A majority of people in Germany anticipate that a premier from the far-right AfD will lead at least one state following elections this autumn, according to a survey. The Brenner Pass connecting Austria and Italy has been reopened.
Key updates
A majority of people in Germany expect the far-right AfD party to assume leadership of at least one state after regional elections in the autumn
Hamburg residents vote against the city's bid to host the Summer Olympics
The Brenner Pass, a major Alpine route, has reopened after being closed due to a protest against traffic congestion and noise pollution
An autopsy is scheduled for 'Timmy' the whale after its body was brought ashore in Denmark
These updates have concluded. Thank you for following.
Below, you can find DW's coverage of news from and about Germany on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, 2026:
Tired of missing our live updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the "Star" or "Preferred" to keep DW News at the top of your feed.
Hamburg: residents reject Olympic bid
Residents of the northern German city of Hamburg have voted against a future Olympic bid, preliminary referendum results showed on Sunday.
Around 1.3 million people aged 16 and older were eligible to vote, with turnout reaching 49.5%.
Although final results were still being tallied, state electoral chief Oliver Rudolf confirmed that a majority of participants opposed a bid to host the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Summer Olympics in Germany's second-largest city.
Hamburg was competing with Munich, Berlin, and a Cologne-led Rhine-Ruhr region bid to become the German candidate, with a decision expected from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on September 26 — but Sunday's vote officially removes Hamburg from consideration.
Munich's bid received backing from 66.4% of voters in a referendum, and Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr secured 66% support. In Berlin, the local parliament approved the bid without a vote.
For Hamburg, this marks the second time residents have voted against the Olympics, following a similar referendum in 2015.
Supporters of the city's latest effort pointed to existing sports venues and the potential boost to the city's infrastructure.
But critics argued that funds should be directed toward more urgent projects and highlighted uncertainties regarding overall costs.
Germany has previously hosted the Summer Olympics in Berlin under the Nazis in 1936, and in Munich in 1972, an event overshadowed by the murder of 14 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian terror organization Black September.
The tragic 1972 Olympic Games
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
French Open: Zverev favorite after reaching quarterfinals
German tennis number one Alexander Zverev has advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open for the sixth consecutive year after defeating Dutch wildcard Jesper de Jong in straight sets, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-1.
Zverev overcame a sluggish start to the match, losing the first three games before eventually securing the opening set via a tie-break.
"It was a bit difficult to start with," said Zverev, adding that he would have preferred the typical hot Paris weather rather than this weekend's cooler temperatures.
"I like it when it's hot; my opponents usually have more problems with it," he said. "But Paris is like Germany and the weather can change quickly. But I'm used to it and I hope I can keep playing good tennis."
After top seed Jannik Sinner and record Grand Slam title holder Novak Djokovic were eliminated in the second and third rounds respectively, second seed Zverev is now the highest-ranked male player remaining at Roland Garros and is the favorite to claim his first-ever Grand Slam.
"I just have to concentrate on the things that I can influence, and those are my matches," said the world number three, who will now face Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar in the quarterfinals.
"It will be a very difficult challenge," said Zverev. "I need to trust myself and I'll be well prepared."
FDP elects veteran right-winger Kubicki as new leader — but divisions persist
Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) has chosen a new chairman: Wolfgang Kubicki, a 74-year-old veteran from the right wing of the economically liberal, pro-business party.
Kubicki was expected to be elected unopposed at Saturday's party conference, but he faced a surprise, last-minute challenge from Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a veteran member of the European Parliament and defense hawk representing the more socially liberal wing of the party.
Kubicki emerged victorious with 59.3% of the votes, but the fact that Strack-Zimmermann garnered 39% showed that the party remains divided — and those divisions played out publicly this weekend as the two candidates traded barbs via the tabloid media.
"Wolfgang knows now that it's 60-40," Strack-Zimmermann told BILD, warning Kubicki against steering the party too far to the right. "We will be watching very closely where the party is headed."
Kubicki fired back, telling the same newspaper: "Marie-Agnes, you only got 40% so you know exactly what the score is. If you want to lead the FDP into irrelevance, then keep going."
At the conference, Kubicki urged his party to be aggressive on divisive issues and lamented that the "space for debate" in German politics was shrinking. "Real problems are automatically pigeon-holed as right wing," he said, arguing that topics such as immigration, climate, and freedom of expression should not be left to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
In a speech to delegates, he specifically addressed migration policy, criticizing "uncontrolled immigration" and the creation of "parallel societies," and stated that economic growth should take precedence over climate protection.
