AfD lawmaker fined over Hitler salute collage – DW – 10/17/2025

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has come under broader criticism for remarks on deportations that lawmakers and civil groups have described as racist.

Merz made the remarks on Tuesday when asked about the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), citing his government’s progress on migration reform. “But we still have this problem in the cityscape,” he said, adding that the interior minister was facilitating large-scale deportations.

The reference to the “cityscape” has sparked outrage for implying that diverse urban populations are the focus of a need for deportations.

The backlash has come not only from opposition parties but also from within his own coalition. Integration Commissioner Natalie Pawlik of the Social Democrats called the comments “populist” and said they “divide society even more and help the wrong people, instead of promoting solutions.”

Dozens of Green Party lawmakers have written to Merz demanding a public apology, calling the words “racist, discriminatory, hurtful and indecent.”

Refugee group Pro Asyl also condemned the remarks, with its director Karl Kopp accusing the chancellor of emboldening extremists through “resentful slogans.”

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has defended his plans to reintroduce military service, calling it essential to Germany’s security and deterrence strategy.

Speaking in the Bundesrat on Friday, Pistorius said the proposal aims to strengthen the country’s defense capability and readiness. “It’s not about armament,” he said. “We are not threatening anyone. We are being threatened.”

He warned that Russia under President Vladimir Putin poses a real and ongoing danger to Germany, Europe and NATO, saying Moscow seeks to undermine European unity and provoke member states.

The comments followed his presentation of a draft bill in the Bundestag to restore voluntary military service, which was suspended in 2011. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government wants to rebuild troop strength in line with NATO defense targets.

Disagreement persists within the coalition over whether to introduce a lottery system if too few volunteers come forward. Pistorius said the priority must remain the Bundeswehr‘s ability to react and deploy effectively.

Poland has refused to extradite to Germany a Ukrainian man accused of involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline attacks in the Baltic Sea.

A Warsaw court ruled on Friday that Germany’s request to transfer the 46-year-old, identified as Volodymyr Z, has not been sufficiently substantiated and ordered his release from pre-trial detention.

Read more about the case here.

Police in northern Germany have confirmed that the body of a boy found near Klein Upahl earlier this week is that of missing eight-year-old schoolboy Fabian .

DNA analysis has identified the remains, authorities in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said on Friday. Investigators had already suspected the child was Fabian, but his parents were unable to view the body for identification.

According to a preliminary autopsy, the boy was the victim of a violent crime. The homicide division of the Rostock police is leading the investigation, which remains ongoing.

Police returned to the discovery site on Friday to reexamine a nearby pond near Fabian’s hometown of Güstrow, which firefighters partially drained. Officers searched the water using metal-detecting equipment and cleared surrounding brush, but prosecutors said they were not aware of any new findings.

Officials have urged the public to avoid speculation about possible suspects and to continue to provide information or private recordings that could help the investigation.

Fabian had gone missing a week earlier, prompting a large-scale search involving hundreds of officers, helicopters, boats, and tracking dogs before the body was discovered on Tuesday.

His disappearance and death have deeply shaken the local community, with hundreds gathering for a vigil in Güstrow to mourn the loss.

Beer prices in Germany are expected to rise as major brewers pass on higher costs to retailers and bars.

Krombacher and Veltins have already raised prices this month for bottled and draft beer, with others set to follow. According to trade magazine Inside, six of the ten most popular beer brands in Germany are affected, alongside many smaller breweries.

It remains unclear how much of the increase will reach consumers. Inside editor Niklas Other noted that large overcapacity in the brewing sector gives retailers leverage to keep prices down. Analyst Marcus Strobl from market research firm NIQ said price tags in stores may not change until after Christmas, as retailers aim to protect holiday sales.

German beer consumption continues to fall, driven by demographic change and tighter budgets. NIQ data show overall beer sales fell 2.1% in retail and 8.6% in hospitality in the first half of 2025. “People are drinking less overall,” Strobl said. “Many now stop after one glass instead of ordering a second or third.”

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has fiercely defended the Nord Stream gas pipelines, calling them “still the right decision,” while repeatedly clashing with lawmakers during a tense parliamentary inquiry in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Appearing by video link from Hanover, the 81-year-old ex-leader of the center-left Social Democrats, grew visibly irritated as he faced questions about his role in the project and a state-backed climate foundation that helped shield Nord Stream 2 from US sanctions.

He dismissed several inquiries as “ridiculous” or “irrelevant” and, at one point, snapped at the committee chair, Sebastian Ehlers of the conservative Christian Democrats: “Can you stop this nonsense?”

Schröder insisted the pipeline had aimed to secure affordable gas from Russia and make Germany less dependent on coal and nuclear power. He said objections from Poland “didn’t interest me” and that the project had been deliberately planned to avoid “interventions from other countries.”

The former chancellor offered few concrete answers, often claiming he could not remember. He described past economic cooperation with Moscow as a “peace policy” and said it should still be seen that way.

Since leaving public office, Schröder has worked for several Russian state-owned energy companies, including Nord Stream itself, Rosneft, and Gazprom.

Far-right German lawmaker Petr Bystron has been fined €11,250 (about $13,140) after a Munich court found him guilty of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.

The European Parliament member for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was convicted over a 2022 social media post showing former Chancellor Angela Merkel and others with raised arms in what the court said amounted to a banned Hitler salute “through the composition of the photos.”

Bystron did not attend Friday’s hearing and was represented by his lawyer, who argued the case had a “political background.” The court imposed a 90-day fine of €125 per day—just below the threshold for a criminal record. Prosecutors had sought 110 daily rates.

The lawmaker had posted the collage after the dismissal of former Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk, captioned “Bye, bye Melnyk! German politicians wave goodbye!” His lawyer admitted in court that Bystron had written the caption himself.

The verdict is not yet final and can be appealed within a week. Bystron has denied wrongdoing and described the proceedings as politically motivated.

He also faces separate charges of money laundering and bribery over alleged payments from the pro-Russian outlet Voice of Europe to promote Moscow’s interests in Germany.

Another AfD figure, Thuringia state leader Björn Höcke, has twice been convicted for using banned Nazi-era slogans.

Guten Tag from DW’s newsroom in Bonn.

You join us after a Munich court fined far-right Alternative for Germany lawmaker Petr Bystron a hefty sum for posting a social media collage showing Angela Merkel and others appearing to perform a banned Hitler salute.

Judges said the 2022 image used Nazi symbols “through the composition of the photos.”

In other news, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has defended the Russian-backed Nord Stream gas pipelines as “still right,” clashing with lawmakers who questioned his role in the project.

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