Berlin news · 24 October 2026
Ryanair Closes Its Berlin BER Base, Cutting Winter Flights by Half
Ryanair shut its Berlin Brandenburg Airport base on 24 October, pulling seven stationed aircraft and eliminating twelve direct routes, which cuts the airline's Berlin capacity by roughly half for the winter schedule. The airline blames a sharp rise in German airport costs since the pandemic.
Parties Unite to Block AfD Vice-President Bid in New Berlin Parliament
Ahead of the Berlin House of Representatives constituent session on 29 October, all other parties announced they will not elect the AfD's nominated vice-president candidate Martin Trefzer, citing democratic-integrity concerns.
Berlin Left Party Expects Clear Yes to Coalition Talks with Greens and SPD
Berlin's Left Party is confident its upcoming party conference will vote decisively to enter full coalition negotiations with the Greens and SPD, with the mood in the party firmly behind the leadership's direction.
State Police Dissolve Protective Unit at US Embassy After Officers Allegedly Drank on Duty
Berlin's State Criminal Police Office (LKA) disbanded the protection detail assigned to the US Embassy's charge d'affaires after officers were alleged to have consumed alcohol while on duty, with the senior diplomat also said to have joined the sessions.
Emirates Puts Berlin BER Plans on Hold Over Disputed Agreement Wording
Emirates CEO Tim Clark announced that the airline will not fly to Berlin for now, despite a September agreement opening BER to the Gulf carrier after more than two decades of lobbying, because both sides interpret key passages of the deal differently.
Ex-Bundestag President Thierse Calls for Independent Mayor and Warns Against Left Alliance in Berlin
Former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse (SPD) has urged his party to avoid a coalition with Die Linke and instead pursue a Kenya coalition — CDU, Greens, and SPD — led by an independent, non-partisan mayor.
Berlin Police See No School-Blockade Surge But Prepare for Halloween Protest Day
Berlin police said on 24 October that they have found no unusual increase in calls to blockade schools, but are watching student protest developments in France and Italy and gearing up for a nationwide Gen Z demonstration on 31 October.
Up to 10,000 Expected in Berlin on Halloween as Gen Z Regelt Movement Calls for Action
The youth initiative Gen Z regelt has called for protests in 21 German cities on 31 October, with 10,000 participants already registered with Berlin police, mobilising via Telegram against social cuts and military spending while security authorities monitor extremist interest.
CDU Courts Greens and SPD for Side Talks While Left-Green-Red Coalition Advances
CDU leader Stefan Evers invited the Greens and SPD to talks on 29 October while the probable Left-Green-Red coalition approaches its formal launch; both parties agreed to attend but stressed it is not coalition negotiation, merely a discussion about the transition period.
Berlin Coalition Talks Point to a Senate of New Faces
As Left Party, Greens and SPD negotiations progress toward a possible coalition, several current senators including the Greens' Bettina Jarasch and the SPD's Franziska Giffey appear unlikely to retain their posts in a possible ten-seat Senate.
Vonovia Expropriation Plan Would Hit Pension Funds, Not Just Investment Firms
A Berliner Zeitung analysis finds that Berlin's housing socialisation plan — targeting firms with over 10,000 apartments at capped total compensation of 16 billion euros — would strike Norwegian and Swedish pension funds far more directly than US investment giants like BlackRock.
Clocks Fall Back This Sunday — Berlin's Earliest Wintertime Switch Since 2020
In the night from Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026, Germans set clocks back one hour at 3 a.m., transitioning to standard Central European Time on the earliest possible calendar date — last seen in 2020 and not due again until 2037.
How the GDR Nearly Split Berlin Across Two Time Zones in 1980
A Berliner Zeitung history piece published ahead of the time-change weekend recalls how East Germany effectively forced West Germany to adopt daylight saving time in 1980, because divergent clocks would have created a one-hour gap at the Berlin Wall running right through shared train platforms.
Only 0.6% of Brandenburg Workers Use Paid Educational Leave — A Mushroom Course Shows the Gap
Figures from Brandenburg's education ministry show that barely 0.6 per cent of the state's 938,300 employees used their legal entitlement to paid educational leave in 2025, totalling around 5,800 people — illustrated by a certified mushroom-identification course in Templin that officially qualifies as Bildungsurlaub.
Berlin Weekend Guide: Film Heritage Festival, Bauhaus Show and Fashion Pop-Ups
The Berliner Zeitung's weekend guide for 23–25 October highlights the Film Heritage Festival at the Deutsche Kinemathek, a Bauhaus photography exhibition and a string of fashion pop-ups across the city, plus an extra hour of sleep from the overnight clock change.