SPD members approved the coalition agreement with CDU/CSU by 84%, clearing the final hurdle for the new government. Lars Klingbeil was designated Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, with ongoing negotiations about remaining ministerial posts.
Trump's 100-day presidency milestone received extensive critical coverage, with German media highlighting his self-congratulatory rhetoric while questioning actual achievements. The US economy unexpectedly shrank in Q1, which some outlets directly attributed to Trump's policies. German automakers Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz reported dramatic profit declines of up to 41%, with Chinese market weakness and Trump's tariffs identified as key factors.
Late in the day, the US and Ukraine signed a significant economic agreement on raw materials, building on diplomatic developments from the Vatican meeting earlier in the week. Meanwhile, security concerns mounted with reports of Putin's military buildup near NATO borders and vulnerabilities discovered in Europe's power grid related to Chinese solar technology.