Germany news: Söder calls for compulsory military service
What you need to know
- Bavarian state premier Markus Söder has called for compulsory military conscription
- Chancellor Merz has condemned the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner
- Defense Minister Pistorius plans to send ships to the Mediterranean ahead of any possible deployment in the Strait of Hormuz
- Two Cabinet ministers caught out by Signal phishing scam, Spiegel has reported
Keep reading for the latest headlines from Germany for the weekend of April 25-26:
Skip next section Return to Bundesliga is on horizon for Schalke04/26/2026April 26, 2026Return to Bundesliga is on horizon for Schalke
Dmytro Hubenko EditorSchalke took a big step towards returning to the Bundesliga after three years when they secured a 3-2 victory against promotion rivals Paderborn on Sunday, following a fightback from two goals down.
The former UEFA Cup champions now lead Paderborn by six points at the top of the second division, with just three games remaining. Hanover are another point behind, while Elversberg are two points behind Paderborn in fourth place.
The top two teams are promoted directly, while the team in third place plays a tie against the third-from-bottom team in the Bundesliga. Schalke could secure promotion next weekend when they host lowly Fortuna Düsseldorf and Paderborn visit Elversberg.
Schalke were a top Bundesliga team not so long ago, finishing as runners-up as recently as 2018. However, they were relegated in 2021, returned to the top flight for one season, and have been in the second tier since 2023.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CqtrSkip next section WW2 bomb defused in Rhineland-Palatinate04/26/2026April 26, 2026WW2 bomb defused in Rhineland-Palatinate
The village of Prüm in Rhineland-Palatinate had to be evacuated after a 250-kilogram bomb from the Second World War was discovered.
Some 800 people had to temporarily leave their homes on Sunday as authorities defused the bomb.
Authorities said there was no immediate threat from the bomb and that it was defused within a couple of hours.
Several other disposal operations are planned in Hameln and Bremen on Sunday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CqdtSkip next section Bavarian Premier Söder calls for compulsory military service04/26/2026April 26, 2026Bavarian Premier Söder calls for compulsory military service
Bavaria's conservative State Premier Markus Söder has criticized the government's plan to boost the number of people enlisting in the armed forces, saying that the only thing that will work is compulsory military service.
"For us it's very clear: If the Bundeswehr is to become the biggest army in Europe, then there's no way around military service," Söder told Bild newspaper.
"With volunteers alone we won't achieve the necessary security our country needs. And security is the prerequisite for freedom," he said, adding: "That's why military service needs to come as soon as possible."
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is seeking to increase the number of active soldiers from 70,000 to 200,000.
The coalition government was unable to agree on a return to military service, that was ended in 2011 under Chancellor Angela Merkel. The measures make it possible to do a voluntary military service, but the government also agreed to send out questionnaires to all 18-year-olds, which men are obliged to fill out and return.
However, the government has said that if numbers don't reach the desired level, then a compulsory military service may still be introduced.
Germany seeks to recruit 80,000 more active soldiers
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CqT8Skip next section Merz condemns shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner04/26/2026April 26, 2026Merz condemns shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has joined a chorus of world leaders in condemning the shooting that took place at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday evening.
President Donald Trump was in attendance at the event but was whisked away by the Secret Service when gunshots were heard and was uninjured.
"Violence has no place in a democracy. We decide by majorities, not by the gun," Merz wrote on X. "I condemn the attempted attack in Washington and am relieved that President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and all those present are safe."
https://p.dw.com/p/5CqOoSkip next section IN DEPTH — The queer scandal that shook the German Empire04/26/2026April 26, 2026IN DEPTH — The queer scandal that shook the German Empire
Helen WhittleWelcome back to our Germany coverage, to start off today, here's a look at a bit of Germany's LGBT+ history.
If you're wondering what event could possibly combine Germany's last emperor, a gilded porcelain vase and a general who had a heart attack in a pink tutu, then look no further than the Eulenburg Affair.
It shook the German Empire to its core and paved the way for the downfall of the monarchy.
And you can read more about the history of the Eulenberg Affair right here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CqOXSkip next section We are pausing coverage 04/26/2026April 26, 2026We are pausing coverage
We are pausing coverage for now.
