Germany news: Far-right youth groups raided by police
Key takeaways
- The groups are considered to be prone to violence and are accused by prosecutors of forming a criminal organization.
- Whenever there are problems, the coalition partners are blamed.
- DW chief political editor Michaela Küfner has observed an emerging pattern: In view of his direct criticism of Trump, Merz "often pays a high political price for his verbal clumsiness."
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The groups are considered to be prone to violence and are accused by prosecutors of forming a criminal organization. Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz has completed his first year as chancellor. More on DW.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DL5FSome 600 officers carried out raids at dozens of locations across the country Image: Matthias Balk/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Police raided homes in 12 federal states in connection with an investigation into far-right youth groups Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz marks 1 year in office Here is a roundup of stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, May 6.
05/06/2026May 6, 2026IN DEPTH: A difficult first year for German Chancellor Friedrich MerzChristoph StrackAfter one year in office, Chancellor Merz is facing fractures in his governing coalition [FILE: December 2025]Image: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/picture allianceA year after taking office, Germany's federal leadership is struggling with the drudgery of coalition governance. Whenever there are problems, the coalition partners are blamed. Or US President Donald Trump.