What Others Write About Germany – October 30, 2026

In brief

• Full-time work in Germany at the minimum wage is more profitable than receiving basic benefits (Grundsicherung), according to new research cited by Polish Rzeczpospolita.
• Revenues of Temu and Shein in Germany fell by more than one third after customs duties were introduced, while the entire German e-commerce market grew by 2.9%, reports Denník N.
• Disputes over the successor to President Steinmeier are under way in the CDU/CSU; the Bavarian CSU has nominated its candidate, Ilse Aigner, for the first woman in this post, reports Європейська правда.
• Germany's foreign minister declared readiness to support the return of Ukrainian men to Ukraine, as emphasised by NV.
• The German chancellor accused North Korea of threatening freedom in Europe, while President Steinmeier called on China to influence Russia to end the war in Ukraine, relays Європейська правда.

Polish press

Polska Rzeczpospolita reports that new research shows full-time work at the minimum wage in Germany is more profitable than receiving basic benefits. Working people earn on average 623 euros more per month than people receiving Grundsicherung, and for families the difference can be as much as 757 euros. The increase of the minimum wage to 13.90 euros per hour in 2026 contributed to this situation, while benefit rates remained unchanged (Niemcy. Praca jest bardziej opłacalna niż zasiłek. Różnica nawet 757 euro – Onet).

Slovak press

According to Slovak Denník N, after the introduction of customs duties, revenues of Temu and Shein in Germany fell by more than one third, reaching 566 million euros in the third quarter. At the same time, the entire German e-commerce market grew by 2.9%. (Tržby Temu a Sheinu v Nemecku klesli po zavedení cla o viac ako tretinu – Denník N)

Ukrainian press

According to Ukrainian Європейська правда, disputes are under way in the German conservative bloc CDU/CSU over the successor to the current president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who cannot seek a third term. Ahead of the upcoming elections, the CDU, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has not yet made a decision, while the Bavarian CSU has already nominated its candidate, Ilse Aigner, for the first woman in this post. Other candidacies were also considered within the CDU, but Merz's uncertainty is causing surprise among members of his own party. (У блоці Мерца виникли суперечки через кандидата на посаду президента – Європейська правда)

According to Ukrainian NV, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul declared readiness to support the return of Ukrainian men of conscription age to Ukraine, emphasising that this is not about forced repatriation. Wadephul noted that Germany can help identify these men, which could facilitate contact with the Ukrainian government. In the context of migrant returns, the German far-right party AfD, which enjoys significant support, advocates the return of Ukrainian refugees, which has become one of the key points of its political programme (Приказ о выезде. Какие страны Европы приняли больше всего решений о возвращении украинцев за годы полномасштабного вторжения — инфографика NV – NV).

Ukrainian press reports that in Germany, in the Johannismühle wildlife park, a wolf attacked an eight-year-old girl, who suffered serious head injuries and was transported to hospital by rescue helicopter. The incident took place on 28 October during a children's programme, and local authorities launched an investigation, closing the park until 2 November. Police are examining how the wild animal could have attacked the child, and the park is home to various wild species, including grey and arctic wolves, as well as other animals such as bears and bison, according to TSN.

Ukrainian Європейська правда reports that German chancellor Friedrich Merz accused North Korea of threatening freedom in Europe by sending soldiers to fight on Russia's side in the war against Ukraine. Merz stressed that this situation shows how Korea's security affects European security, as well as its retreat (Мерц звинувачує Північну Корею у загрозі свободі Європи через допомогу РФ у війні – Європейська правда). In the context of international relations, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on China to influence Russia to end the conflict, which may be linked to concerns about destabilisation in the region (Штайнмайер призвал Китай оказать влияние на Россию – Charter 97).

