Monday's top story: Interior Minister to bring new migration laws to the cabinet this week
Three weeks after the start of the black-red government, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) will present the first draft laws to limit migration to Germany and naturalization to the cabinet on Wednesday.
The cabinet is expected to approve laws which would suspend family reunification for refugees, and abolish the fast-track for naturalization after three years of residence in Germany. The Union and SPD had agreed on both changes in their coalition negotiations.
The suspension of family reunification affects people who do not receive asylum in Germany, but are still allowed to stay due to threats of political persecution, torture or the death penalty in their home countries. They are not to be allowed to bring family members to Germany for two years, although hardship cases are exempt.
Speaking to Bild Dobrindt said, "We have to significantly reduce the pull factors to Germany. This is another way to show that migration policy in Germany has changed."
Another draft law, which is expected to be passed on Wednesday, provides for the abolition of the accelerated naturalization introduced by the traffic light government after three years for particularly well-integrated immigrants. The Union calls these "turbo naturalisations", and plans to ban them in the future.
The aim here is to "strengthen the importance of lawfully completed residence in Germany as a central and essential prerequisite for naturalization," according to the draft bill, which was shared with the German Press Agency (DPA) and first reported by the Zeit.
The three-year track for naturalisation had been introduced last year as part of a sweeping reform of Germany's citizenship rules.
It enabled immigrants with at least C1 German and "special achievements" in work, education or society to apply for naturalisation after three years of residence in the country.
READ ALSO: Germany to end three-year 'turbo track' for citizenship
German Medical Association president calls for incentives for doctors to continue working in retirement
German Medical Association President Klaus Reinhardt has called on the government to create incentives for doctors to continue working in retirement.
There is potential for 20,000 additional full-time positions, Reinhardt told the Redaction Network Germany (RND). "If we manage to make it easier for committed retired doctors to return to work, that would be a real benefit for care and a decisive step towards a sustainable skilled workforce strategy in the healthcare system," he said.
In addition to tax relief, Reinhardt called for the doctors to be exempt from social security contributions on income and reduced bureaucracy.
Reinhardt's comments refer to a non-representative online survey commissioned by the German Medical Association and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, which was conducted by their publication Deutsches Ärzteblatt. Of the 5,000 respondents, approximately three-quarters of the doctors said they could imagine continuing to work until age 70 or beyond, as reported by RND. Around 20 percent could conceive of working at least until age 75.
However, the survey also showed that certain conditions, namely flexible scheduling, financial incentives, and less bureaucracy, would have to be met for them to continue to work.
There are already significant staff shortages in the medical sector in Germany: for example, according to RND, 5,000 general practitioner positions are currently vacant.
READ ALSO: Foreign nurses in Germany face language and cultural barriers
Baden-Württemberg Greens choose Özdemir as top candidate for state elections
The Greens in Baden-Württemberg have chosen former Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir as their top candidate for the state elections on March 8th.
The 59-year-old received 194 of 200 votes cast, or 97 percent, at a state election meeting on Saturday in Heidenheim. Özdemir served as Minister of Agriculture until the beginning of May and, after the collapse of the traffic light coalition, also as Minister of Education for almost six months.
Current Minister-President, Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), is not running again. In 2011, he was elected the first and so far only Green Prime Minister in Germany and has been in power ever since. Before that, the CDU ruled in the state for almost 60 years.
Polls suggest that the CDU could win the state election significantly ahead of the Greens. A recent survey conducted by the Infratest dimap institute for Südwestrundfunk in May puts the party in first place with 31 percent, followed by the AfD with 19 percent.
German Finance Minister urges 'serious talks' with US on tariffs
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Sunday urged "serious negotiations" with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened to bring in 50-percent tariffs on imports from the European Union.
Trump made the threat on Friday, saying "discussions (with the EU) are going nowhere" and adding that the tariffs would be applied from June 1st -- just a week away. But as of early Monday morning Trump has said he would pause the tariffs on the EU further, until July 9th, after a "very nice call" with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
If imposed, the tariffs would dramatically raise Washington's current baseline levy of 10 percent. Retaliatory tariffs, which would be expected from the EU, could then raise the price of goods in Germany.
Klingbeil told the Bild newspaper that "we don't need any further provocations, but serious negotiations" and added that he had spoken with his US counterpart Scott Bessent about the matter.
Head of IT Security Office warns of increased cyberattacks on energy supply
The President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Claudia Plattner, has warned of increased attacks by cybercriminals in light of the decentralisation and digitalisation of energy supply in Germany.
The state must be able to ensure that "electricity suppliers and grid operators in Germany, but also private households, can protect themselves with their devices against cyberattacks," Plattner told the Funke Media Group newspapers. "We see growing targets for cybercriminals," she added.
With regard to the mass power outage on the Iberian Peninsula at the end of April, the BSI director noted that Germany's power grid was "currently considered secure and stable."
Energy prices for consumers in Germany have fallen by five percent since January
The costs of electricity, heating, and fuel for consumers in Germany have fallen by around five percent since the beginning of the year, according to a recent survey.
An average three-person household currently has to pay €5,173 per year for energy, compared to €5,442 in January, according to an analysis by the comparison portal Verivox, which was made available in advance to the Funke Media Group newspapers. This represents a price reduction of €269.
The reason for this is the comparatively weak global economy, according to Verivox energy expert Thorsten Storck.
"Nevertheless, prices are still more than a quarter higher than before the energy crisis in 2022," said Storck.
With additional reporting by AFP and DPA.
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