Aaron Wiener
@aaronwiener.bsky.social
Berlin bureau chief @washingtonpost.com
Germans were incensed by reports in 2013 that the NSA had spied on Merkel's calls.
But at roughly the same time, the German intelligence service was listening to Obama's calls on Air Force One, according to a new report and a senior government official.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
But at roughly the same time, the German intelligence service was listening to Obama's calls on Air Force One, according to a new report and a senior government official.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Germany eavesdropped on some Obama calls from Air Force One, book says
Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the BND, intercepted some unencrypted calls around the same time the U.S. was spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel, a new book reveals.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Germans were incensed by reports in 2013 that the NSA had spied on Merkel's calls.
But at roughly the same time, the German intelligence service was listening to Obama's calls on Air Force One, according to a new report and a senior government official.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
But at roughly the same time, the German intelligence service was listening to Obama's calls on Air Force One, according to a new report and a senior government official.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
You've heard about Germany's surging far-right AfD party.
But much more quietly, a left-wing party is surging too, and is now the most popular party among young voters.
Together, they could upend German politics as we know it.
My reporting from Leipzig: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
But much more quietly, a left-wing party is surging too, and is now the most popular party among young voters.
Together, they could upend German politics as we know it.
My reporting from Leipzig: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Surging left-wing party challenges politics-as-usual in Germany
The rise of the nationalist far right has alarmed many Germans, but “The Left” party is most popular with young voters, posing a challenge to the centrist establishment.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM
You've heard about Germany's surging far-right AfD party.
But much more quietly, a left-wing party is surging too, and is now the most popular party among young voters.
Together, they could upend German politics as we know it.
My reporting from Leipzig: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
But much more quietly, a left-wing party is surging too, and is now the most popular party among young voters.
Together, they could upend German politics as we know it.
My reporting from Leipzig: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
Falls Sie vom Einbruch in die Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen betroffen waren und Ihre Frustration und Ihre Geschichte teilen möchten, kontaktieren Sie mich bitte unter aaron.wiener(at)washpost(punkt)com.
Ich sammle die Geschichten der Opfer des Einbruchs und die Wertgegenstände, die sie verloren haben.
Ich sammle die Geschichten der Opfer des Einbruchs und die Wertgegenstände, die sie verloren haben.
January 2, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Falls Sie vom Einbruch in die Sparkasse in Gelsenkirchen betroffen waren und Ihre Frustration und Ihre Geschichte teilen möchten, kontaktieren Sie mich bitte unter aaron.wiener(at)washpost(punkt)com.
Ich sammle die Geschichten der Opfer des Einbruchs und die Wertgegenstände, die sie verloren haben.
Ich sammle die Geschichten der Opfer des Einbruchs und die Wertgegenstände, die sie verloren haben.
The bust of Nefertiti is one of Germany's most iconic artifacts, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Now two Egyptian archeologists are mounting the largest campaign to date to bring it back to Egypt.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Now two Egyptian archeologists are mounting the largest campaign to date to bring it back to Egypt.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
New Egyptian museum brings fresh pressure for return of Nefertiti’s bust
One of Egypt’s most famous and beautiful artifacts lies in a Berlin museum, and the calls for its return have received a renewed push with the opening of a new museum.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
The bust of Nefertiti is one of Germany's most iconic artifacts, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Now two Egyptian archeologists are mounting the largest campaign to date to bring it back to Egypt.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Now two Egyptian archeologists are mounting the largest campaign to date to bring it back to Egypt.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Still need to get used to working in Europe, where you reach out to someone for a meeting and get an email back saying they're on vacation and will be back in *4 weeks.*
December 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Still need to get used to working in Europe, where you reach out to someone for a meeting and get an email back saying they're on vacation and will be back in *4 weeks.*
A member of parliament from the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) was sure his presentation to the State Department would be canceled after news broke of a Nazi-linked serenade.
Then he got a phone call from a senior State Dept. staffer...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Then he got a phone call from a senior State Dept. staffer...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Germany’s anti-immigrant AfD party finds open door in Trump’s America
Some German lawmakers want to ban Alternative for Germany, but the party has been embraced in Washington, and some of its leaders see Trump’s path to power as a road map.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:15 PM
A member of parliament from the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) was sure his presentation to the State Department would be canceled after news broke of a Nazi-linked serenade.
Then he got a phone call from a senior State Dept. staffer...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Then he got a phone call from a senior State Dept. staffer...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
His party is in freefall. His administration is deeply unpopular. He leads the defense department in a country that's been allergic to militarization for 80 years.
