Questions raised over “firewall” against AfD after state parliament speaker elected, chancellor pays tribute to Israel on anniversary of October 7th attacks, foreign minister warns of new migration due to climate change and more news on Wednesday.
Today’s top story: SPD demands answers from CDU after AfD after far-right speaker elected in Saxony-Anhalt
Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have demanded answers from their coalition partner at the federal level, the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), after an Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician was elected president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt for the first time.
Tobias Rausch secured 48 votes in Tuesday’s inaugural parliament session in Magdeburg, despite the AfD and the BSW holding only 44 seats combined. The result has raised questions about whether CDU representatives helped elect Rausch.
READ ALSO: German far-right AfD gains first ever parliamentary speaker
The SPD staged a protest later on Tuesday against the election of Rausch, walking from Brandenburg Gate to Bebelplatz. It comes amid renewed debate over the so-called “firewall” against cooperation with the far right.
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The CDU leadership in Saxony-Anhalt had recommended that its 15 members abstain from voting, but only five did so. Responding to speculation that the four additional votes for Rausch had come from the CDU, parliamentary group leader Sven Schulze stated that this could not be verified as it was a secret ballot.
Meanwhile, senior CDU politician Thorsten Frei described the result as “extremely worrying and a cause for concern”.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil called the election a breach of a political taboo and said both the BSW and CDU needed to explain how it happened.
The vote has also fuelled speculation about whether AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund could become Saxony-Anhalt’s next minister-president following the vote in December.
READ ALSO: Why the Alternative for Germany is considered a far-right extremist party
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider (L) and Tobias Rausch from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party discuss with BSW deputy caucus chair Claudia Wittig (R) during a break of a session at the State Parliament in Magdeburg on October 6, 2026. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / POOL / AFP)
German Chancellor marks October 7th attacks
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and existence on the third anniversary of the October 7th attacks by Hamas.
“Germany stands firmly by Israel’s side,” Merz said. “Our Israeli friends can count on our commitment to ensuring that such a crime is never repeated.
“We are committed to Israel’s security and existence – that is the lesson of the Shoah and part of German identity.”
Merz also called for efforts to establish a new order in which Israelis, Palestinians and their neighbours could live in peace and security.
“We are convinced that this goal can best be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel,” said Merz.
Around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 people were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on the Nova music festival in Israel in October 2023. The subsequent war in Gaza has resulted in mass destruction and more than 72,000 Palestinian deaths.
READ ALSO: Why Germany is holding back from recognising Palestine as a state
German ex-spy chief arrested for suspected espionage said to be in contact with ‘operative for Azerbaijan’
Fresh details are emerging about a former German spy chief who was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and treason.
August Hanning, who ran Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, is accused of espionage, treason and working for foreign intelligence services, federal prosecutors said.
They did not say which foreign powers were involved. However, media reports that it was not Russia.
The news magazine Spiegel, citing unnamed sources, reported that Hanning had been in contact with an intelligence operative for Azerbaijan.
Hanning’s former chief of staff, partially named as Manfred D. who continued working for the spy agency until March 2026, was also arrested.
He is accused of obtaining classified information while working for Hanning’s successors and selling them to his former boss, who was working as a private sector consultant.
Hanning then allegedly used the information in his private consulting work, which included preparing a briefing for a foreign spy and passing information to an agent of another foreign intelligence service, prosecutors said.
According to Spiegel’s report, the briefing was prepared for the Azerbaijani spy.
READ ALSO: Ex-German spy chief arrested for espionage and treason
Foreign minister warns of new migration due to climate change
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) is warning about new migration flows and security issues linked to climate change.
“Particularly in fragile states, climate change exacerbates hardship and hunger – and can thus also become fertile ground for extremism and terrorism or lead to waves of migration,” the CDU politician said at the opening of a climate and security conference in Berlin.
“Wherever war and crises prevail, climate change exacerbates the situation,” he added.
Well-implemented climate protection, on the other hand, contributes to security by making states more resilient, he suggested.
He noted that decentralised and renewable energy sources are therefore important for national security. They are more difficult to destroy and not dependent on imported fossil fuels.
Johann Wadephul (CDU), Minister of Foreign Affairs, pictured during a press briefing ahead of the UN Security Council meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler
The conference brings together around 250 international actors from the fields of climate, peace and security – including representatives from particularly affected countries, the United Nations, the European Union and other international organisations.
Fewer number of gas stations in Germany breaking ’12 o’clock rule’ – but violations remain
The German government has introduced measures to relieve drivers at the petrol pump after fuel prices shot up in the wake of conflict in the Middle East.
One of them – known as the 12 o’clock rule – prevents gas stations from raising their prices more than once a day.
A price increase can only happen at midday, while gas stations are allowed to lower their prices at any time of day.
According to an analysis by public broadcaster SWR, fewer petrol stations are breaking this rule, which has been in place since April. In September, just over 780 operators were found to have increased prices more than an hour before or after noon – around a third fewer than at the end of July.
But the rule is still being broken thousands of times. SWR recorded more than 3,600 suspected price increases outside the permitted timeframe in September, although these were concentrated among fewer stations than earlier in the year.
Esso stations were particularly prominent: 18 stations recorded 561 suspected violations, accounting for more than 15 percent of all serious cases, the report found.
Enforcement remains patchy across Germany, with several states still working out who should investigate suspected violations.
READ ALSO: How much will Germany’s fuel tax cut save drivers?
With reporting by DPA, AFP and Paul Krantz