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German cities join global protests against President Trump, Germany to receive less money from next EU budget, Syrian President to make first visit to Germany and more news on Monday, March 30th.
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Today in Germany For Members Today in Germany: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Amy Brooke - [email protected]
Published: 30 Mar, 2026 CET.
Updated: Mon 30 Mar 2026 08:36 CET
German cities join global protests against President Trump, Germany to receive less money from next EU budget, Syrian President to make first visit to Germany and more news on Monday, March 30th.
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Monday's top story: German cities join global protests against President Trump
German cities joined international protests against US President Donald Trump over the weekend, as part of a massive wave of demonstrations centred on the United States.
In cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf, demonstrators gathered in solidarity with the US protest movement known as "No Kings", which accuses the Trump administration of authoritarianism.
In Berlin, several hundred people carried placards accusing Trump of attacking democracy, criticising the US immigration agency ICE and calling for the release of files linked to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Police reported around 600 participants at a rally in Munich, while about 120 people demonstrated in Frankfurt.
The German protests coincided with the third and largest nationwide day of demonstrations in the US since Trump began his second term 14 months ago.
According to organisers, at least eight million people took part in more than 3,300 rallies across all 50 states on Saturday, though official figures have not yet been confirmed.
Major demonstrations were reported in Washington, New York and Minnesota, where a central rally in St Paul was expected to draw up to 100,000 people. The White House dismissed the protests as lacking broad public support.
READ ALSO: 'No Kings' - Where in Germany are anti-Trump protests planned on Saturday?
Germany to receive less money from next EU budget
Germany will reportedly receive significantly less money from the next multi-annual EU budget, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).
Citing calculations by the European Parliament, the paper reported that only 57.3 billion euros – eleven percent less than in the last multi-annual budget – were earmarked for Germany for the seven-year period from 2028 to 2034.
This makes Germany "one of the big losers" in the EU budget plans, the paper said.
The decline is likely to primarily reduce the subsidies that have previously been paid to German farmers, the report stated.
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However, Germany's foreign office told AFP that the cited figures were "purely speculative" at this point as budget negotiations were still ongoing in Brussels and figures typically changed considerably from initial proposals.
According to the paper, total funding for EU member states is expected to decrease by eight percent to €698.27 billion.
READ ALSO: How the war in Iran is affecting Germany's property market
Majority of Germans want free health insurance for spouses to remain
A majority of people in Germany want statutory health insurance coverage for spouses to remain contribution-free, according to a new survey reported on by Bild am Sonntag on Sunday.
Fifty-seven percent were against the proposal to abolish the regulation, while 28 percent were in favour of scrapping it, the paper said, citing an Insa survey.
Ten percent were indifferent and five percent did not provide an answer.
Currently, spouses with no or low income can be covered free of charge under family health insurance, but SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil, among others, is in favour of ditching this rule.
READ ALSO: Is Germany about to scrap free health insurance for spouses?
Instead, a minimum contribution of €200 plus €25 for long-term care insurance has been mooted as a possible alternative.
An expert panel appointed last autumn to discuss reforming the health insurance system is due to present its initial recommendations on Monday.
Statutory health insurance funds are heading towards a billion-euro deficit in 2027.
Germany marks ‘Earth Hour’ as landmark lights go dark
Germany joined the global Earth Hour campaign on Saturday evening, with lights switched off at some of the country’s most famous landmarks to draw attention to the urgency of climate protection.
In Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was plunged into darkness at 8:30 pm, alongside illuminated sites such as Cologne Cathedral and numerous public buildings across the country. According to the environmental organisation WWF, around 500 cities and towns in Germany took part in the one‑hour action.
Earth Hour is a worldwide initiative that sees landmarks and skylines dimmed in a symbolic gesture for the climate. Companies and private households were also encouraged to participate by turning off their lights.
READ ALSO: Environmental groups say Germany's new climate action plan is 'deceptive'
Viviane Raddatz, climate director at WWF Germany, said the campaign was a reminder that the climate crisis must return to the top of the political agenda, warning that it continues to intensify many of today’s global challenges despite being overshadowed by other crises.
Across Europe and beyond, iconic sites including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Acropolis in Athens and Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace also went dark.
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Syria's president to visit Germany for first time since assuming power
Syria announced on Saturday that President Ahmed al-Sharaa will head to Germany on Monday, his first visit since assuming power.
A German government spokesman said that talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz would address economic stability in Syria and strengthening bilateral economic relations, as well as Syria's reintegration into the international financial system.
The afternoon meeting is also expected to focus on the possible return of Syrian refugees and the reconstruction of Syria after more than a decade of civil war.
Security and human rights remain contentious issues. Several demonstrations have already been registered in Germany, with the Kurdish Community accusing al‑Sharaa of past human rights abuses and urging Berlin to demand binding guarantees for the protection of minorities.
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Germany is home to around a million Syrians -- many of whom arrived during the huge influx of refugees that peaked in 2015 under former chancellor Angela Merkel.
But with the overthrow of Assad and the end of the country's civil war, some voices in Germany have started urging them to go back home.
READ ALSO: Germany deports man to Syria for first time since 2011
Germany needs greater flexibility in workplace due to AI: digital affairs minister
With artificial intelligence expected to replace and eliminate jobs like programming and call centre agent work, the workplace needs be more flexible, Germany's digital minister Karsten Wildberger told Bild am Sonntag.
"The days of being able to count on having a job for the next 30 years, as nice as that is, are over," he said.
"A few years ago, we said: Everyone has to learn to program. But today, many programming jobs are being supplemented and potentially replaced by AI," he told the paper.
READ ALSO: Which jobs are desperately needed in Berlin and which are being cut?
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He also said Germany needed to catch up in this area: "If we don't, our jobs, as well as industry and the economy, are at much greater risk. Not participating is not an option."
Despite previously warning of dramatic job losses due to AI, he told the paper that there was also potential for new jobs as AI can lead to growth and new business models.
With reporting by AFP, DPA and Tom Pugh.
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