should-germany-be-about-a-new-wave-of-cases Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:51:19 +0200 delta-variant-how-worried-should-germany-be-about-a-new-wave-of-cases Germany has seen a huge drop in the coronavirus incidence rate. But what is the situation elsewhere in Europe? Here's how the Bundesrepublik compares to three other countries with large populations - France, Italy and the UK. https://www.thelocal.de/20210601/how-do-germanys-covid-19-numbers-compare-to-three-other-large-european-countries Tue, 01 Jun 2021 13:26:31 +0200 how-do-germanys-covid-19-numbers-compare-to-three-other-large-european-countries Germany's 7-day incidence of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people has dropped below 50 for the first time since October. What does this mean - and is the trend likely to continue? https://www.thelocal.de/20210526/analysis-can-germany-keep-the-covid-incidence-rate-under-the-50-mark Wed, 26 May 2021 14:41:04 +0200 analysis-can-germany-keep-the-covid-incidence-rate-under-the-50-mark Since the start of April, Germany has shifted gear on its vaccine rollout, breaking European records on the number of jabs delivered in a day. What happened - and can it keep up the momentum? https://www.thelocal.de/20210511/how-did-germany-turbo-charge-its-vaccine-rollout-and-what-can-it-do-better Tue, 11 May 2021 19:15:59 +0200 how-did-germany-turbo-charge-its-vaccine-rollout-and-what-can-it-do-better Since the end of April the number of cases of the coronavirus have been sinking continuously in Germany. So what has been the game changer - is it tougher restrictions or an improvement in the weather, or a combination of a few factors? https://www.thelocal.de/20210505/analysis-why-are-germanys-coronavirus-numbers-coming-down-so-sharply Wed, 05 May 2021 17:29:59 +0200 analysis-why-are-germanys-coronavirus-numbers-coming-down-so-sharply The coronavirus ‘emergency brake’ is set to be mandatory across Germany soon. But Hamburg has already had tougher Covid measures in place for weeks, including a curfew - and it appears to be working. https://www.thelocal.de/20210421/how-effective-are-the-emergency-brake-covid-measures-in-hamburg Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:37:49 +0200 how-effective-are-the-emergency-brake-covid-measures-in-hamburg To the world, Germany is lauded for its perceived ability to get things done. But those who live here see a more complicated relationship with efficiency. The bungled vaccine rollout shines a light on these issues, writes James Jackson. https://www.thelocal.de/20210222/opinion-how-the-covid-19-vaccine-fiasco-exposes-the-myth-of-german-efficiency Mon, 22 Feb 2021 17:27:05 +0100 opinion-how-the-covid-19-vaccine-fiasco-exposes-the-myth-of-german-efficiency Residents and businesses in Germany are desperate for a plan out of the shutdown, but health experts are warning about Covid-19 variants spreading. Is this Angela Merkel's most testing time yet in the pandemic? https://www.thelocal.de/20210303/analysis-merkel-faces-mounting-pressure-to-relax-germanys-covid-19-shutdown Wed, 03 Mar 2021 12:41:57 +0100 analysis-merkel-faces-mounting-pressure-to-relax-germanys-covid-19-shutdown From hundreds of thousands of unused doses to organisation difficulties, why is Germany struggling so much with its vaccination programme? https://www.thelocal.de/20210226/6-covid-19-vaccine-challenges-germany-is-facing-right-now Fri, 26 Feb 2021 19:15:20 +0100 6-covid-19-vaccine-challenges-germany-is-facing-right-now Germany will only allow more public life to reopen when the number of Covid-19 cases gets below 35 new infections per 100,000 in seven days. Why, and what happened to the incidence aim of 50? https://www.thelocal.de/20210218/35-is-the-new-50-why-germanys-new-standard-means-shutdown-lasts-longer Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:58:15 +0100 35-is-the-new-50-why-germanys-new-standard-means-shutdown-lasts-longer The number of coronavirus infections in Germany is going down. But can the country almost get rid of Covid-19? Some scientists believe so. https://www.thelocal.de/20210203/can-germany-get-coronavirus-cases-down-to-almost-zero Wed, 03 Feb 2021 17:24:04 +0100 can-germany-get-coronavirus-cases-down-to-almost-zero There is good news: Covid-19 cases are decreasing in Germany. If this trend continues when should restrictions on daily life be lifted? Here's what scientists say. https://www.thelocal.de/20210128/analysiswhen-will-germany-hit-its-infection-rate-target-and-then-whats-the-plan Thu, 28 Jan 2021 16:02:32 +0100 analysiswhen-will-germany-hit-its-infection-rate-target-and-then-whats-the-plan A study sheds light on how quickly parts of Germany could recover from the shock of the pandemic, while some cities will face a difficult struggle to get back on their feet. https://www.thelocal.de/20210127/explained-which-cities-in-germany-will-recover-the-quickest-after-the-pandemic Wed, 27 Jan 2021 12:40:10 +0100 explained-which-cities-in-germany-will-recover-the-quickest-after-the-pandemic