Representatives of the CDU are concerned about the safety of Germany’s gold reserves in storage at the US Federal Reserve, Bild reports. In particular, the publication cites the opinion of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) MP Marco Vandervitz, who, according to Bild, unsuccessfully tried to inspect the gold reserves in 2012, trying to force the Bundesbank to either take on a more active role as custodian or repatriate them to Germany.
MEP Markus Ferber (CDU) also called for more thorough inspections of German gold stored in the United States.
“Bundesbank officials should personally count the bullion and document their results,” Bild quoted him as saying.
Germany has the second largest gold reserves in the world, and keeps 37% of them – about 1,236 metric tons worth 113 billion euros – in the vaults of the Federal Reserve System of New York. These reserves of the precious metal ensure that the Bundesbank will have access to what it can exchange for US dollars (or any other hard currency) if needed.
German politicians are concerned about both Trump’s tariff policy and his attempts to expand his powers and become above the US judicial system.
In February, Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel told Bild: “We have (…) no doubt that in the New York Fed we have a reliable partner for the storage of our foreign exchange reserves.”
The publication points out that concerns about the fate of gold have been exacerbated by “none other than billionaire and senior Trump administration official Elon Musk, who called for a review of the US’s own foreign exchange reserves.”
In 2024, the German residential real estate market faced a number of challenges, including falling prices, slowing construction and rising borrowing costs. Here are the key trends and forecasts for 2025, focusing on the country’s largest cities.
Decline in housing prices
In the first half of 2024, the average asking prices for new and existing apartments decreased by about 3.6% compared to the same period in 2023. This decline is less pronounced than in previous periods, when the drop reached 7.3% and 7.4%, respectively. The largest annual decline was recorded in Frankfurt am Main – by 6.5%, while in Hamburg the decline was only 0.6%.
The situation in major cities
Munich: The most expensive city in Germany with an average price of about 11,000 euros per square meter. In 2024, there was a 5.2% decline in prices for new buildings.
Berlin: The average housing price was around 7,920 euros per square meter.
Hamburg: A 5% decline in new construction prices, which is one of the smallest declines among major cities.
Frankfurt am Main: The largest year-on-year price decline of 6.5%.
Düsseldorf and Leipzig: On the contrary, these cities recorded an increase in prices for new buildings by 4.1% and 8.7%, respectively.
Housing shortage and construction activity
According to a study by the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR), Germany needs to build 320,000 new apartments every year until 2030 to meet growing demand, boosted by the influx of immigrants from Ukraine and Syria. However, in 2024, only 216,000 apartments were authorized, the lowest number since 2010 and reflecting the real estate crisis.
Financial performance and investments
Germany’s largest real estate group, Vonovia, reported its third consecutive annual loss in 2024, amounting to EUR 962.3 million, due to significant write-downs in property values. Nevertheless, CEO Rolf Buch predicts a return to profitability in 2025, provided that real estate prices stabilize.
Forecast for 2025
German house prices are expected to grow by 3.5% in 2025, although there is a significant risk of weaker growth. The market continues to face difficulties due to high borrowing and construction costs. Rental growth is expected to exceed house price growth, making it difficult for potential buyers to save a down payment.
In general, the German residential real estate market in 2024 was characterized by declining prices and slowing construction activity. Forecasts for 2025 suggest a moderate increase in prices, but the market remains sensitive to economic and political factors.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/analysis-of-residential-real-estate-market-in-germany/
The desire of Ukrainians who fled the war to stay in Germany even after the end of hostilities is linked to their increasing integration into German society, according to an analysis by the Institute for Research on the Labor Market and Professions (IAB). “The high level of education and strong desire to integrate among Ukrainian refugees create opportunities for both sides, especially given the demographic changes and the lack of qualified personnel in Germany,” said IAB expert Yulia Kosyakova.
However, for mutually beneficial relations to develop, Germany should be more active in helping Ukrainians find jobs, learn the language and recognize professional qualifications, Kosyakova said.
The IAB study shows that on average, only 22% of Ukrainian refugees aged 18 to 64 are employed. 57% of Ukrainian women and 50% of men work in Germany in positions that do not correspond to their qualifications. Most often, Ukrainians find work in the cleaning industry, catering, and social services, including care for people with disabilities. The average monthly gross income of Ukrainians working full-time is EUR 2,600, which is significantly lower than the average in Germany (EUR 4,479).
