Overview
- The chancellor, in a Bundestag question time on Wednesday, said a bill to store IP addresses is in ministerial review for April and signaled relief options for fuel costs such as a higher commuter allowance.
- He described "exploding" violence and tied a sizeable share to immigrant groups, triggering strong objections from Greens and the Left and fresh scrutiny of official crime statistics.
- Merz endorsed concentrating federal funding for civic groups, including changes to the "Demokratie leben" program, as NGOs warned of cuts to projects that counter radicalization.
- At the same time, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil outlined a broad plan with income tax cuts for most workers, new work incentives, pension changes including stronger links to years worked, and ideas to capture excess corporate gains.
- The policy push comes as shipping leaders report the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed with more than 2,000 merchant ships and about 20,000 seafarers stuck, a choke point that is lifting fuel prices in Germany and squeezing households.