Business

Koalitionsausschuss under fire as secretive decision-making shapes Germany’s policy output Germany’s Koalitionsausschuss is facing renewed criticism for concentrating major policy decisions in a small inner circle, producing limited and opaque …

ifo business climate index falls to pandemic-era low as Iran war and Hormuz blockade hit German firms IFO business climate index falls to 84.4 in April, lowest since COVID; Iran …

Cohere-Aleph Alpha merger announced in Berlin as Cohere to hold roughly 90% stake Cohere-Aleph Alpha merger announced in Berlin: Cohere to hold ~90%, Schwarz Group invests €500M as Germany seeks …

OpenAI apology after Tumbler Ridge shooting: Sam Altman says company should have notified authorities OpenAI apology after Tumbler Ridge shooting: CEO Sam Altman says the company failed to notify authorities …

Fuel prices shift daily as East Styria station owner manually “juggles” diesel rates In East Styria a station operator recalculates fuel prices several times a day, manually tracking nearby competitors …

U.S. Deal for Brazil Rare Earths Secures Critical Supply Chain for Defense and Clean Energy U.S. acquisition of Brazil rare earths producer Serra Verde aims to secure critical magnets for …

Signal phishing campaign compromises Signal groups of German politicians, BSI and BfV warn Signal phishing campaign targets German politicians’ Signal groups; BSI and BfV warn of eavesdropping as federal prosecutors …

Germany Considers VAT Increase as Quick Fix to Close Budget Gap Government weighs raising VAT to bolster revenues; economists estimate €30–€50bn gain, but experts warn of regressive effects and inflationary …

GKV funding shortfall prompts calls for €12bn federal top‑up for Bürgergeld recipients German GKV funding faces a deep shortfall as experts urge a €12bn federal top‑up for Bürgergeld recipients; ministers …