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Sugar tax: Klingbeil halts levy on zero-sugar drinks – but the revenue motive remains
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian: Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has unexpectedly drawn a line regarding the planned sugar tax. Sugar-free “zero” and “light” drinks will not, after all, be subject to the levy of 26 cents per liter. Just a day earlier, a position paper from his own ministry had envisaged precisely this…
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Federal program to eliminate mobile dead zones: Only five of 267 subsidized towers online between 2021 and May 2026
Berlin, August 2026 – The government program to eliminate mobile network dead zones has fallen far short of initial expectations since its launch in 2021. By May 2026, only five of the 267 subsidized cell towers were actually operational. Another 37 towers had been completed or were under construction, while 225 projects had not yet…
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Consumer Association: Eon district heating customers can still join class action lawsuit
In light of price hikes by the district heating provider Eon, consumer advocates have urged affected customers to join a class-action lawsuit. Affected individuals have until September 14 to do so, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) announced on Tuesday. “Registration is free and can be done online.” The class-action lawsuit aims to secure…
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Power outage in the Westerwald: 25,000 households in 65 municipalities without electricity
A severe storm struck the Westerwald region and other parts of northern Rhineland-Palatinate on August 19. At times, around 25,000 residential units were left without power, with outages affecting a total of 65 municipalities. Fallen trees damaged overhead lines, conductors, roof-mounted service masts, and domestic service connections. The numerous individual instances of damage to the…
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Porsche sells MHP for 320 million euros – Tata wins multi-billion euro contract
Stuttgart/Ludwigsburg, August 2026 – Porsche is selling its management and IT consultancy, MHP, in its entirety to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The Indian IT group values MHP at 320 million euros. Around 4,500 employees will transfer to TCS along with the company as Porsche spins the consultancy off from its investment portfolio. At the same…
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Power outage shuts down security area at Paderborn Airport
Büren, August 2026 – A power outage affected the security area at Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport overnight into Monday. According to Westnetz, contamination on lines within the 110 kV high-voltage grid triggered the regional disruption. As a result, doors between public and restricted areas at the airport opened automatically. Consequently, police evacuated the terminal and searched all…
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Suspected railway sabotage near Backnang: Cable cuts affect rail, internet, and telephone services
Backnang, August 2026: State security authorities are investigating suspected railway sabotage following targeted cable-cutting. On Sunday afternoon, unidentified individuals gained access to a concrete shaft located between Backnang and Maubach, where they used tools to sever several cables. This resulted in train delays as well as internet and telephone service disruptions in the town of…
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Productivity is no longer sufficient: Germany’s prosperity cannot be sustained this way
Berlin, August 2026 – Germany’s productivity is growing at an annual rate of just 0.3 percent when averaged over six years. However, calculations by the German Economic Institute indicate that a rate of at least 1.6 percent would be required to safeguard prosperity in the face of an aging population. At the same time, the…
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VW prepares to sell more Traton shares – billions at stake
Wolfsburg/Munich – Volkswagen is apparently preparing to sell additional Traton shares in mid-August 2026. VW currently holds an 87.5 percent stake, which could fall to 75 percent plus one share in the medium term. This move is driven by the group’s sweeping restructuring and the growing need to deploy capital more strategically. However, neither the…
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Anyone who thwarts an AfD election victory undermines democracy
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian: Ahead of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, the discourse surrounding a potential AfD victory is taking a worrying turn. An anonymous call from within the Antifa milieu threatens to “storm” the Magdeburg state parliament in the event of an AfD win. Sven Hüber, deputy head of the police…
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Investment booster provides little momentum – investment 12 percent below pre-pandemic levels
Berlin. The federal government’s investment stimulus measures have not yet significantly boosted private investment. According to the DIHK, investment levels in the first quarter remained around twelve percent below pre-pandemic figures. While private investment in equipment rose by 3.3 percent compared to the previous quarter, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs notes that this growth…
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Telefónica Deutschland reportedly plans to cut 1,650 jobs by 2028
Job cuts at Telefónica Deutschland could prove significantly more extensive than publicly disclosed so far. Internally, the mobile operator is apparently planning to reduce its workforce in Germany by around 1,650 full-time positions by the end of 2028. To date, the official announcement has covered the elimination of up to 1,100 jobs in 2026. Internal…
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Hochwald closes dairy plant in Kaiserslautern – 74 jobs lost despite record revenue
Kaiserslautern – Hochwald is closing the majority of its dairy plant on Merkurstraße as early as September 2026. According to reports by BILD, 74 jobs are affected, while SWR cites a figure of around 80 positions. The company cites a lack of profitability as the reason. The plant had recently been supplying primarily the Chinese…
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Brussels is now even regulating the disposal of used tea bags and coffee capsules
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian The new EU Packaging Regulation has been in effect across all member states since August 12, 2026. Brussels now explicitly regulates how used tea bags, coffee pads, and certain coffee capsules are to be handled. Legally classified as packaging, they fall under European requirements regarding disposal, recycling, and…
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US warns of terror threat in Germany – Travel advisory at Level 2
As of mid-August 2026, Washington continues to classify Germany at Level 2 of its travel advisory system. The U.S. State Department cites the threat of terrorism as the reason and advises Americans to exercise “increased caution.” Regarding travel advisories for Germany, this applies particularly to tourist destinations, transport hubs, markets, and major events. However, there…