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 Stuck in an economic slump without a functioning government, Germany needs to self-reflect and face up to difficult choices - especially when it comes to energy - in order to get back on track, writes former German Ambassador to UK Thomas Matussek. https://www.thelocal.de/20241127/opinion-germany-is-at-a-crossroads-and-tough-decisions-must-be-made-to-get-back-on-track Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:14:05 +0100 opinion-germany-is-at-a-crossroads-and-tough-decisions-must-be-made-to-get-back-on-track Europe must prepare for US President-elect Donald Trump to impose hefty tariffs on its exports and stick together to combat any such measures, Germany's Economy Minister said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20241126/germany-urges-eu-to-prepare-for-trump-tariffs Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:20:40 +0100 germany-urges-eu-to-prepare-for-trump-tariffs Bosch said Friday it planned to cut thousands of jobs in its automotive businesses, with the majority in Germany, as car suppliers struggle to manage the difficult transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles. https://www.thelocal.de/20241122/germanys-bosch-plans-thousands-more-job-cuts-amid-weak-ev-demand Fri, 22 Nov 2024 18:19:42 +0100 germanys-bosch-plans-thousands-more-job-cuts-amid-weak-ev-demand US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent's beleaguered car industry. https://www.thelocal.de/20241120/car-giant-ford-to-cut-nearly-3000-jobs-in-germany Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:13:13 +0100 car-giant-ford-to-cut-nearly-3000-jobs-in-germany Crisis-hit auto giant Volkswagen will face strikes of a magnitude unseen in Germany for decades unless it rules out plant closures, a union warned Wednesday, ahead of fresh talks. https://www.thelocal.de/20241120/german-union-threatens-industrial-action-as-volkswagen-crisis-escalates Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:03:41 +0100 german-union-threatens-industrial-action-as-volkswagen-crisis-escalates Germany has narrowly avoided a recession, official figures showed on Wednesday, defying expectations of a slowdown and narrowly dodging a technical recession. https://www.thelocal.de/20241030/industrial-slump-leaves-germany-on-brink-of-recession Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:04:30 +0100 industrial-slump-leaves-germany-on-brink-of-recession Ailing auto giant Volkswagen plans to close at least three factories in Germany and cut "tens of thousands of jobs" at its namesake brand as part of a drastic cost-savings plan, workers' representatives said Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20241028/volkswagen-set-to-close-at-least-three-german-plants-and-slash-tens-of-thousands-of-jobs Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:05:19 +0100 volkswagen-set-to-close-at-least-three-german-plants-and-slash-tens-of-thousands-of-jobs Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday inaugurated US firm IBM's first quantum data centre in Europe, saying Germany was aiming to be at the forefront of the revolutionary technology. https://www.thelocal.de/20241001/germany-inaugurates-ibms-first-european-quantum-data-centre Tue, 01 Oct 2024 16:51:59 +0200 germany-inaugurates-ibms-first-european-quantum-data-centre Germany's economy is expected to shrink slightly in 2024, leading economic institutes said on Thursday, as the traditional manufacturing powerhouse continues to stagnate. https://www.thelocal.de/20240926/german-economy-to-shrink-again-in-2024 Thu, 26 Sep 2024 15:51:51 +0200 german-economy-to-shrink-again-in-2024 Volkswagen bosses and workers' representatives started crunch talks Wednesday about the ailing German auto titan's drastic cost-cutting plans, with thousands of staff staging a protest and unions vowing "bitter resistance". https://www.thelocal.de/20240925/german-union-vows-bitter-resistance-as-volkswagen-talks-begin Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:25:36 +0200 german-union-vows-bitter-resistance-as-volkswagen-talks-begin The German government was on Monday hosting crisis talks to support the country's beleaguered auto industry, with Volkswagen reportedly calling for subsidies to boost slumping electric car demand. https://www.thelocal.de/20240923/major-challenges-german-government-holds-crisis-talks-with-auto-industry Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:38:48 +0200 major-challenges-german-government-holds-crisis-talks-with-auto-industry According to a media report, Germany's troubled carmaker Volkswagen could cut tens of thousands of jobs as part of savings measures. However the firm has not confirmed this figure. https://www.thelocal.de/20240920/volkswagen-are-30000-jobs-at-risk-of-being-cut-in-germany Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:34:30 +0200 volkswagen-are-30000-jobs-at-risk-of-being-cut-in-germany Struggling with high energy costs and softening demand for its exports, the last thing Germany needed was Intel announcing it is delaying plans to build a massive chip factory. https://www.thelocal.de/20240917/intel-chip-plant-delay-latest-blow-for-struggling-german-economy Tue, 17 Sep 2024 19:33:36 +0200 intel-chip-plant-delay-latest-blow-for-struggling-german-economy Troubled German rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced Friday the sale of its logistics unit Schenker to Danish group DSV for €14.3 billion as it focuses on overhauling Germany's creaking train infrastructure. https://www.thelocal.de/20240913/german-rail-operator-deutsche-bahn-sells-logistics-unit-to-danish-group Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:34:30 +0200 german-rail-operator-deutsche-bahn-sells-logistics-unit-to-danish-group Volkswagen has axed an agreement protecting jobs in Germany that had been in place three decades, as the ailing auto titan pushes ahead with a controversial cost-cutting plan. https://www.thelocal.de/20240911/crisis-hit-volkswagen-scraps-german-job-protection-deal Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:43:29 +0200 crisis-hit-volkswagen-scraps-german-job-protection-deal Armour-clad warriors mixed with cosplaying Super Marios and monster hunters on Thursday, as gamers braved hours of queuing at the sector's biggest trade show, Gamescom in Germany's Cologne. https://www.thelocal.de/20240822/cosplay-and-queues-at-gamers-gathering-in-cologne Thu, 22 Aug 2024 18:53:55 +0200 cosplay-and-queues-at-gamers-gathering-in-cologne Germany's business climate deteriorated sharply in September, according to a key survey published Monday, the latest sign that Europe's top economy is heading for recession as it faces an energy crisis. https://www.thelocal.de/20220926/fears-of-a-recession-in-germany-grow-as-business-confidence-falls Mon, 26 Sep 2022 14:34:46 +0200 fears-of-a-recession-in-germany-grow-as-business-confidence-falls The ruling Social Democrats are concerned that rising energy costs could spur a wave of bankruptcies, particularly among small and medium-sized firms. That’s why they want a temporary suspension of insolvency requirements. https://www.thelocal.de/20220920/how-germany-wants-to-help-small-businesses-stay-afloat Tue, 20 Sep 2022 16:36:40 +0200 how-germany-wants-to-help-small-businesses-stay-afloat The German central bank said Monday it was increasingly likely that Europe's largest economy would shrink for a "prolonged" period as Russia throttled energy supplies to the continent. https://www.thelocal.de/20220919/german-central-bank-sees-signs-of-recession-multiplying Mon, 19 Sep 2022 15:19:55 +0200 german-central-bank-sees-signs-of-recession-multiplying Germany will fall into recession next year, a leading think-tank warned Monday, with Europe's biggest economy facing soaring inflation as Russia slashes energy supplies. https://www.thelocal.de/20220912/germany-faces-recession-as-energy-crisis-bites Mon, 12 Sep 2022 13:36:12 +0200 germany-faces-recession-as-energy-crisis-bites