Latest Germany Headlines

All the headlines from our Germany Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Germany Hit by Strikes as Workers Demand Better Pay and Conditions

Feb 6 2024 // Germany has been hit by a series of strikes since the start of 2024 as unions press for higher wages and improved working conditions to make up for high inflation and staff shortages in Europe’s largest economy. The...

Europe’s Toughest ESG Rule Hits Wall of German Objections

Feb 2 2024 // The European Union’s most stringent ESG rule to date may be scuppered due to eleventh-hour German opposition to the plan. The EU was on track to move forward with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive...

Gallagher Acquires German Specialty Broker Köberich Financial Lines

Jan 8 2024 // Gallagher announced it has acquired Köberich Financial Lines. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Köberich specializes in D&O insurance, plus other financial lines products including cyber, warranties &...

Extreme Weather in Germany Costs Insurers US$5.4 Billion in 2023: GDV

Dec 29 2023 // Extreme weather in Germany again caused high insurance claims this year, with an estimated price tag of €4.9 billion (US$5.4 billion) during 2023, according to the German Insurance Association (GDV). This extreme weather...

German Companies Seeking to Cut Risk of Doing Business in China: Survey

Dec 5 2023 // Nearly half of German companies operating in China are taking measures to reduce the risk of doing business there largely due to growing geopolitical tensions, according to a new survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in...

River Rhine in South Germany Closed to Shipping Due to High Water Levels

Nov 20 2023 // Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remain closed to shipping on Monday after a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, navigation authorities said on Monday. Rhine river shipping remains stopped around...

People Moves: QBE Germany Appoints 2 Marine U/Ws; BHSI Names Jaghbir as Underwriting Manager in Queensland, Australia

Oct 25 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at QBE Germany and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI). A summary of these new hires follows here. QBE Germany Appoints 2 Marine U/Ws QBE Germany...

Hannover Re’s Germany Unit Expects Further Price Hikes at January Renewals

Oct 23 2023 // E+S Rückversicherung AG, the Hannover Re subsidiary responsible for the group’s German business, expects further price increases and improved conditions during the Jan. 1, 2024 reinsurance renewals. Natural...

Derisking Dilemma: How German Companies Are Tackling China Risk

Oct 19 2023 // Thomas Nuernberger is preparing for tougher times. For the past seven years, the 55-year-old has run the Chinese unit of fan and motor maker ebm-papst, and business has been good. But, as tensions simmer between Berlin and...

Germany to Send Air Defenses for Kyiv to Guard Grain Routes

Oct 6 2023 // Germany plans to supply additional air defenses for Ukraine to help protect grain shipments from potential Russian attacks, according to people familiar with the matter. Berlin will send one extra IRIS-T air defense system...

Low Water Levels Hamper Rhine River Shipping in Germany

Oct 5 2023 // Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Thursday. Low water...

PE Firm Cinven Eyes Sale of German Life Insurer Viridium: Sources

Oct 3 2023 // Cinven is considering a sale of German life insurer Viridium after another of its insurance investments in Europe, Eurovita, was hit by heavy customer outflows earlier in the year, three people familiar with the matter...

Tech Startups in US, France, Germany Help in Fight Against Wildfires

Sep 25 2023 // This year has been a challenging one for Phil Schneider, who hasn’t seen wildfire behavior like this in his 47-year firefighting career. Blazes raged through more than 2,000 acres of wildland in recent months in his...

People Moves: DUAL Appoints McGinn From Allianz as UK CEO; Howden Germany Taps Aon’s Breeck to Lead New Large Corporate Clients Unit

Sep 5 2023 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the Howden MGA DUAL and at the broker Howden Germany. A summary of these new hires follows here. DUAL Appoints McGinn From Allianz as UK CEO DUAL, the...

Cargo Thieves Target Electronics, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals: German Insurance Study

Aug 17 2023 // German transport insurers report a significant increase in stolen goods – with thieves targeting electronic devices as well as chemical and pharmaceutical products. Every 20 minutes, goods are stolen from a truck,...

German Cabinet Passes Landmark Bill Over Legal Cannabis Use

Aug 16 2023 // Germany’s cabinet passed a contentious bill on Wednesday to legalize recreational marijuana use and cultivation, one of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe that could potentially provide further momentum for a...

Microsoft Hit With EU Antitrust Complaint by German Rival Over Bundling of Teams App

Jul 21 2023 // Microsoft was hit with an EU antitrust complaint by German rival alfaview on Thursday, the second so far over its bundling of video app Teams into its Office product, as the bloc’s regulator prepares to investigate...

Howden Acquires German Marine Broker Northern Lloyd

Jun 16 2023 // Howden, the London-based insurance broker, announced it has strengthened its marine offering in Europe with the acquisition of Bremen-based broker Northern Lloyd, one of the leading marine brokers in Northern Germany. The...

BioNTech Faces First German Lawsuit Over Alleged COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

Jun 12 2023 // BioNTech will go to court on Monday to defend itself against a lawsuit from a German woman who is seeking damages for alleged side effects of its COVID-19 vaccine, the first of potentially hundreds of cases in the...

War in Ukraine Prompts Hike in Cyber Attacks on German Businesses

Jun 12 2023 // More than one in 10 German companies were the victim of a cyberattack last year, according to a new study, with the war in Ukraine prompting a steep increase in hacking in Europe’s largest economy. In a survey...