Gasoline stations in Germany will only be allowed to raise prices at the pump once a day The aim is to curb price fluctuations and allow greater market transparency An umbrella group for German cities says many Syrians who fled their home country should be allowed to stay The comments come after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said 80% of Syrian migrants to Germany should return in the next three years
Here are the main headlines from and about Germany on Wednesday, April 1:
German cities urge plan to retain Syrian workers
The Association of German Cities has been calling for rules to allow well-integrated Syrian workers to remain, as debate grows over possible returns to Syria.
The umbrella group says keeping skilled workers would make economic sense and provide planning certainty for both refugees and employers. The comments come amid a backlash to comments by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The chancellor has said Syria’s transitional president had suggested up to 80% of Syrians in Germany could return within three years.
“We know that numerous people who fled Syria have now arrived in the German labor market. This includes sectors that are desperately seeking skilled workers,” the association’s Managing Director Christian Schuchardt told the Funke Media Group of newspapers.
“Therefore, we assume that the federal government will find a regulation that allows people who have fled Syria to remain in Germany, regardless of the situation in their home country, at least if they are needed as skilled workers and, of course, are well integrated.”
Around 320,000 Syrian nationals were employed in Germany by mid-2024, with an employment rate of about 48%, many working in logistics, manufacturing, hospitality, construction, and healthcare.
Germany limits fuel price hikes to once daily
Germany has introduced a new rule allowing gas stations to raise fuel prices only once a day, at noon, after a recent surge in prices.
The coalition of the conservative CDU/CSU and center-left Social Democrats adopted the measure based on a similar system in Austria, aiming to curb price swings and improve transparency.
The law was published on Tuesday and allows price cuts at any time, while violations can be fined up to €100,000 (about $115,000).
Experts, including ADAC and fuel retailers, have questioned whether the rule will have a significant impact.
The move comes as fuel costs have risen sharply since the start of the Iran conflict, with additional measures strengthening antitrust powers against excessive pricing.
German petrol prices have jumped by more than 15% since the US and Israel began their war.
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Tag from the DW newsroom here in Bonn.
You join us as Germany introduces a new but much-criticized measure that allows gasoline stations to change the price of petrol only once per day.
The change comes as gasoline prices around the world spike in light of Israel and the US launching a war against Iran.
Stick with us here for the latest news about Germany.