Germany news: Temperatures to soar amid new heatwave

What you need to know

New heatwave scorches Germany
The German automaker BMW intends to cut 8,000 office jobs
The German government's cabinet reshuffle has been formalized
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says he will 'very likely' retire after the coming football season

Germany bakes, as another heatwave sweeps the country

Temperatures rose to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of western and southwestern Germany on Wednesday, as the high-pressure system "Olaf" makes the country sweat.

And yet, peak temperatures will likely only be reached on Thursday, when the heat is expected to reach as high as 39 C (102 F) in some areas of Germany, according to the German Meteorological Service (DWD).

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecasted to follow the heat, with hurricane-force wind gusts possible in northern Germany.

The recent heatwave comes just weeks after Germany faced an early summer heatwave in June, which broke temperature records, with a high of 41.8 C (107 F) recorded in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The June heatwave is believed to have caused over 5,100 excess deaths in Germany alone, with thousands of others in neighboring European countries.

Thorsten Frei confirmed as conservative parliamentary faction chief

Thorsten Frei was confirmed as the parliamentary faction chief of the conservative bloc on Wednesday afternoon.

In a vote at a special session of lawmakers from the governing CDU and CSU parties, Frei received 91.9% of the vote.

Frei, a close confidant of Friedrich Merz, previously served as the chancellor's chief of staff. He replaces Jens Spahn, who stepped down as faction chief this month after it became known that he and his partner had a child via surrogacy, a practice that is prohibited in Germany and which Spahn himself had spoken out against in the past.

German Cabinet backs AI-assisted processing of asylum applications

Germany's Cabinet, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, approved legislation on Wednesday that would allowartificial intelligence to assist authorities in processing asylum, visa and residence permit applications.

The proposed law aims to "speed up administrative processes, enable more targeted use of resources, and facilitate a systematic evaluation of current practices."

In recent years, government agencies responsible for migration issues have faced consistently high application numbers, while staff remains limited. As a result, applicants often experience long waiting periods for decisions.

The bill aims to provide a legal framework for how government agencies can use AI to support data analysis and decision-making.

It also allows migration officials to use application data to train and test AI models. Administrators would also be permitted to analyze data from previous cases to identify patterns in decision-making, which could lead to harmonized and accelerated workflows.

The government stressed, however, that AI would only be a supporting tool for officials and that final assessments and rulings in each case would remain the responsibility of human caseworkers.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says retirement 'very likely'

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said he was "very likely" to go into retirement the end of the upcoming season.

Neuer, who is 40 years old and also captain of the Bayern team, has had an accomplished career, winning 13 Bundesliga and two Champions League titles with the team.

Moreover, as goalie of the German national team, he was part of the winning squad in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Neuer retired from international football after the European Championship 2024 only to temporarily come out of retirement for the 2026 World Cup, a decision that did not come without controversy.

Speaking to reporters during the training camp in Southern Bavaria, he expressed hope that the upcoming Bayern season would help overcome the frustration of Germany's poor showing at the World Cup, which ended in a Round of 32 loss to Paraguay.

Neuer also credited the Bayern team and structure for staying on.

"In perhaps 85% of cases, I would have stopped," Neuer said.

"But with this team, the staff and the coaching team, it is simply a lot of fun. We always have the chance to compete for every title and this squad is right at the highest level."

Germany reshuffles Cabinet after Spahn resignation

Germany's government has moved forward with a Cabinet reshuffle sparked by the resignation of conservative parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier formally appointed Nina Warken as head of the Federal Chancellery on Wednesday, along with Carsten Linnemann as health minister and Steffen Bilger as transport minister.

The three politicians received their certificates of appointment at a ceremony in Berlin.

Thorsten Frei, whom Warken replaces at the Chancellery, is due to be elected later on Wednesday as leader of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative parliamentary bloc.

The reshuffle comes as Merz's government struggles in opinion polls ahead of three closely watched state elections in September, where the far-right Alternative for Germany is expected to make significant gains.

Carmaking giant BMW to cut up to 8,000 jobs

BMW aims to cut up to 8,000 by the end of 2027, according to company sources. The German carmaker said the reduction would primarily target office jobs, while production line workers will be spared from cuts.

The Munich-based automaker hopes to achieve the cuts through natural staff turnover as well as a voluntary redundancy scheme. The latter would be aimed at all employees in Germany not directly involved in production, who could choose to accept severance packages in a period from October 2026 to the end of 2027.

The company currently employs 84,000 staff in Germany, and roughly 154,000 globally.

BMW is the latest German car company to announce job cuts, following similar moves by rival brands Volkswagen, Mercedes and Volkswagen-owned Audi.

Germany prestigious car industry is struggling amid stiff competition from Chinese carmakers, US tariffs, and narrower profit margins from electric cars.

BMW was long considered one of the sector's more resilient players. The planned cuts come after the company warned last month that its sales in China were falling sharply.

Lawmakers expected to endorse Merz's picks for new government ministers

After conservative parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn quit over a surrogacy scandal. Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a series of top-level changes in the German government.

On Wednesday, members of the conservative bloc are meeting in a special session where they are expected to approve Merz's picks, including the choice of Thorsten Frei as a replacement to Spahn as the conservatives new parliamentary faction chief.

Later in the day, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will appoint a series of new ministers. Nina Warken is to take over as the chancellery's new chief of staff, while Carsten Linneman is to become health minister, and Steffen Bilger to take over as transport minister.

Merz has faced significant backlash in his own party for replacing Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, who hails from Rhineland Palatinate, as other conservatives from the western German state protested the move.

Under Germany's constitution, incoming ministers are required to take an official oath before parliament, the Bundestag. However, with the Bundestag currently in its summer recess, the swearing-in is expected to take place only when lawmakers return in September 9.

Welcome to our coverage!

Temperatures are rising in Bonn once again as DW's online news team wishes you a *Guten Tag * and welcomes you to our latest Germany news blog.

BMW has said it intends to cut 8,000 jobs, as it joins a growing list of major German carmakers undertaking significant workforce reductions.

Meanwhile, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to appoint the new government ministers after the ruling coalition lawmakers confirm the candidates picked by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.