DW News · Feb 16, 2026 · Collected from RSS
The biggest day of Carnival celebrations puts political caricatures at the center of it, with tens of thousands of revelers set to line the streets to watch the Rosenmontag parades in Cologne and Düsseldorf.
Skip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Cologne, Düsseldorf set to see satirical effigies making fun of politicians during Carnival parades Germany to extend checks at its land borders beyond March 15, interior minister tells Bild German president travels to Lebanon Here are the major headlines from Germany on February 16, 2026: Skip next section IN PHOTOS: People head out to Carnival after surprise snow dayFebruary 16, 2026IN PHOTOS: People head out to Carnival after surprise snow dayhttps://p.dw.com/p/58pWHSkip next section IN PHOTOS: Carnival parade floats ready for kick offFebruary 16, 2026IN PHOTOS: Carnival parade floats ready for kick offhttps://p.dw.com/p/58pLYSkip next section German expert panel to debate raising retirement age to 70February 16, 2026German expert panel to debate raising retirement age to 70A 13-member expert panel is set to discuss a plan to gradually raise the retirement age to 70 from the current level of 67, according to Bild newspaper. The expert panel is set to meet on February 23 to have discussions centered around the plan, with the newspaper reporting that a financial reward for those who retire late is also under discussion. The panel may be ready to make recommendations as early as this spring, the paper reported. Germany's economy is under strain, with a big portion of its budget currently dedicated to pension and social security costs. But the government is split over ways to make the system more sustainable. Some argue integrating more people into the workforce helps maintain the pension scheme at the current level, while others say increasing taxes and having politicians, civil servants and self-employed workers pay into the pension system also help. https://p.dw.com/p/58p9JSkip next section Germany will extend border checks beyond March 15 — reportFebruary 16, 2026Germany will extend border checks beyond March 15 — reportGermany will extend controls at its land borders by another six months beyond March 15 due to the ongoing security situation, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild newspaper in comments released Monday. The corresponding notification is currently being sent to the European Commission, the newspaper reported citing sources in the government. "We are extending controls at the borders with our neighboring countries — border controls are one element of our reorganization of migration policy in Germany," Bild quoted Dobrindt as saying. Germany first imposed temporary checks in September 2024 after then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government came under pressure with the rise of the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) in two state elections that year. The checks at the borders have since continued under the current government of Friedrich Merz, who took office on May 6, 2025. The move, which seeks to curb irregular migration, has generated a lot of controversy as it costs millions of euros and puts pressure on one of the central tenets — free movement of people without border checks — of Europe's Schengen zone. Germany ramps up border checksTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/58p71Skip next section Master float builder puts up drawings online in advance for the first timeFebruary 16, 2026Master float builder puts up drawings online in advance for the first timeOne of Tilly's floats last year Image: Jochen Tack/IMAGOJacques Tilly is known for building extravagant floats that make fun of politicians, but that has also gotten him into trouble. Tilly is accused of defaming Russian military institutions as well as leader Vladimir Putin. He faces punishment of up to 10 years in prison. But that has hardly dissuaded the satirist who's been at his craft for 43 years, with Tilly having released his drawings in advance for the first time. The jester's license, or "Narrenfreiheit," is one of the central pillars of the parade so long as it doesn't violate other laws. Hendrik Wüst, premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia that is home to Düsseldorf, has sharply criticized the legal proceedings against Tilly and called for solidarity with him. https://p.dw.com/p/58p6XSkip next section German president travels to LebanonFebruary 16, 2026German president travels to LebanonGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier meets with Lebanese President Joseph AounImage: Mohamed Azakir/REUTERSGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier travels to Lebanon on Monday, before traveling onward to Jordan on Wednesday. The main agenda of the trip has to do with maintaining a ceasefire that was brokered by the US in 2024 to halt the fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. Israel has fired rockets and missiles into southern Lebanon nearly daily in recent months, saying it was necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. A central tenet of the truce requires Hezbollah to lay down its weapons. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shiite political party and militant group in Lebanon. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group. https://p.dw.com/p/58oyySkip next section Welcome to our blogFebruary 16, 2026Welcome to our blogGuten Tag. It's a Monday like no other here in western Germany! It's the day of Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, the highlight of the six-day Carnival celebrations in the Rhine river region of Germany. The biggest celebration takes place in Düsseldorf and Cologne, where tens of thousands of people dress up in costumes to watch carnival parades. The parades feature caricatures of politicians and take aim at conversations that dominate political life at home and around the world. Follow along here for updates throughout the day. https://p.dw.com/p/58ovtShow more posts