Chief Political Editor @dwnews. Speaking to German policy makers non-stop, so you know what Germany will do next. Podcast Host "Berlin Briefing".
Berlin, Germany
Joined November 2013
- Tweets8.1K
- Following1.5K
- Followers13.7K
- Likes1.9K
Michaela Kuefner retweeted
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for diplomatic solutions to the conflict in the Middle East, urging both the US and Israel — where coalition talks are still under way and Benjamin Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister — to avoid further military escalation.
Having been inside the Trump rally when suddenly Germany’s Audi CEO Gernot Döllner appeared on stage after letting US President Trump announce a $ 4,2 Billion Audi investment, I felt a jolt of new transatlantic realpolitik.
US CEOs still try to avoid such partisan limelight.
🇩🇪 Audi CEO Gernot Döllner campaigns for Trump in Georgia.
Trump announces $4,2 billion investment in campaign speech: "without tariffs they would not have been coming in."
Backlash in 🇩🇪:
Social Dem. SPD party: "a disgrace".
Business weekly @Handelsblatt "undignified spectacle".
Michaela Kuefner retweeted
Chancellor Friedrich Merz told business leaders he has no interest in being the "darling of the nation", arguing difficult decisions are needed to get Germany back on track and improve future opportunities for young Germans.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) was considered too sick to attend a North Stream investigative hearing in 2025.
He just celebrated Putin‘s birthday in Moscow.
That day Ukraine faced unusually heavy Russian attacks.
UK PM Andy Burnham 🇬🇧 arrives for his first official visit to see German Chancellor Merz 🇩🇪 .
Statements only, no questions allowed, with school class as their backdrop.
Unusually restrictive handling of press access for one democracy visiting another.
The man with the Russian army mug in his office has now become the deputy speaker of the regional State Parliament in Saxony-Anhalt, where his far-right AfD Party won elections.
AfD MPs just tabled a call to drop all sanctions against Russia and end military support for Ukraine.
Sachsen-Anhalts AfD-Vize Hans-Thomas Tillschneider wollte verhindern, dass wir dieses Video veröffentlichen: In seinem Wahlkreis-Büro zeigte er mir - wohl in einem unbedachten Moment, mehr oder weniger aus Versehen - eine Tasse der russischen Armee. Er merkte offenbar, dass dies nicht zu seinem Image als Friedenspolitiker passt - und schickte seine Anwälte los. Wir veröffentlichen diese Aufnahmen natürlich trotzdem, weil sie sehr tief blicken lassen und zeigen, dass der ideologische Kopf von Ulrich Siegmund, der Vater des Programms der Landes-AfD, und ein selbsternannter deutscher Patriot, offenbar ein Verehrer der russischen Streitkräfte ist. Die ganze Video-Reportage bei Youtube auf dem Ronzheimer-Account!
🚨Police arrest Germany’s former intelligence chief August Hanning on suspicion of treason and espionage.
Hanning is believed to have obtained classified information to use as part of his consultancy business.
This looks set to become 🇩🇪 s biggest espionage scandal this century.
🇩🇪 and 🇫🇷 don’t want 🇪🇺 to be the last one to switch the lights off on the rules-based global order - specifically trade.
So Merz and Macron just asked EU Commission President von der Leyen for an emergency exit.
No countries named with 🇨🇳 in capital letters between the lines.
Merz "indifferent" to Russian travel warning ahead of his Kyiv solidarity trip:
"I do not know whether these threats were related to my visit. And if they were then they didn’t affect me. You can see that I am here and that I undertake the travel that I consider appropriate."
German Chancellor Merz arrives in Kyiv on surprise visit.
Merz expected to pledge additional military assistance worth some €1 Bn ahead of what 🇺🇦 fears to be the toughest war winter yet.
Merz: "I will tell President Zelenzkyy today: You can continue to count on our support."
Michaela Kuefner retweeted
Gen Z has grown up long after Germany reunified, but does the former divide have any impact on their lives? How big are the differences between young people in eastern and western states?
More and faster-track visas for Turkish businesspeople travelling to Germany are coming, Northrhine-Westfalia’s State Premier, Hendrik Wüst, just announced.
Full Visa liberalization now hinges on Turkish policy, "ball is in the court of 🇹🇷 " - 🇩🇪 Junior FM @SerapGueler stressed at business conference Istanbul.
Michaela Kuefner retweeted
During a visit to Turkey, North Rhine-Westphalia premier Hendrik Wüst declined to publicly assess the country’s human rights situation, saying he had raised critical issues in confidential talks.
So Erdogan grants German State Premier a meeting, leapfrogging normal protocol.
So Northrhine Westfalia State Premier Wüst acts larger than his (current) political life in this scene. (He is a hot tip for future chancellor candidate.)
So this is the official photo:
Why should Turkish President Erdogan meet a German State Premier: Hendrik Wüst?
Delegation sources just informed us of these highly unusual talks later today.
Wüst, State Premier of Northrhine-Westfalia, counts as likely next German Chancellor of Merz‘s conservative CDU.
The man who chose NOT to challenge Friedrich Merz as Chancellor over the far right AfD state election victory - still flies commercial.
But remember his name:
State Premier Hendrik Wüst of Northrhine Westfalia is still seen as most likely challenger.
Here wüst celebrates 65 years Turkish-German guest worker treaty.
Also holds talks on trade, visa issues.
NRW is home to large Turkish community.
No election observers for the 2026 Mid-Terms 🇺🇸
Trump doesn’t want them. So no official invitation to OSCE/ODIHR Observers.
Since after THAT 2000 Florida recount that handed George W. Bush the presidency (against Al Gore), OSCE Observers examined every US Presidential and Midterm election.
odihr.osce.org/odihr/667722
Michaela Kuefner retweeted
Germany's most recent state elections have exposed deep discontent with Friedrich Merz's party – and the chancellor himself. Criticism from within his party is mounting too. DW looks at three ways this could play out for the Germany chancellor none of them look good for him.