Germany news: Economy set for stronger growth, wine harvest hit by drought

International Monetary Fund raises Germany's 2026 growth forecast to 1.3%, up from just 0.7% in July

Investment in infrastructure and defense, stronger exports and demand linked to artificial intelligence are helping the recovery

Germany's 2026 wine harvest is expected to be around 20% below the ten-year average

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Tuesday, October 13, 2026:

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says US President Donald Trump is under severe domestic political pressure and that his threats should be viewed in the context of the upcoming US midterm elections .

Trump has his political "back against the wall," Pistorius, of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), told an employers' conference in Berlin.

History shows that leaders under pressure at home seek opportunities abroad to score political points, he said, adding that he believed the strategy would backfire.

All seats in the US House of Representatives and around a third of the Senate are up for election on November 3. The outcome could significantly affect Trump's ability to pursue his agenda for the rest of his term. Pistorius was responding to Trump's call to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his announcement of a diesel supply deal with Russia.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Police have detained two more people in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in Poland , bringing the total to four, Polish private broadcaster RMF FM reported, citing anonymous sources.

The broadcaster first reported that German police had detained a woman in Berlin. It later reported a fourth detention without providing further details.

Polish authorities said two Turkish men had already been detained in Germany on suspicion of being responsible for the blaze.

The September fire at the station in central Poland engulfed its power system and backup generator. Polish authorities blamed Russia, saying they believed it was sabotage aimed at disrupting internet services, including for Ukraine's military.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that Germany is viewed much more positively abroad than at home, arguing that Germans underestimate their country's economic strengths.

Speaking at the German Employers' Day in Berlin, Merz said his meetings and travels had shown him a striking difference between perceptions of Germany at home and abroad.

"Germany is viewed very differently from the outside than we see ourselves from the inside," he said.

He said Germany was seen internationally as an attractive place to invest, despite its problems, and called for greater recognition of its economic potential.

The chancellor acknowledged that reforms were proving difficult, particularly because of disagreements within his governing coalition , but insisted that progress was being made.

He pointed to measures already passed into law and efforts to speed up planning and approval procedures for major infrastructure projects.

"The money is there, the rules are there, now we can build," Merz said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he is not interested in being popular, insisting that his priority is to push through difficult reforms rather than improve his personal approval ratings.

An ARD-DeutschlandTrend survey published on October 1 found that just 10% of voters were satisfied with Merz's performance, the lowest rating for any German chancellor since the survey began in 1997. Some 88% were dissatisfied.

"I have no intention of becoming the nation's darling," Merz told an audience at the German Employers' Day in Berlin on Tuesday.

"My intention is to get this country back on track so that we can offer a reasonable perspective again, especially for the younger generation."

Merz made the remarks after being asked whether he was prepared to confront opposition to potentially unpopular reforms aimed at making Germany more competitive.

"I am right in the middle of this conflict," he said. "If I weren't, my personal poll ratings would be better."

Germany's annual inflation rate rose to 3.3% in September as sharply higher fuel and heating oil prices pushed up living costs, the Federal Statistical Office said , confirming its preliminary estimate.

It was the highest rate since December 2023, up from 2.9% in August and 2.8% in July.

"The rise was again driven by energy prices," said the office's president, Ruth Brand, highlighting increases at petrol stations and in heating oil costs.

Energy prices climbed 14.9% compared with September last year, their steepest increase since February 2023. Motor fuel prices rose 37.1%, while heating oil jumped 74.9%.

However, electricity prices fell 5.5%, natural gas prices dropped 2.8% and district heating became 1% cheaper. The office attributed those declines partly to government measures introduced at the start of the year.

Services prices rose 2.7%, with the pace of increases easing slightly again. Food prices edged up 0.4%, although eggs, fresh vegetables, fish and seafood became noticeably more expensive. Butter, fresh fruit and dairy products cost less.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called for greater pressure on Russia ahead of talks with his Polish, Norwegian and British counterparts in Warsaw, warning that Moscow's attacks on Ukraine threaten Europe as a whole.

"We are also in the crosshairs," he said before departing for the Warsaw Security Forum.

"Now is the time to increase pressure on Russia rather than lower our own guard," Wadephul added.

The meeting is intended to signal European unity following controversial remarks by US President Donald Trump after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced and announced an agreement for Russia to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel.

Wadephul said European countries were taking joint responsibility "to ensure that Europe's freedom is also defended by us Europeans."

Two Turkish citizens have been arrested in Germany over a suspected arson attack on a Starlink satellite internet station in Poland , the Polish government has said.

Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the suspects would face charges of sabotage on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.