The Constitutional Court's approval of electricity price brake financing brought temporary relief to the coalition government in the morning. By midday, attention shifted to a leaked FDP internal document, dubbed "D-Day paper," revealing detailed military-style plans for leaving the coalition government through four phases.
Russia's expulsion of two ARD journalists prompted Foreign Minister Baerbock to summon the Russian ambassador, while intelligence services warned about Russian attempts to remove US presence from Europe. New details emerged about ex-Wirecard manager Marsalek's spy network, as an IT specialist confessed to working for Russian intelligence.
Industrial concerns intensified with ThyssenKrupp announcing blast furnace closures, while Ryanair threatened further cuts in German operations. The evening brought renewed focus on Merkel's memoir sales performance, which media sources described as disappointing despite promotional efforts.