At the same time, according to the study, 97% of adult refugees have a school education, 75% have vocational or higher education, and 90% have work experience in their home country. Only 20% were able to officially confirm their diplomas and qualifications in Germany.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/bilshe-polovyny-ukrainskykh-bizhentsi/
Exit polls conducted after the parliamentary elections in Germany indicate the victory of the CDU/CSU opposition bloc, Bild reported on its Telegram channel on Sunday. The leader of the race was the CDU/CSU party led by Friedrich Merz, which, according to exit polls, received 29% of the vote. This means that Merz will become the new chancellor.
“Compared to the 2021 elections, the Christian Democrats have significantly strengthened their position,” Bild writes.
The second place, according to the polls, was taken by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which almost doubled its previous result, gaining about 19%.
“However, despite its success, it will remain in opposition, as other parties are not ready to cooperate with it,” Bild notes.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) under the leadership of Olaf Scholz suffered a catastrophic defeat, receiving only 16% of the vote – the worst result in 135 years. The Greens (about 13%) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which is teetering on the brink of entering parliament, also suffered serious losses.
Bild calls the return of the Left party “unexpected”, which, despite weakening after the departure of Sarah Wagenknecht, managed to overcome the 5% threshold and gain about 8%. At the same time, the BSW movement, founded by Wagenknecht, stopped at around 5%: it is still unclear whether the party will get into the Bundestag or not.
Now the main question is who will join the ruling coalition. So far, an alliance of the CDU/CSU with the SPD seems to be a possible option, as the Conservatives and the Greens may not have enough votes.
“We can expect certainty in the coming weeks, when negotiations on the formation of a new government begin,” Bild observers note. Information and analytical center Experts Club and Active Group have previously released a video analysis of the most important elections in the world in 2025, more details in the video review – https://youtu.be/u1NMbFCCRx0?si=-rc6YHH7EA1pnr7w
Polling stations have opened in Germany for the early Bundestag elections. They will be open until 18.00 on Sunday. A total of 29 political parties are running in the election.
Since 08:00 on Sunday, February 23, polling stations have opened throughout Germany for voting in the early Bundestag elections. They will be open until 18.00.
There are about 59.2 million voters in the country. Of these, 24.9 million (42%) are over 60 years old. About 2.3 million voters (3.9%) are young people who have reached the age of 18 and are eligible to vote in federal elections for the first time.
About 200,000 more German citizens registered to vote abroad. Their total number is estimated at about 3-4 million. The reason for the low turnout among them is bureaucratic difficulties and the need to send a ballot to their home country by mail.
A total of 29 political parties are running in the elections. In all 16 federal states, 10 of them will run: The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Union 90/Greens, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Left Party, the Sarah Wagenknecht Union (SZV), the Free Voters, Volt, the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany, and the Alliance Germany. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is running in 15 states, except Bavaria. Its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), is running there.
Pre-election polls promised the greatest support for the conservative CDU/CSU bloc. It was followed by the far-right AfD. Then came the center-left SPD and the left-liberal Greens. The rating of the Left Party, the left-wing populist FDP and the liberal FDP hovered around the 5% required to enter the Bundestag. According to sociologists, about 20% of voters were undecided about whom to vote for and whether to go to the polls at all.
The Experts Club and Active Group have previously released a video analysis of the most important elections in the world in 2025 https://youtu.be/u1NMbFCCRx0?si=-rc6YHH7EA1pnr7w
Source: https://amp.dw.com/ru/v-germanii-nacalos-golosovanie-na-vyborah-v-bundestag/a-71717875
The number of unemployed in Germany in January 2025 reached almost three million, which was a record for the last decade.
This is reported by DW with reference to the Federal Employment Agency.
According to official data, the unemployment rate in Germany increased by 0.4 points since December 2024 and reached 6.4%. This means that the number of unemployed in the country increased by almost 200 thousand more compared to the previous year and reached 2.993 million. The sharp rise in unemployment in January is typical, as many seasonal labor contracts end with the New Year and weather-dependent work, such as in construction, comes to a halt.
At the same time, German employers see the data released by the Federal Employment Agency as a worrying signal.
According to Rainer Dulger, president of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations of Germany, “the economic and structural weakness of the German economy is hitting the labor market with all its might.”
