2000 untätigkeitsklage filed in 2025 against LEA (Ausländerbehorde) for taking too long to decide on German citizenship applications. [1] If your application is stuck for more than 10 months, this law firm is filing Untätigkeitsklage for FREE.
Pension reform proposed by Merz has passed without amendments. The reform stabilizes the pension level at 48% of average wages until 2031. Read more about the pension reform in our last week's newsletter.
2026 budget has passed. More on it later.
You can withdraw cash from grocery stores like Rewe, Edeka, etc., without making a purchase. The proposal needs formal approval by the European Parliament and the Council. [2]
Germany 2026 budget highlights
Total spending: €524.5 billion
Debt: €180 billion
Interest paymentson debt: approximately €30-34 billion
Key areas where the government is investing
Infrastructure: Approximately €58.3 billion is allocated from the main budget and a similar amount from the special €500 billion fund. The investment will be used to expand electric vehicle charging stations, modernize rail, and upgrade the road network.
Equipment & Procurement (weapons, munitions): munitions (€12.6 billion ), IT/cyber (€2.5 billion), artillery/drones/armor for Ukraine aid (€11.5 billion).
Other: cyber hub (€40 million) and research/culture (€7.4 million)
Climate and Energy: €82 billion
€33 billion: Funds renewables, energy efficiency in homes, hydrogen tech, and transport upgrades.
€49 billion: Supports grid expansion and energy infrastructure.
Social Housing: €2.65 billion for affordable housing development and social infrastructure.
Research and Innovation: €17.1 billion for digitalization initiatives and artificial intelligence.
How much budget is spent on social security?
€197.4 billion is allocated to social security. It's 38% of the total budget. It was €184 billion in 2024.
Pension Insurance: €128 billion goes to the statutory pension system to maintain stability as the population ages.
Basic Security in Old Age/Disability (Grundsicherung): €12.3 billion - supplements for low pensions.
Citizen's Income (Bürgergeld): €51 billion
€28 billion core benefits
€13 billion housing costs
€4.7 billion job integration.
What does this mean for you?
As an investor, investing in defense companies in the near term is lucrative.
Portion of the budget contributing towards social security is increasing. This is unsustainable. Hence, a premium increase is inevitable for the next 5 years. Moreover, if you are under 50, take retirement planning seriously.
German debt is increasing rapidly. Unless the investments deliver the returns the government expects, the Euro's devaluation is inevitable. Diversify your investments and cash outside Europe.
Health insurance premiums will increase again in 2026. Insurance companies will announce the premium increase soon. If your insurer increases the premium, you have the special right to terminate the contract. You can switch to an insurer with a lower premium. We have built a calculator you can use to estimate your savings potential.
Eligibility criteria for social security benefits (Elterngeld, Bürgergeld, etc.) will become tougher in the near future.
If you are preparing for the Einbürgerungs test, you can accelerate your preparation by enrolling in our FREE email course or buying flashcards (50% off).
C24 under BaFin's radar
BaFin has identified issues with C24 Bank's anti-money laundering and fraud-prevention measures.
What this means for you:
If you are looking for a new bank, choose a different provider from our list for current accounts.
If you are already a C24 customer, you don't need to take any immediate action. Your money is not at risk. However, it's always wise to be careful with online banking and follow best practices to avoid phishing scams.
We will continue to monitor the situation and inform you as the situation develops.
One of our readers also shared a bad experience with C24. C24 blocked the user's account, and they had trouble getting their money back.
We have seen this problem often with fintech banks. This is why we recommend opening at least two bank accounts: One with a traditional bank and one with an online bank.
If you have experienced any issues with C24 lately, please reply to this email and share your story.
Reviews mean everything for online platforms, and GermanPedia is no different.
You can help us compete in Google search by leaving reviews on Google. These really (yes, really) help and are a vital part of Google's discovery and recommendation algorithms.
So, if you find what we are doing helpful, please leave a simple star rating or a short review on Google. This will help more users discover GermanPedia.
Germany’s gas storage levels have declined from about 75% to 71%. It's because of the colder weather and higher gas use for power generation. This has intensified political debate, with AfD urging renewed Russian imports. [1]
Alice Weidel delivers a fierce 21-minute Bundestag speech accusing the Merz-led coalition of driving Germany into five crises—social welfare overload, mass migration, industrial decline, energy shortages, and soaring national debt. She presented a 12-point AfD “emergency program” as a solution. Read the AfD's 12-point reform here.
Rossmann has quit the Association of Family Entrepreneurs after the group decided to hold talks with the far-right AfD. [2]
Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned amid a major corruption investigation. The investigation included searches of his apartment. [3]
AfD forms new youth organization. Around 1,000 AfD members will gather on November 29, 2025, at the Messe in Gießen, Hesse, to formally establish the new youth organization. [4]
Community Shoutouts! 📣
SIM24* is offering a 60GB mobile data plan for 9.99€ per month.
C24* is offering a 75€ bonus for opening a new account. You must also transfer your existing checking account using the CHECK24 account switching service.
Perplexity is offering a 12-month Pro subscription for free. You can sign up here.
Google Gemini is offering a 12-month free Pro subscription to students. You can get it here.
Join our Facebook community. Ask questions, share experiences, join webinars, and stay updated about your rights, laws, and latest changes in real time.
The information provided here is based on our own experience and in-depth research. The content might be inaccurate. It should not be considered financial, insurance, tax, legal, or any kind of advice.
We are not certified brokers or consultants. Always do your research and contact certified professionals before making any decision. GermanPedia disclaims any and all liability for damages or losses arising from the use of this document.
We finance our extensive work via affiliate links. Thus, some or all of the links in the post might be affiliate links.
We get money if you click on such a link or conclude a contract with the provider without costing you a cent extra.
Investment involves risk of losing money.
All links marked with the "*" are affiliate links.
New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Important changes The EU and India concluded the history's biggest trade deal. More on it later. Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled that tenants cannot sublet apartments for profit. More on it later Cryptocurrency exchanges are required to report user data and transactions to the tax authorities from 2026. Verdi has called for a nationwide strike in local public transport on Monday, 2...
New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Important changes Several dog snacks from Dog’s Nature GmbH are being recalled due to Salmonella contamination. Kaufland and Norma sell these dog snacks. If you bought one recently, you can return it even without a receipt. [1] Germany reintroduced the EV subsidy. If your family income is less than 90,000€ and you have children, you are eligible for a subsidy of up to €6,000. You can learn more about EV...
New here? Check out GermanPediaDid someone forward you this? Subscribe to this newsletter. Important changes European wholesale gas prices jumped about 20% within a week. This is due to cold weather, rapidly declining storage levels, and new geopolitical risks around Iran and global LNG flows. You may expect a big heating bill if the prices continue to rise. [1] Public health insurance companies announced the premium increases on 23 Dec 2025. We have updated our guide and listed the premiums...