What is the FDP's stance on the AfD?
Kubicki opposes the so-called "Brandmauer" (firewall) strategy, in which democratic German parties refuse to form coalitions with the AfD, and has not ruled out building political majorities with the party.
Parts of the AfD have been labeled "extreme right" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesverfassungschutz or BfV).
Strack-Zimmermann argued that Kubicki's position on the firewall might earn him "applause and a few pats on the back from reactionaries in the pub" but would not win back votes from the AfD.
The FDP was part of the German government between December 2021 and November 2024 as the junior partner in a coalition with former chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party.
After leaving the coalition over policy differences and failing to reach the minimum 5% required to enter parliament in the 2025 federal election, former leader Christian Lindner stepped down. The party has since been in the wilderness.
FDP 'fighting for survival' in German election
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
WATCH: Threats to mayors pose danger to wider democracy
As in many other countries, violence and threats of violence toward people in political office are on the rise.
In Germany, even mayors are facing growing abuse and threats, causing some to resign and deterring those who might otherwise have been willing to take on this important role.
DW spoke to several mayors about the issue:
Threats, abuse to German mayors hurting local government
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Two WWII bombs defused in Osnabrück amid mass evacuation
Bomb disposal experts in the northwestern city of Osnabrück have dealt with two bombs left over from World War II, with authorities saying some 1,600 people were ordered to leave their homes for hours while the work was carried out.
One of the two 50 kg (110 lb) unexploded bombs was defused, and the other underwent a controlled explosion, city officials said.
The bombs were discovered at the site of a former freight rail terminal where a new, nearly car-free district is to be developed, with housing potential for some 3,500 people.
During the construction work, there have so far been eight such defusal operations, during which 23 bombs were disposed of, officials said.
The largest resulting evacuation involved 20,000 people in July 2025.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy thanks Germany for Iris-T air defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday expressed gratitude to Germany, stating that his country had received a new launch pad for the Iris-T air defense system.
"We thank Germany for its contribution to the protection of our people," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelenskyy said Russia had deployed around 2,300 drones, 1,560 guided glide bombs, and 108 missiles against Ukraine this week alone, making it essential to have a steady supply of air defense missiles.
Germany has not confirmed Ukraine's receipt of the air defense system, but had already supplied seven Iris-T systems to Ukraine as of 2025.
German representatives, AfD politicians to attend Putin's economic forum
Members of Germany's business community are set to officially attend the economic forum in the northern Russian city of St. Petersburg in early June after staying away for four years due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The forum has been held under the auspices of the Russian president since 1997.
Its program indicates that German participants will include Stefan Dürr, a dairy producer operating in Russia with the EkoNiva Group, and Thomas Bruch, the longstanding managing director of Globus Holding.
Matthias Schepp, chairman of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce, defended the attendance of German businesspeople to the dpa news agency.
"Not least with a view to the period following a ceasefire, we want, like other major Western countries, to maintain the economic bridge to Russia and protect the more than €100 billion ($116 billion) of German assets in Russia," he said.
"The West should not leave Russia, its large market and its raw materials to Asia in the long term," said Schepp.
US and French representatives returned to the event last year to take part in its so-called business dialogue component.
Western sanctions on thousands of Russian companies, organizations, and individuals over the Ukraine invasion remain in place, with trade volume between Germany and Russia falling below €10 billion ($11.66 billion) last year.
That compares with a volume of €59.7 billion in 2021 and €80 billion at its peak in 2012, making Germany Russia's biggest trading partner in the European Union before the invasion launched in 2022.
Organizers said that several German representatives will also attend an event about culture as a way of building connections in times of crisis.
They include conductor and pianist Justus Frantz, founder of the popular Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, who received an Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2025.
The chairman of the Saxony branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Jörg Urban, the AfD's chairman in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg, Markus Frohnmaier, Berlin publisher Holger Friedrich, and filmmaker and journalist Hubert Seipel are also expected to attend.
Vote on future Hamburg Olympic bid underway
Hamburg is holding a referendum on Sunday, with voters asked to decide whether they support the northern city-state bidding to host the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044.
Some 1.3 million people aged 16 and older are eligible to cast a ballot.
