Germany news: Government plans civil defense expansion
Key takeaways
- Headlines in Germany today include Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announcing plans to ramp up civil defense measures, and Chancellor Merz meeting euroskeptic Bulgarian Premier Rumen Radev.
- Radev will be welcomed with military honors at the chancellery before the two leaders hold talks on issues including bilateral relations and European and international security policy.
- A joint press conference is planned for 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT).
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Headlines in Germany today include Interior Minister Alexander 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, 2026Merz to host talks with Bulgaria's RadevRadev (C) leads the Progressive Bulgaria partyImage: BGNESGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz is to receive the new Bulgarian prime minister, Rumen Radev, in Berlin on Monday afternoon.