November 23, 2025 – Germany Headlines

Story gist: The G20 summit in Johannesburg adopted a joint declaration despite a boycott by the United States. Disputes arose over South Africa’s handling of the G20 presidency handover to the US.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets: absent, no perspective provided. Center (tagesschau.de): frames as success for South African President Ramaphosa despite US boycott, positive tone on host achievement. Right (WELT): emphasizes Trump accusation that South Africa obstructs G20 presidency handover to US, highlighting US grievance and South African interference.

Story gist: US President Donald Trump stated the US peace plan for Ukraine is not a final offer. EU government heads rejected the plan.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Spiegel focuses on Trump’s statement of flexibility by noting the plan is not final. Center tagesschau.de frames it neutrally as a counterproposal intended not to anger involved parties. Right-leaning WELT emphasizes EU leaders’ rejection under a ‘war against Ukraine’ headline, portraying EU opposition critically while highlighting resistance to US peace efforts.

Story gist: At its party congress ahead of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election, Germany’s AfD nominated Leif-Erik Holm as top candidate for prime minister. The party aims for an absolute majority to form a sole government.

Bias summary: Left-leaning SZ.de emphasizes AfD’s bold ‘sole government’ claim in pre-election campaign context, framing it assertively. Center NDR.de neutrally reports the nomination and planned vote on absolute majority without emphasis. Right-leaning WELT prominently leads with the quote and nomination, highlighting party confidence. Tonal differences are subtle, with left noting campaign buildup and right amplifying ambition.

Story gist: A 2-year-old girl was hospitalized in Kassel, Germany, after consuming a Happy Meal at a McDonald’s branch. Police are investigating after she drank a suspicious liquid.

Bias summary: Left-leaning SZ.de frames it as an emergency with emphasis on ‘suspicious liquid’ and police probe, suggesting potential negligence. Center HNA highlights ‘serious allegations’ against the specific McDonald’s branch, focusing on corporate accountability. Right-leaning BILD uses punchy tabloid style, stressing the child’s clinic visit post-Happy Meal without deeper blame, prioritizing shock value over investigation details.

Story gist: COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, concluded with a provisional closing declaration after EU concessions. No agreement was reached on a phase-out plan for coal, oil, and gas.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like Spiegel emphasize failure, headlining the conference’s end without a fossil fuel exit plan. Center outlets like tagesschau.de frame it positively as EU concessions yielding a provisional declaration. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting potential skepticism of climate agendas or celebration of avoided strict commitments.