Hamburg is competing with Munich, Berlin, and the Rhine-Ruhr region, all of which want to make a bid.
The decision on who will bid and for which year will be made by the German Olympic Sports Confederation on September 26.
The unofficial final result is expected by 10 p.m. (2000 GMT).
In 2015, Hamburg's plan to bid for the 2024 Olympics was canceled after a referendum in which just over half of voters cast a "no" ballot.
Germany hosted summer Olympics in 1936 in Berlin and in 1972 in Munich.
One injured after explosion at Cologne shisha bar
An explosion at the entrance to a shisha bar in the inner city of Cologne early on Sunday morning was deliberately caused, police believe.
They said all guests had left the bar by the time the blast occurred.
A female tenant in the apartment above the bar suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation and was treated in hospital, they said.
Witnesses reported seeing several people who had caused the explosion fleeing the scene.
Firefighters called to the bar managed to extinguish a fire caused by the blast, but police said there had been severe damage to the front of the premises.
Police are investigating the cause of the explosion.
Majority expects at least one far-right state premier after fall votes — survey
A majority of people in Germany expects a premier from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to take office in at least one of the three states holding elections this autumn.
According to the survey from the INSA polling institute conducted for the weekly Bild am Sonntag newspaper, 69% consider this a given.
Of those, 28% expect an AfD premier in not just one but several states.
Just 16% think that the AfD will not succeed in taking power in at least one state, with 15% undecided.
If the AfD fails to win an absolute majority, 40% of respondents wanted to see cooperation between the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Left Party to form a state government, as against 36% in favor of CDU/AfD cooperation.
This tendency is clearer among conservative voters, 48% of whom would prefer the CDU to cooperate with the Left Party as against 27% in favor of the CDU working with the AfD.
Altogether 38% were in favor of banning the AfD — which has long been under scrutiny by the domestic intelligence agency for possible extremist tendencies — while 47% were against a ban.
State elections are to take place in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Berlin in September.
Welcome back
Danke schön for returning to our coverage of the latest stories from Germany after our overnight pause.
We will possibly be revisiting our big story about the protest at the Brenner Pass on Saturday, with authorities expecting traffic through the corridor to surge massively after a day's closure.
Sunday in Germany is also the day when newspapers tend to publish results of various surveys offering insights into the trends sweeping German society, so our blog will include several of these.
Please read on for more news from Europe's biggest economy.
We're pausing our coverage
We'll be pausing our coverage of the news coming out of Germany this weekend, but we'll be back bright and early on Sunday morning.
All lanes open at Brenner Pass after large protest
The Brenner Pass linking Austria and Italy has been reopened following a rally against heavy traffic.
"All lanes are open again," a spokesman for the motorway operator Asfinag told the DPA news agency.
Thousands of people had crowded the Alpine pass earlier on Saturday, demanding an end to pollution, noise, and traffic jams caused by heavy traffic on the key road.
While officials warned of possible traffic jams due to the rally, no major disruptions were reported in the area.
Police said 219 trucks were turned back during the hourslong protest.
IN DEPTH: Vaping becoming more popular among young people in Germany
A recent study shows that e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among young people in Germany, with even elementary school kids picking up vapes. Social media influencers are fueling the hype, but a senior government official hopes to ban flavors that appeal to young people.
Read our full report here.
Thousands protest new gas-fueled power plants in Germany's Hamm
Some 5,000 people took part in a protest in the northwestern German city of Hamm against government plans to construct new gas-fueled power plants, protest organizers said on Saturday.
Police estimated the number of attendees at around 2,700 people.
Germany's ambitious strategy of switching to renewable energy sources and becoming climate-neutral by 2045 has been put under increasing pressure due to the geopolitical conflict with Russia and the more recent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to the twin crises, the government is focusing on ensuring consistent energy supply rather than managing the long-term transition. Some climate activists have decried the shift as a quiet rollback of the official environmental goals.
The government has now pledged to construct new gas-powered plants, which would eventually be fueled by environmentally friendly hydrogen.
Even so, activists in Hamm say the state should not be investing in fossil fuels. Several environmental groups, including Fridays for Future and Greenpeace, helped organize the protest on Saturday.
"We want future, not gas, and we are joining forces against the government's rollback of climate policy," the organizers said.
Germany signs Canadian LNG deal to cut energy risks
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Your feedback