Germany grapples with scorching heat, cabinet shake-up and BMW job cuts
A new heatwave pushed temperatures to near 39 °C across western Germany while the cabinet was reshuffled and BMW announced plans to cut up to 8,000 office jobs.
A fresh heatwave, powered by the high-pressure system dubbed Olaf, saw western and southwestern Germany reach temperatures of 38-39 °C, with forecasts of heavy rain and possible hurricane-force gusts in the north. The federal government moved forward with a cabinet reshuffle after Jens Spahn’s resignation, installing Nina Warken as head of the Chancellery, Carsten Linnemann as health minister and Steffen Bilger as transport minister.
In the same session, the cabinet approved legislation to let artificial-intelligence tools support the processing of asylum, visa and residence-permit applications. Automaker BMW disclosed a plan to cut up to 8,000 office jobs by the end of 2027, relying on natural turnover and voluntary redundancies. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said he is “very likely” to retire at the end of the upcoming season. These developments come as the ruling coalition faces declining poll numbers ahead of September state elections.
Why it matters
Germany faces extreme weather, political turnover and major corporate layoffs, all affecting daily life and the economy.
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