Friday Briefing: Germans head to the polls

Plus, deciphering Trump's comments on Ukraine.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 21, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering Germany's election and the latest from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Plus: The scam that tore a town apart. Friedrich Merz, center, a conservative former businessman, is the favorite to become Germany's next chancellor. Michael Kappeler/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Germany prepares to vote, as a Trump-E.U. rift grows Germans will head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next chancellor. The man favored to clinch the election is Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats. Polling second is the far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which has been linked to neo-Nazis and to plots to overthrow the state. Merz has been considered a potentially better match for President Trump than the current Social Democratic chancellor, Olaf Scholz, not least for his reputation for bluntness at a moment when Europe's security environment is rapidly changing. To get a sense of what's at stake, I spoke with Jim Tankersley, our Berlin bureau chief. What are the big issues galvanizing voters? The first is the economy. Germany is in a crisis of stagnant growth and declining competitiveness. Its famed industries, like auto manufacturing, are slumping. Voters are frustrated and appear likely to evict the current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, over it. The second big issue is immigration. Germany has welcomed millions of refugees over the last decade. They have adapted relatively well, but their presence has unsettled many native-born Germans. The dissatisfaction has grown after a series of seemingly unrelated attacks committed by immigrants over the last year. How might the actions of the Trump administration affect the election? Germans generally don't like the American president, but until last weekend his actions didn't seem to be motivating many voters. That might have changed after Trump essentially cut Europe — including Ukraine — out of negotiations with Russia over an end to the war in Ukraine. What impact could the AfD have on the outcome of the vote? The party has gained popularity based on an unrelenting promise to stop migration at Germany's borders and deport some immigrants already in the country. Parts of it are formally classified as extreme by German intelligence, and some of its members have been arrested in plotting to overthrow the government or fined for repeating banned Nazi slogans. It is currently polling in second place. With a late push, it could potentially challenge Merz's Christian Democrats for first. Palestinian militants handing over what Hamas said were the remains of hostages. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times A troubling development after a hostage handover Hamas handed over yesterday what it said were the remains of four Israelis abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Among them were Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, the militant group said. Early this morning, however, the Israeli military said that genetic testing had revealed that the body that was purported to be Shiri Bibas's was not, and that it, in fact, wasn't that of any hostage. This was a "violation of the utmost severity" of the ongoing cease-fire, a military spokesperson said. The claim has thrown the truce's next steps into doubt, even as Hamas is expected tomorrow to free the last six living hostages covered in the first phase of the cease-fire, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. 'Abhorrent and cruel': In the handover, four coffins were placed on a stage in front of a cartoonish picture of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as triumphant music played. A poster threatened that if Israel resumed the war, more hostages would return in coffins. Tel Aviv: Three buses exploded in parking lots last night, raising suspicions of a coordinated terrorist attack. Netanyahu's office said that he had instructed the military to carry out "a massive operation" in the West Bank targeting militant hubs. Saudi Arabia: The kingdom is hosting U.S., Russian and Arab officials for high-stakes talks on Ukraine and Gaza, more proof of its regional clout and warm relations with President Trump. President Trump speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday. Al Drago for The New York Times Deciphering Trump's comments on Ukraine European leaders are struggling to make sense of a seemingly dramatic reset of the relationship between Washington and Moscow. President Trump has been echoing talking points made by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, falsely accusing Ukraine of having provoked Russia's invasion and casting Russia as the aggrieved party rather than the aggressor. And while Trump may not quit NATO outright, he is already undercutting it. Yet behind closed doors, Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, has sought to reassure nervous European allies that talks with Russian negotiators this week did not represent an abrupt departure from U.S. policies as many feared. They were instead meant as a first step in a process of making a deal, he told European diplomats on a recent call. In Ukraine, citizens still reeling from the war have been perturbed by Trump's comments. In Bucha, a Ukrainian suburb that was the site of a notorious massacre, residents worried that they had been abandoned. "If