Germany news: Government plans civil defense expansion; climate goals in danger; Merz meets Bulgarian PM. More in DW’s daily wrap
Key takeaways
- Headlines in Germany today include Interior Minister Dobrindt announcing plans to ramp up civil defense measures, and Chancellor Merz meeting euroskeptic Bulgarian Premier Rumen Radev.
- The cut in oil supply affects many sectors, including the aviation branch.
- DW has this video exploring the issues surrounding the refinery and its options for opening up new supplies.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Headlines in Germany today include Interior Minister Dobrindt announcing plans to ramp up civil defense measures, and Chancellor Merz meeting euroskeptic Bulgarian Premier Rumen Radev. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dt Th By 2029, around 1,000 new specialized vehicles and 110,000 camp beds Image: Harry Koerber/IMAGOAdvertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Chancellor Merz is to host the newly elected Bulgarian prime minister for talks. The government is planning to invest billions in a program aiming to better protect the population in the case of war or other catastrophes An animal rights group has called for stricter rules after a tiger escaped from a private facility near Leipzig, badly injuring a man This is a roundup of the top stories from and about Germany on Monday, May 18, 2026:
05/18/2026May 18, 2026WATCH: Fuel security for Berlin's airport in question after Russia halts oil transitThe PCK Refinery in Schwedt, which is a key energy hub for eastern Germany and parts of Poland, is facing new problems with its oil supply after Russia halted the transit of Kazakh crude through the Druzhba pipeline in early May.