Germany news: Top diplomat denies Berlin is joining Iran war

DW News · Mar 2, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Skip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Germany's foreign minister has denied reports in Israel that Berlin was 'seriously considering' joining the war with Iran German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to make his second official White House visit Germany's top court is to hold a hearing on a climate lawsuit brought agains carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz Here, you find a roundup of the political and human interest stories making the headlines in Germany on Monday, March 2, 2026: Skip next section Social media use growing, but Germany almost last in Europe March 2, 2026Social media use growing, but Germany almost last in Europe Social media use in Germany is on the riseImage: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/picture allianceAlmost six out of 10 people in Germany aged between 16 and 74 actively use social media on a private basis, new figures from the German Federal Statistical Office showed on Monday. Although the statistics show a rise in social media use across all the age groups — from 47% in 2021 to 59% now — Germany almost brings up the rear in the EU, with only Italy having a smaller proportion of social media users, at 56%. The EU average was 67%, with Denmark (90%), Cyprus (87%) and Malta (82%) leading the way. The highest proportion of users in Germany was in the 16-24 age group, at 85%. Just 25% of people aged 65-74 were active on social media, but here, too, a marked rise is evident compared with 2021, when the figure was 15%. For the statistics, people were counted who had their own accounts or posted or engaged in interactions on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and X. Users of messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal or Threema were not included. People under 16 were not statistically presented. https://p.dw.com/p/59eStSkip next section Carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz face climate lawsuits in top courtMarch 2, 2026Carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz face climate lawsuits in top courtGermany's highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), is on Monday hearing two climate lawsuits brought against the carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The lawsuits have been filed by advocacy group German Environmental Aid Association (DUH). The group is seeking a ruling that would stop the two manufacturers from selling new vehicles driven by internal combustion engines — a major source of the CO2 pollution that is fueling global warming — from 2030. It argues that BMW and Mercedes are using up too large a share of the global and national CO2 budget, which limits the scope for political action. It says that by so doing, the companies would force governments to take stronger CO2 reduction measures that would be restrictive for their personal freedoms. The court will have to decide on the key legal question of whether companies can be required to take climate-protective measures of their own accord, independently of government regulations. Courts in Munich and Stuttgart, the two cities where BMW and Mercedes-Benz are respectively headquartered, have previously ruled against the environmental group. It wasn't initially clear whether the BGH would issue a ruling on Monday.EU overturns combustion engine ban amid industry pressureTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video https://p.dw.com/p/59eMoSkip next section Top diplomat denies reports Germany will join Iran warMarch 2, 2026Top diplomat denies reports Germany will join Iran warGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has refuted Israeli media reports that Berlin would join the Iran war directly. The German government "has no intention of participating," Wadephul told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. "We also do not have the necessary military resources," he added, with the caveat that Bundeswehr soldiers in Jordan and Iraq "would defend themselves if they were attacked." The Times of Israel had reported that "German political and military sources" told Israel's Army Radio that Berlin was "seriously considering joining the US-Israel war with Iran," if Tehran did not stop attacks on neighboring countries. https://p.dw.com/p/59eLZSkip next section Merz's trip to Washington overshadowed by Iran conflictMarch 2, 2026Merz's trip to Washington overshadowed by Iran conflictGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz is to set off for Washington on Monday, with talks with US President Donald Trump scheduled for the next day. The visit, Merz's second official one to the White House, has been planned for some time. However, the topics that were originally expected to dominate the discussions — the dispute between the US and the EU over tariffs and the Russian invasion of Ukraine — now seem likely to take a back seat to the conflict in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israel war with Iran. Merz has made it clear that he will not be raising concerns about the legitimacy of the US-Israeli actions under international law, despite any misgivings he might have on the issue. The German chancellor might, however, repeat his doubts to the US leader about whether the attacks on Iran will really bring about a democratic change in the Middle Eastern country.Merz condemns Iran's counterstrikes across regionTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Despite the changed focus of the talks, US tariffs and Russia policy are still likely to be touched on, and Merz is also expected to report on his recent trip to China. The chancellor has also said that he plans to show Trump that his government has considerably reduced illegal immigration, using diagrams to press his point as, he said, the US president did not believe him on the telephone. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently accused Europe of risking "civilizational erasure" if it did not curb illegal immigration. Merz as seen as one of the few European leaders who has the ear of Trump and is known to phone regularly with the US president. https://p.dw.com/p/59eEzSkip next section Welcome to our Germany coverageMarch 2, 2026Welcome to our Germany coverageThe DW newsroom welcomes you with a warm Guten Tag at the start of a new week! We will be covering events as the German chancellor sets off on his second official visit to Washington, where his talks with President Donald Trump seem likely to focus largely on events in the Middle East amid the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The ongoing Iran crisis has pushed other possible topics for discussion into the background, but the two leaders might also discuss the tariff conflict between the US and the EU and the Russian invasion of Ukraine — issues on which there is a wide divergence of opinion between the two sides. Meanwhile, two of the biggest players in Germany's automaking industry are up before the top court on Monday to face a lawsuit from an environmental advocacy group that wants them to be prevented from selling new vehicles with polluting combustion engines from 2030 onward. And the proportion of people in Germany using social media is the second-lowest in Europe, new figures have shown. Read on here for more information on what is happening in and in connection with Germany on March 2, 2026. https://p.dw.com/p/59e9HShow more posts