Germany news: Sugar tax plan leaves sour taste

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, August 26, 2026:

As part of the Matryoshka campaign , which is targeting major regional German elections in September, the DW Fact check team discovered numerous fake posts claiming that some politicians and business people are trying to divide Germany once again.

However, this is a fabricated campaign. According to experts, Russia has one goal with this campaign.

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Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Cabinet are back and face numerous thorny issues following the summer recess.

Their reform plans could be undermined by a wobbly economy and low poll ratings for the government, and especially for the chancellor himself.

A fresh opinion poll less than two weeks before regional elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt reinforces the far-right Alternative for Germany 's comfortable lead.

But it still paints a picture where it's uncertain who, if anyone, might emerge with a viable ruling majority in the state parliament.

The latest survey by Infratest-Dimap for public broadcaster ARD puts the right-wing populist (AfD on 42% support.

That's 20% clear of the next party in line, the CDU, on 22%.

The socialist Left Party ( die Linke ) are third on 11%, with the Social Democrats on just 8% and the Greens barely clearing the 5% hurdle to guarantee parliamentary representation, at 6%.

The FDP and the left-wing populist BSW are both polling below the 5% threshold.

Because no other German parties say they will cooperate with the AfD, a position known as the "firewall," the party might not be able to form a government even if it emerges as by far the largest single party, as it might not command an outright majority.

But to the same token, the other parties combined would barely command a majority in parliament even putting all their seats together based on Wednesday's projections. And an alliance between them all would require the destruction of another German political firewall of sorts, the CDU/CSU's refusal to work with the Left Party, effectively the political successor of the East German communist government.

For a deeper dive on the rural northeastern state ahead of the vote, check out this feature from Jens Thurau on our politics desk .

Two Frankfurt Airport employees have died after contracting malaria in an unusual cluster of cases linked to an imported mosquito. Six airport workers have been infected. Frankfurt health officials have said the the other four are recovering well.

Shop owners with migrant backgrounds in Magdeburg have closed their businesses for several hours in protest at strong polling figures for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) .

Around 150 businesses, including restaurants, barber shops, kiosks and other stores, had pledged to close, according to organizers.

Some German-run businesses had also announced they would take part.

A rally was also held outside the state parliament at midday.

"With the shop closures, we want to send a visible and strong signal against racism and fascism," one organizer told the DPA news agency.

She accused the AfD of fueling racism by blaming migrants, refugees and people of different backgrounds for social problems.

"We want to encourage people to take a closer look and engage with the AfD's political positions and party program," she said.

Saxony-Anhalt holds its state election on September 6. The AfD, which the state's domestic intelligence agency classifies as right-wing extremist, is currently polling well ahead of the governing Christian Democrats.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has warned that hybrid attacks on Germany are likely to intensify. He said new security laws should be adopted before the end of the year.

Dobrindt said the threat from sabotage, espionage and covert operations by foreign powers had been discussed at the government's cabinet retreat in Neuhardenberg.

"We want to swiftly implement the security laws that we consider necessary this year," he said.

Dobrindt said some of the measures had been politically disputed for decades, but argued that agreement within the coalition showed the government was capable of acting in response to new security threats.

The plans include strengthening Germany's intelligence services, which Dobrindt has said should be transformed into more operationally capable secret services.

His comments come after the discovery of a drone and explosives at Leipzig Airport near Ukrainian cargo aircraft.

According to information from security sources cited in the report, parts of another drone and further explosives have since been found.

Dobrindt said such incidents were part of a broader hybrid threat involving sabotage, espionage and covert action by foreign powers.

"They occupy me almost every day, or every day, and certainly our coalition every week," he said.

Nearly two dozen people were rescued after spending 90 minutes stuck in the air on a swing carousel at Hamburg's famous Dom carnival.

Germany's Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has warned against allowing Silicon Valley tech leaders to determine the future of artificial intelligence , as Germany seeks to strengthen its technological independence.

"It should not be the tech bros in Silicon Valley, with their dangerous ideology, who decide the future of artificial intelligence," Klingbeil said following a cabinet retreat.

"We can act as Europeans and as Germany. We have every opportunity and every chance to put the best solutions in place."

Klingbeil said the government's economic push would focus on "new economic growth and good, secure jobs."

"If we want to create prosperity for the future in Germany, these are the two cornerstones," he said.

Klingbeil said it was crucial that Germany and Europe become more technologically independent and that the jobs created by emerging industries remain in the country.