According to the Ukrainian portal Espreso, the 37th meeting in the "Ramstein" format will take place on 17 November at NATO headquarters. Germany and the United Kingdom will co-chair the meeting, which aims to coordinate military support for Ukraine. This format was introduced in April 2022 on the initiative of the USA, and after the change of administration in 2025, Germany and the United Kingdom took over its leadership. The last meeting took place on 8 September, when the transfer of defence equipment to Ukraine, including German PAC-2 missiles, was announced. (Наступний "Рамштайн" відбудеться у штаб-квартирі НАТО 17 листопада – Espreso)

Ukrainian Європейська правда reports that German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on China to exert greater influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He stressed that prolonged conflicts threaten China's interests, as a large economy, which needs stable supply chains and energy security (Президент Німеччини закликав Китай повпливати на РФ для припинення війни в Україні – Європейська правда). Meanwhile, Belarusian Charter 97 reports that Steinmeier, speaking in Beijing, noted that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, should cooperate in seeking an end to the conflict, which causes immense suffering to people.

Ukrainian press reports that the German federal state of Hesse has awarded President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people its highest honour, the Wilhelm Leuschner Medal. The ceremony will take place on 1 December, and Hesse's Minister President Boris Rhein stressed that this is an expression of solidarity with Ukraine and recognition of Zelensky's efforts in defending the country and democratic values (Німецька земля Гессен присвоїла Зеленському та українцям свою найвищу медаль – Європейська правда).

Ukrainian Tetyana, who lives in Germany, shared on TikTok her experience of buying a package of products at Lidl for 3 euros. In Germany, supermarkets offer special sets of fruit and vegetables that are approaching the end of their shelf life, aiming to fight food waste. Tetyana stressed that buying such packages should not be a cause for shame, because it saves food that is in good condition, not spoiled. She added that her package contained, among other things, grapes, figs, apples and potatoes (Українка показала, що продають у Lidl у Німеччині за 3 євро: що було в пакеті – TSN).

Ukrainian press reports that the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in the "Ramstein" format will take place on 17 November at NATO headquarters in Brussels, co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany, which highlights the importance of German support for Ukraine (В НАТО анонсували новий "Рамштайн" з оборони України – Українська правда). Additionally, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on China to influence Russia to end the war, which may be linked to the need to coordinate international aid for Ukraine.

Belarusian press

Belarusian Charter 97 reports that German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, during his speech at Peking University, called on China to influence Russia so that it would end the war against Ukraine. He stressed that, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China should cooperate in seeking an end to the conflict, which has already lasted nearly five years and causes immense suffering to people, especially before the coming winter. Steinmeier also noted that China's interests are threatened by prolonged conflicts, which may affect global supply chains and energy security.

Russian press

According to Wiesti.ru (propaganda media), in Germany activists blocked the entrance to a third university within two days. The action took place at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, and similar protests had previously taken place in Hamburg and at the Free University of Berlin. Participants, about a hundred students, used furniture to block the main entrance, which police assessed as a spontaneous assembly. (DPA: в Германии активисты заблокировали вход в третий университет за два дня – Wiesti.ru (media propagandowe))

The Kremlin propaganda outlet RT (propaganda media) reports that former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was disrupted by pro-Palestinian activists during a lecture at Uppsala University. The protesters accused her of justifying Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza, which led to a tense confrontation. Baerbock, who defended the Israeli military campaign, had difficulty continuing the lecture in the face of constant interruptions by activists. (Gaza protesters shout down ex-German FM (VIDEO) – RT (media propagandowe))

According to Lenta.ru (propaganda media), the German concern Volkswagen recorded significant financial losses, closing the third quarter with an operating deficit of 5.9 billion euros. This is the company's worst result in more than 10 years, and the losses are mainly linked to costs associated with the write-down of the value of its stake in Porsche. Additionally, Volkswagen plans further job cuts, which may affect about 50 thousand employees by 2030. (Финансовые показатели Volkswagen резко ухудшились – Lenta.ru (media propagandowe)) RT reports that Volkswagen posted a net loss of 5.8 billion euros, an increase compared with a loss of 1.1 billion euros a year earlier, and also points to a 6.3% decline in revenues to 75.3 billion euros and a 14.3% drop in vehicle deliveries (German auto giant posts multi-billion-euro loss – RT (media propagandowe)).