Stay tuned for more Germany news on Sunday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CpLzSkip next section AfD hits record high of 28% in new polling04/26/2026April 26, 2026
AfD hits record high of 28% in new polling
Wesley Dockery EditorGermany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party rose to a record 28% in the latest weekly INSA voting intention poll published on Saturday, widening its lead over the conservative bloc to four percentage points.
AfD was founded in 2013 as an anti-euro protest party and broke into Germany's parliament in 2017 after having campaigned on a platform of criticism of immigration policies.
But the party, which is under investigation by German intelligence services for its extremist views, is now the largest opposition party in the country's parliament after finishing second in federal elections last year.
The conservative CDU party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz was unchanged from the previous week at 24%, while the environmentalist Greens slipped one point to 12%. The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) held steady at 14%, and the Left Party remained at 11%.
INSA surveyed 1,203 people between April 20 and April 24 and asked respondents how they would vote if a federal election were held on Sunday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CpCcSkip next section AfD kicks out member for Hitler-style speech04/25/2026April 25, 2026AfD kicks out member for Hitler-style speech
Saim Dušan Inayatullah EditorThe far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has removed one of its members after he gave a speech at the launch of the party's new youth wing that drew comparisons with those given by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Alexander Eichwald gave his speech at the conference last November as he sought a position in the party. The controversy overshadowed the event that was aiming to give the youth wing a new slate after its predecessor was shut down for being too extremist.
On Saturday, the party's tribunal approved Eichwald's removal. He was found to have conducted himself in a way that seriously harmed the party.
Young, far-right and radical? Meet the AfD's future leaders
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CoAISkip next section Hot chocolate? Authorities find illegal medication in Cologne kiosk04/25/2026April 25, 2026Hot chocolate? Authorities find illegal medication in Cologne kiosk
Authorities in the city of Cologne discovered an unusual item during a routine check of a kiosk, public broadcaster WDR reported on Saturday.
Namely, a bar of chocolate containing the active ingredient in Viagra: Sildenafil.
The sweet is from a Turkish brand, Evelle Hilti, and the bar is called "Make Love."
The product was illegally imported into Germany. The erectile dysfunction medication is normally only obtainable with a doctor's prescription.
The recent growth in the black market sale of arousing products has led to authorities seizing honey and Ginseng teas containing sildenafil.
They warn that such products can be dangerous due to the lack of clarity over dosage.
According to WDR, in a healthy person, the side effects of an overdose include headaches, dizziness, impaired sight and painful erections that can last for hours.
For men with previous health conditions, especially heart conditions, an overdose can be lethal.
WATCH — Germany's housing crisis: Loopholes for landlords
Germany's housing market is in crisis. People who rent are feeling the pinch, with a shortage of affordable housing making tenants easy targets for exploitation, as landlords bend and break the rules and regulations.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CnrvSkip next section German airports decry high costs as Ryanair pulls out of Berlin 04/25/2026April 25, 2026German airports decry high costs as Ryanair pulls out of Berlin
The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is planning to halve its number of flights from Berlin Airport and to shut down its base there, citing a plan by the airport to increase charges by 10%.
Berlin Airport has said that the airport and airline were still in talks.
Germany's ADV airports association has reacted with concern over the airline's withdrawal.
"Following the Ryanair announcement, Germany is looking at BER airport, but it is in fact not a decision taken against Berlin, but against the German aviation sector as a whole," ADV chief executive Ralph Beisel said.
"Excessive taxes and charges are preventing German airports from participating in the dynamic growth of European aviation," he added.
Beisel blamed aviation taxes and insurance fees, saying airport charges were lower than the European average.
According to the ADV, a flight from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca would cost the airline around €7,600 ($8,900) in fees and taxes, whereas a flight from Warsaw to Palma costs only around €4,400.
Similarly, long-haul flights from Germany were also more expensive. A flight from Germany to New York would incur fees and taxes of some €23,500, while other European airports charged an average of €13,900.
Frankfurt Airport's Terminal 3 faces crucial stress test
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Cnf5Skip next section Rescuers to use sandbags to block Timmy the stranded whale from shallow water04/25/2026April 25, 2026Rescuers to use sandbags to block Timmy the stranded whale from shallow water
The private initiative trying to save the humpback whale that has been repeatedly stranded along Germany's Baltic coast said on Saturday that it was loading sandbags to build a dam to block the animal from swimming into shallower waters.
The whale, referred to as Timmy in German media, is currently stuck in shallow waters off the island of Poel, close to the town of Wismar.
