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 Two parties are neck and neck ahead of Sunday’s state election in Germany’s most famous wine region. With education, infrastructure and immigration on the agenda, the outcome in Rhineland‑Palatinate could reshape politics far beyond Mainz. https://www.thelocal.de/20260318/whats-at-stake-in-rhineland-palatinates-state-election-on-sunday Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:48:53 +0100 whats-at-stake-in-rhineland-palatinates-state-election-on-sunday Germany has around 10,700 mayors, and many of these posts are not strictly limited to German nationals. So who can stand for mayor in a German city, and what does the job involve? https://www.thelocal.de/20260319/explained-who-can-become-a-mayor-in-germany-and-what-do-they-do Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:30:04 +0100 explained-who-can-become-a-mayor-in-germany-and-what-do-they-do The German Greens have beaten Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU in a state election seen as a test for the German leader, according to exit polls. https://www.thelocal.de/20260308/german-state-election-poses-key-test-for-chancellor-merz Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:24:21 +0100 german-state-election-poses-key-test-for-chancellor-merz Non-EU nationals living in Europe don't have many voting rights but some countries do allow them to cast a ballot in local elections. Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20220218/explained-where-in-europe-can-non-eu-foreigners-vote-in-local-elections Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:40:39 +0100 explained-where-in-europe-can-non-eu-foreigners-vote-in-local-elections Germany has some of the tighter regulations regarding foreigners' voting rights compared other European countries, but it also has relatively lax requirements for citizenship. https://www.thelocal.de/20250424/how-germanys-voting-rules-for-foreigners-compare-to-other-countries Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:20:37 +0200 how-germanys-voting-rules-for-foreigners-compare-to-other-countries The Union and SPD have pledged to stick to Germany's emissions targets, but activists say their plans could worsen the climate crisis rather than solving it. What do the parties plan to do on climate - and will it be enough? https://www.thelocal.de/20250411/denial-of-reality-is-germanys-future-government-ignoring-the-threat-of-climate-change Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:06:42 +0200 denial-of-reality-is-germanys-future-government-ignoring-the-threat-of-climate-change Germany's biggest political parties have agreed on a timetable leading to a nationwide election on February 23rd 2025, the main parties agreed Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20241112/germany-plans-to-hold-early-election-on-february-23rd Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:17:42 +0100 germany-plans-to-hold-early-election-on-february-23rd After the coalition collapse, Germans are set to go to the polls in snap elections, likely in February next year. We want to know what you think about it - and whether you are able to vote. https://www.thelocal.de/20241112/tell-us-how-do-you-feel-about-early-elections-in-germany Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:08:28 +0100 tell-us-how-do-you-feel-about-early-elections-in-germany Germany is thrashing out when a vote of confidence of the chancellor will be held, which would lead to snap elections. But with strict rules to follow, holidays and talk of paper shortages, are January elections even possible? https://www.thelocal.de/20241111/is-it-possible-for-germany-to-hold-elections-as-early-as-january-2025 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:13:29 +0100 is-it-possible-for-germany-to-hold-elections-as-early-as-january-2025 Germany's embattled Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday he would be ready to ask for a confidence vote this year to pave the way for snap elections. https://www.thelocal.de/20241111/germanys-scholz-ready-for-vote-of-confidence-before-christmas Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:36:36 +0100 germanys-scholz-ready-for-vote-of-confidence-before-christmas The Social Democrats have managed to edge ahead of the AfD in the Brandenburg vote. We look at the big winners and losers of the election and what happens next. https://www.thelocal.de/20240923/who-are-the-winners-and-losers-of-germanys-key-state-election-in-brandenburg Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:00:31 +0200 who-are-the-winners-and-losers-of-germanys-key-state-election-in-brandenburg Many people in Germany might be familiar with the name Friedrich Merz. But as the CDU leader has just been named the party's candidate for next year's elections, we dig deeper into who he is and what he stands for. https://www.thelocal.de/20240918/who-is-the-conservative-leader-hoping-to-become-germanys-next-chancellor Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:24:59 +0200 who-is-the-conservative-leader-hoping-to-become-germanys-next-chancellor Brandenburg goes to the polls on Sunday, rounding off a busy month of elections in eastern German states. We've compiled recent articles on the elections to give you a picture of what's going on. https://www.thelocal.de/20240920/6-articles-to-help-you-understand-germanys-eastern-state-elections Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:18:30 +0200 6-articles-to-help-you-understand-germanys-eastern-state-elections After success in Thuringia and Saxony, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) may well come in first in another eastern state election this Sunday. We spoke with a political scientist to analyse what's at stake as Brandenburg goes to the polls. https://www.thelocal.de/20240919/analysis-whats-at-stake-in-germanys-eastern-state-elections Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:11:53 +0200 analysis-whats-at-stake-in-germanys-eastern-state-elections Having secured nearly a third of votes in both states, the AfD has more support in Thuringia and Saxony now than ever before. What does this mean for the political landscape in Germany? https://www.thelocal.de/20240902/what-the-far-right-afd-state-election-win-means-for-germany Mon, 02 Sep 2024 14:32:05 +0200 what-the-far-right-afd-state-election-win-means-for-germany Tuesday, June 18th is the deadline for Brits to register to vote in the UK's general election, but there are other measures you can take to make sure your vote gets to the ballot box on time. https://www.thelocal.de/20240618/deadline-day-what-brits-in-europe-can-do-to-make-sure-they-vote-in-uk-election Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:59:05 +0200 deadline-day-what-brits-in-europe-can-do-to-make-sure-they-vote-in-uk-election What does the contrasting performance of the far-right AfD in local elections in east and west Germany tell us about what comes next at a national level? Brian Melican counts the votes and looks at what happens now. https://www.thelocal.de/20240610/analysis-what-we-can-learn-from-germanys-contrasting-local-election-results Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:32:09 +0200 analysis-what-we-can-learn-from-germanys-contrasting-local-election-results The UK will go to the polls on July 4th, but there are a few important dates for Brits abroad to keep track of if they want to make sure their vote will be counted. https://www.thelocal.de/20240604/the-key-deadlines-brits-in-europe-need-to-know-to-vote-in-the-uk-election Tue, 04 Jun 2024 19:05:48 +0200 the-key-deadlines-brits-in-europe-need-to-know-to-vote-in-the-uk-election As primary elections hot up across the United States, here's everything Americans in Europe need to know about voting from overseas. https://www.thelocal.de/20240115/how-americans-in-europe-can-vote-in-the-us-primary-elections Mon, 15 Jan 2024 14:57:03 +0100 how-americans-in-europe-can-vote-in-the-us-primary-elections The UK has changed its rules on overseas voting, meaning that thousands of Brits living in Europe will be eligible to vote in the next general election - and voter registration opens on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20240115/uk-to-open-voter-registration-for-brits-in-europe-as-15-year-rule-finally-ends Mon, 15 Jan 2024 17:44:18 +0100 uk-to-open-voter-registration-for-brits-in-europe-as-15-year-rule-finally-ends