November 13, 2025 – Germany Headlines

Story gist: Germany’s Union and SPD parties reached an agreement on conscription law after a coalition dispute. The deal involves future military service requirements, including mustering for men.

Bias summary: Left-leaning DIE ZEIT emphasizes the ‘coalition dispute’ in its title, framing the story as resolution of internal conflict. Center outlet tagesschau.de neutrally highlights the agreement on ‘future military service,’ focusing on policy without drama. Right-leaning bild.de sensationalizes with ‘All men to muster,’ stressing mandatory aspects and dispute to evoke urgency; no major omissions across lanes, but right amplifies gender-specific implications.

Story gist: Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s case suggest Donald Trump knew about his victims. The US government accused Democrats of defamation following the leak.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like DIE ZEIT frame the story by emphasizing the US government’s accusation of slander against Democrats, shifting focus from Trump’s implication to political counterattack. Center outlets like tagesschau.de report neutrally, directly stating the emails burden Trump without added context. Right-leaning outlets like FAZ highlight the allegation that Trump knew of Epstein’s victims, underscoring potential knowledge of wrongdoing; no strong omissions noted across lanes.

Story gist: A corruption scandal involving a figure dubbed ‘the man with the golden toilet’ emerged in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy faces challenges from the issue, as reported in German media on an unspecified recent date.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets provide no coverage, leaving a pro-Ukraine or anti-corruption emphasis absent. Center sources like Berliner Morgenpost frame the story sensationally, highlighting the scandal’s exotic details to underscore problems for Zelenskyy. Right-leaning FAZ emphasizes systemic corruption in Ukraine and Zelenskyy’s damage-control efforts, adopting a critical tone toward Ukrainian governance without sensationalism.

Story gist: Germany’s Council of Economic Experts forecasts 0.9 percent economic growth for 2026. The report criticizes the government’s use of special funds.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Spiegel emphasize the absence of any noticeable economic upswing in 2026, framing it as continued stagnation under current policies. Center outlets such as Deutschlandfunk highlight the council’s demand for a government course correction, focusing on policy reform needs. Right-leaning WELT stresses the low growth projection and sharp criticism of special funds, portraying fiscal mismanagement. No major omissions across lanes.

Story gist: Deutsche Bahn plans to close Cologne Hauptbahnhof for ten days in spring due to a software error, marking the second closure. The scheduled maintenance works at the station cannot proceed.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Spiegel frame the story critically, emphasizing the ‘software error’ as forcing a second unnecessary closure, highlighting operational failures. Center outlets like WDR report neutrally, focusing on the factual need for renewed closure without assigning blame. Right-leaning perspectives are absent, leaving no conservative framing on potential government inefficiency or regulatory issues.