The rescuers have been digging a 100-meter channel to help Timmy swim back out to sea. They hope to have the channel finished on Saturday and to start the guiding process on Sunday or Monday.
However, Kirsten Tönnies, the vet working with the private initiative, said the barge to be used for the rescue has been delayed and could not say when the operation would begin.
The whale has been stuck in Wismar Bay since March 31. It had previously been freed from being stranded further up the coast but was unable to make its way out to the North Sea.
Official rescue attempts were halted after Timmy got stuck again, with experts saying further attempts would likely just distress the animal. However, permission was given to a last-ditch rescue mission funded by a private initiative last week.
Humpback whale stranded again off German coast
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CncHSkip next section Employers' association warns of 'deep and growing' disappointment in Merz's government04/25/2026April 25, 2026Employers' association warns of 'deep and growing' disappointment in Merz's government
The president of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), Rainer Dulger, has lambasted the coalition government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, calling it worse than the three-party coalition government that preceded it.
"It's been a long time since I last witnessed so much disappointment among employers in the work of a German government," Dulger told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.
"This disappointment is deep and keeps growing," he added.
Not for the first time, he warned that employers were threatening to move their operations abroad, complaining that it is no longer profitable to work in Germany.
"Germany's unique levels of social security contributions, massive bureaucracy and expensive energy are seriously weakening the competitiveness of our country," Dulger told the newspaper, adding that the coalition's inability to bring about major reforms was "highly problematic."
https://p.dw.com/p/5CnUGSkip next section Two ministers caught in Signal phishing scam04/25/2026April 25, 2026Two ministers caught in Signal phishing scam
A new report from Der Spiegel news magazine has revealed that more top figures from the German Bundestag have been compromised on the Signal messaging app, following reports that parliamentary speaker Julia Klöckner had been hacked.
The two government ministers named in the Spiegel report were Education Minister Karien Prien (CDU) and Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD).
The offices of both ministers declined Spiegel's request for comment, citing security issues.
It is unclear what hackers gained access to, but according to reports, the Cabinet ministers have a Signal group chat that includes Chancellor Merz, although his device appeared to be uncompromised.
Signal has been favored as a means of communication due to its high levels of encryption and security. However, there has been an alleged phishing campaign that seeks to gain access to accounts by tricking users rather than hacking the app itself.
Federal Public Prosecutor Jens Rommel has been investigating the campaign since February as a suspected case of espionage.
CDU lawmaker Marc Henrichmann, the chair of the Parliamentary Control Panel in the Bundestag, responsible for overseeing the intelligence services, said on Friday that Russia was behind the campaign.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CnQXSkip next section Berlin planning Mediterranean naval deployment to be ready for Hormuz04/25/2026April 25, 2026Berlin planning Mediterranean naval deployment to be ready for Hormuz
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper that, "to save time," German naval ships will be deployed to the Mediterranean Sea so that they can join an international mission to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, when the time comes.
"A deployment in the [Strait of Hormuz] is only possible when we have a mandate from the German Bundestag," he told the newspaper.
"To save time, we have decided to send some of the units to the Mediterranean ahead of schedule so as not to lose any time once we have the mandate."
He remarked that the government had followed a similar course of action ahead of the EU's Aspides mission in the Red Sea that began in February 2024 as a response to Houthi attacks on shipping.
"That substantially accelerated the beginning of the deployment," Pistorius said.
Without signalling when the deployment would take place, he said a minesweeper and support ship would be sent, with deployments in other areas being reduced, in agreement with partners.
Later on Saturday, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman told the dpa news agency that the German Navy plans to deploy a minehunting vessel Fulda to the Mediterranean in the coming days for a possible deployment in the Strait of Hormuz.
"This constitutes a pre-deployment in preparation for the Bundeswehr’s possible participation in a multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz," she said in response to an enquiry.
Iran effectively blocked all traffic passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by the US and Israel that began on February 28. Despite a ceasefire, Iran has kept the key waterway due to a US blockade of Iranian ports.
Around a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes through the strait and its almost two-month closure has had major impacts on economies worldwide.
Germany, like other NATO allies, drew the ire of US President Donald Trump by refusing to join the war, but pledged to help secure shipping through the strait with minesweeping and reconnaissance support.
EU leaders weigh options to deal with Iran war
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