Key Takeaways:
- Germany’s interior minister faces EU pressure to lift border checks within Schengen.
- A new Hindu temple opens in Berlin after 20 years of planning.
- EU court rules German asylum benefit cuts unlawful.
- A Lufthansa Boeing 787 Dreamliner tips onto its nose at Frankfurt Airport.
Germany’s Schengen Border Checks: A Political Storm
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is under mounting pressure from European partners over his refusal to lift internal border controls within the Schengen Area. At a meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg, Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner urged Berlin to start phasing out the measures, insisting “Schengen must function.”
Luxembourg’s foreign minister, Léon Gloden, went further, calling for an immediate suspension of the controls. Dobrindt, however, rejected the criticism, arguing the checks remain “effective” and necessary. He insisted that stronger protection of the EU’s external borders must come first before any discussion of easing internal controls.
EU Questions Germany’s Justification
The European Commission also questioned Germany’s justification, stating Berlin has not provided sufficient evidence to support measures that deviate from the principle of free movement. Under Schengen rules, internal border controls are only permitted in exceptional circumstances and as a last resort.
Criticism has also come from within Germany. Green Party politicians accused Dobrindt of undermining European unity and misallocating police resources. Currently, nine Schengen countries continue to operate border checks, despite calls from Brussels to end them. Germany has maintained controls, in varying forms, since 2015.
A New Hindu Temple Opens in Berlin
After more than two decades of planning and construction, a new Hindu temple has opened in Berlin’s Neukölln district, marking a milestone for the city’s growing Hindu community. The Sri Ganesha Temple on Hasenheide near Hermannplatz will welcome visitors from this weekend, with religious ceremonies formally consecrating the site.
The inauguration ritual on Sunday will bless the temple’s 17-metre tower with water from the Spree and the Ganges. Construction began in 2010 and was funded entirely through donations, with total costs exceeding €1 million. Some elements, including the final placement of deity statues, are still being completed.
The temple, with its gold-plated tower and ornate blue façade, is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. It is the second Hindu temple in Berlin, reflecting the steady growth of the city’s Hindu population.
EU Court Rules German Asylum Benefit Cuts Unlawful
Germany’s policy of sharply cutting benefits for rejected asylum-seekers violates European Union law, the bloc’s highest court has ruled. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) found that essential support, including clothing and basic household items, cannot be withdrawn even after an asylum claim has been rejected.
Judges stressed that such provisions are among the “most basic needs” required to ensure human dignity and protect both physical and mental health. The case centred on an Afghan asylum-seeker awaiting transfer from Germany to Romania, who had been left with only food, shelter, and healthcare under rules introduced in 2024.
Critics described the system as reducing support to little more than “bed, bread and soap.”
The court made clear that EU law requires a minimum standard of living, including some financial support to enable participation in social life. Campaigners welcomed the ruling, calling it a reinforcement of fundamental rights. However, the new EU migration pact due to take effect may allow member states to reduce certain benefits—potentially limiting the ruling’s practical impact.
Lufthansa Boeing 787 Tips Onto Nose at Frankfurt Airport
A Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner tipped onto its nose at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, injuring several staff. The incident occurred at 12:45 pm just before passengers were to board the flight to Los Angeles.
“The aircraft’s nose gear unexpectedly retracted while it was parked,” a Lufthansa spokeswoman told AFP. Cabin crew and ground staff were on board, and several were injured, though only lightly. They received medical treatment.
The flight to Los Angeles was cancelled. “Experts are currently on site and inspecting the aircraft,” Lufthansa said. The plane, only one year old and delivered in January, will be moved to a hangar for further inspections before repair.
One in Three German Inventions Now Foreign-Owned
A study by the German Economic Institute (IW) reveals that nearly one in three inventions developed in Germany has been transferred to foreign ownership. Between 2000 and 2022, around 189,000 transnational patents filed by German inventors are now held by overseas companies.
Of these, just under a third belong to owners in the United States, while about 11% have gone to Switzerland. The rise of Chinese ownership is notable: 11,300 German-developed patents are now held by Chinese entities, up from virtually none at the start of the millennium.
Analysts emphasize that cross-border patent ownership is part of normal global competition, but the IW warns of a growing imbalance. Strategic acquisitions by Chinese firms, combined with limited access for foreign investors in China, raise concerns for Europe. The study also points to a broader decline in Germany’s innovation capacity, with its global share of transnational patents falling significantly over the past two decades.