Germany’s top contenders for chancellor faced off in a televised debate, with clashes over topics like immigration, the economy and the far right. But as commentators dub it ‘boring’, will it have any impact on voters?

Despite the stereotype of an ‘efficient’ Germany, the country’s long distance train network is plagued by delays. But the line from Stuttgart to Zurich stands out as the most punctual – and there are arguably a few reasons behind its success.

Berlin’s Film Festival Berlinale, which begins this week, is set for a challenge faced by the entire Western arts industry: how to stop politics from taking over the conversation.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused election rival Friedrich Merz of having broken his word by accepting support from the far-right AfD to push an anti-immigration motion through parliament during a TV debate on Sunday.

Public transport strike in Berlin starts, Scholz and Merz clash over far right in election debate, police investigate drones at German military base and more news this Monday from Germany.

Clashing with governments over taxes and airport fees, budget airline Ryanair has started off the year with cutbacks on routes across Europe and threatened many more.

Fresh protests against the extreme right drew massive crowds in Germany on Saturday, including 250,000 people in Munich, authorities said, as the country heads for clutch elections.

Germany’s conservative opposition leader, the favourite to be the next chancellor, said on Saturday a new government should be in place within two months of federal elections on February 23.

From an online quiz to help you find your political party match to free beer for voting, a fake citizenship test and the shaky future of the German tradition of Abendbrot, here’s what we’re talking about at The Local this week.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday told Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa that Berlin was ready to support the transition to a “free and safe” future after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.