The morning began with Scholz acknowledging the heating law failure while preparing for his debate with Merz. Hamas released three hostages, including German-Israeli Ohad Ben Ami, after 491 days of captivity.
By early afternoon, Munich witnessed one of Germany's largest demonstrations, with police confirming 200,000 participants protesting against right-wing movements. The CSU party conference saw Söder and Dobrindt intensifying criticism of both the Greens and public broadcasters.
Evening coverage centered on mounting criticism of ARD and ZDF's political programming, with accusations of audience manipulation spreading across political spectrum. Reports of decreasing illegal migration numbers emerged, attributed to enhanced border controls. The Baltic states' disconnection from Russian power grid marked a shift in energy independence strategy.