Spahn quits budget committee, Biontech shuts three German plants, Klopp suffers historic loss to Greece

Jens Spahn, former CDU parliamentary group leader, resigned from the Bundestag’s budget committee only weeks after taking the post, citing the politicisation of his personal life after a family-related trip to Sardinia sparked internal dissent. Within the Union’s budget faction, members expressed strong displeasure, and Spahn’s own message highlighted the difficulty of working under such scrutiny. In the biotech sector, Biontech confirmed it will close its manufacturing facilities in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen by the end of 2028, a move that will impact roughly 1,800 employees after an unsuccessful search for buyers and the departure of co-founders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci from top management.

The company, once celebrated for its COVID-19 vaccine partnership with Pfizer, now faces weak pipeline sales and has not secured new market authorisations. On the sports front, Germany’s national team endured a 0-1 defeat to Greece in Augsburg, marking the first loss in its history under new coach Jürgen Klopp. Critics noted a lackluster performance and warned that Klopp must now trim his expanded squad ahead of the Euro qualification campaign.