The morning began with Merkel defending her CDU loyalty on ZDF, while reports emerged of a sustained ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. By mid-morning, the leaked FDP "D-Day" strategy document dominated coverage, revealing military-style plans for coalition exit. Youth wing demands for Secretary General Djir-Sarai's resignation quickly led to his stepping down by noon, citing "unknowingly providing false information."
Afternoon coverage shifted to broader implications for Christian Lindner's leadership, with Wolfgang Kubicki confronting Chancellor Scholz while defending the document. Intelligence services warned of Russian election interference plans, while concerns emerged about Chinese involvement in Baltic Sea cable damage.
Evening brought focus on potential French-British plans for Ukraine troop deployment, which Merkel reportedly knew about, while economic coverage highlighted EnBW's charging station billing error and ThyssenKrupp's continued industrial restructuring challenges.