US intelligence assessments dominated German coverage, contradicting Trump's claims about destroying Iran's nuclear facilities. Multiple outlets reported that strikes only delayed Iran's atomic program by months, with 408 kilograms of enriched uranium unaccounted for. Trump's anger over these leaks emerged throughout the morning, undermining his declared victory narrative.
The NATO summit in The Hague produced a historic agreement raising defense spending targets to five percent of GDP by 2035. Trump claimed this as a US victory while threatening Spain for refusing compliance. German Chancellor Merz praised the transatlantic partnership despite the massive financial implications for his budget.
Domestically, former Health Minister Spahn faced parliamentary questioning over alleged billions in COVID mask procurement waste, showing no remorse while blaming pandemic circumstances. The Merz government encountered early criticism for abandoning campaign promises on electricity tax reductions, with craft workers expressing outrage over the broken pledge.