America leaves us," one said, "we are screwed." From the war: A senior Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed a plot to blow up drone goggles that was inspired by what Israeli intelligence had pulled off with exploding wireless devices and Hezbollah militants. It was unclear how much effect the scheme had on Russian forces. More on the Trump administration The Senate narrowly confirmed Kash Patel, a Trump ally with little law-enforcement experience, as the next director of the F.B.I. Funds for global health programs have remained frozen, despite a federal judge's order that temporarily halted the Trump administration's dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. The Trump administration cut protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in the U.S., putting them on track to be targeted for deportation. Track Trump's actions since he took office. MORE TOP NEWS Ivor Prickett for The New York Times Greenland: Long ignored, the huge icebound island has been thrust into a geopolitical maelstrom. It's trying to make the most of it. Sexuality: A large survey found that more than 9 percent of adults in the U.S. identified as L.G.B.T.Q. in 2024 — a rapid increase from just a few years ago. U.K.: A giant hole opened up on a street in Surrey, southwest of London, forcing evacuations and leaving a car teetering on the edge. The cause was unknown. Germany: QR codes have mysteriously appeared on roughly 1,000 graves in Munich, leaving city workers bewildered and setting off an investigation. Business: Elon Musk's new White House role and his immersion in right-wing politics appear to be diverting his attention from Tesla at a critical moment. Tech: A.I. tools are changing how start-ups are built, making workers more productive and spurring tales of "tiny team" success. Argentina: A court dropped charges against three people who had been accused of negligence in the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer. Two others still face charges. New York City: Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would not remove Mayor Eric Adams from office at this time but would seek to impose strict new guardrails on his administration. On China Diplomacy: Britain appears ready to approve China's new embassy, which would be the largest one in Europe. Neighbors and activists fear tapped phones and suppressed protests. South Pacific: A group of Chinese navy vessels, including a formidable warship, sailed legally near Australia and New Zealand, raising alarm. Health care: Still recovering from pandemic spending, hospitals across China are being squeezed by a slumping economy and efforts to curb medical spending. Motivation: Local governments in China are handing out "snail awards" to shame underperforming workers. But amid frequent crackdowns, doing nothing may be the safest bet. SPORTS NEWS Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton says he's feeling revitalized heading into his first season with Ferrari. "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." Soccer: Luis Rubiales, the former head of Spain's soccer federation, was convicted of sexual assault for forcibly kissing Jennifer Hermoso, a star on the national team. Tennis: Venus Williams is back at it, having received a coveted wild-card entry into the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Champions League: Which teams are in the round of 16, and when is the draw? Here's a breakdown. MORNING READ Benjamin Rasmussen for The New York Times A successful banker. The disappearance of tens of millions of dollars. And a cryptocurrency scam that turned a small town in Kansas against itself. Later, as his friends and colleagues sorted through the wreckage, the banker would be called a thief, a liar and "pure evil." His lawyer put it differently: "He was the pig that was butchered." Lives lived: Souleymane Cissé, a Malian writer and director who became the first Black African filmmaker to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, died this week at 84. CONVERSATION STARTERS Social Q's: A reader found pornography on her husband's computer. How should she handle her feeling of betrayal? Transformational fashion: Revisit the 25 most influential shoes and bags of the past century. Coin purge: If the U.S. gets rid of pennies, it might want to consider nickels, too: The five-cent pieces cost about 14 cents to make. Therapy is good: But maybe not with these therapists. ARTS AND IDEAS Metroid, left, and Castlevania.  When a digital maze feels like home Metroidvanias — video games known for their labyrinthine environments that become more accessible with upgrades — have been delighting (and confounding) players since their creation in the 1980s. The name for this subgenre is a mash-up of the titles of the games Metroid and Castelevania, which earned devoted fan bases in the mid-'80s for the freedom they gave players to explore their arcane worlds. Much of the appeal of Metroidvanias stems from a foundational emotion: feeling lost, until even a lonely labyrinth starts to feel like home. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: A reader calls this one-pot roasted chicken and rice "a joy to cook and delicious to eat." Train: Are long, slow workouts the key to longevity and better health? Watch: "Best Interests" is a deeply empathetic British TV series. Dress: Be inspired by street style from around the world. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Have a great weekend. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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