So how come Boris Pistorius is *by far* the most popular German politician?
Let's dig in: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
So how come Boris Pistorius is *by far* the most popular German politician?
Let's dig in: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Germany’s gruff defense minister aims to make his country ‘war-ready’
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius must reckon with his center-left party’s anti-militarism and the country’s need to defend Europe against Russian aggression.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:44 PM
His party is in freefall. His administration is deeply unpopular. He leads the defense department in a country that's been allergic to militarization for 80 years.
So how come Boris Pistorius is *by far* the most popular German politician?
Let's dig in: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
So how come Boris Pistorius is *by far* the most popular German politician?
Let's dig in: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
If you email the White House press office, this is the autoresponse you get:
November 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
If you email the White House press office, this is the autoresponse you get:
One of the things that surprised me most when I came to Berlin is how *huge* nonalcoholic beer is in Germany.
So I went to Oktoberfest to learn more about the world leader in alcohol-free beer:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
So I went to Oktoberfest to learn more about the world leader in alcohol-free beer:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Germany, where beer is sacred, now leads world in nonalcoholic brews
Germany, long known for traditional brewing, has seen a boom in nonalcoholic beers, which are being embraced by young people and athletes as a healthy alternative.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:43 PM
One of the things that surprised me most when I came to Berlin is how *huge* nonalcoholic beer is in Germany.
So I went to Oktoberfest to learn more about the world leader in alcohol-free beer:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
So I went to Oktoberfest to learn more about the world leader in alcohol-free beer:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Why are thousands of young Germans -- and now Americans too -- meeting up in parks to eat pudding with forks?
I decided this warranted a Washington Post investigation: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
I decided this warranted a Washington Post investigation: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Germans meet up to eat pudding with forks — and the trend goes global
The trend, called “Pudding mit Gabel,” has taken off on German social media, and now has crossed the Atlantic.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Why are thousands of young Germans -- and now Americans too -- meeting up in parks to eat pudding with forks?
I decided this warranted a Washington Post investigation: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
I decided this warranted a Washington Post investigation: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
A decade ago, Germany and France held things together while Europe's periphery struggled with debt.
Now France and Germany have doubts about whether they can sustain their social welfare spending. France is racking up debt, while Italy and Spain are thriving.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Now France and Germany have doubts about whether they can sustain their social welfare spending. France is racking up debt, while Italy and Spain are thriving.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Europe’s high quality of life is getting hard to afford. Just ask France.
The cost of Europe’s way of life — health care, affordable education and a dignified retirement for all, through high social spending — is becoming unbearably high.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A decade ago, Germany and France held things together while Europe's periphery struggled with debt.
Now France and Germany have doubts about whether they can sustain their social welfare spending. France is racking up debt, while Italy and Spain are thriving.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Now France and Germany have doubts about whether they can sustain their social welfare spending. France is racking up debt, while Italy and Spain are thriving.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Two German regions each claimed to have the oldest bratwurst.
They decided to settle it in the boxing ring.
I attended the historic fight at the German Bratwurst Museum in Thuringia.
(Did I mention that I love my job?)
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
They decided to settle it in the boxing ring.
I attended the historic fight at the German Bratwurst Museum in Thuringia.
(Did I mention that I love my job?)
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
In Germany, a boxing match decides fight over birthplace of bratwurst
Two regions competing for bragging rights to bratwurst, Germany’s signature sausage, took their battle into a boxing ring in a ham-fisted bid to settle the matter.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Two German regions each claimed to have the oldest bratwurst.
They decided to settle it in the boxing ring.
I attended the historic fight at the German Bratwurst Museum in Thuringia.
(Did I mention that I love my job?)
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
They decided to settle it in the boxing ring.
I attended the historic fight at the German Bratwurst Museum in Thuringia.
(Did I mention that I love my job?)
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
I'm on my first German long-distance train since writing a story about Germany's rail crisis.
56% of long-distance trains arrive within 6 minutes of the scheduled time. Will my Berlin-Munich train make it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
56% of long-distance trains arrive within 6 minutes of the scheduled time. Will my Berlin-Munich train make it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Germany’s identity crisis: The trains no longer run on time
Germans are deeply frustrated over a train system that is falling apart, undermining the punctuality that has long been core to Germany’s national self-image.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 25, 2025 at 11:32 AM
I'm on my first German long-distance train since writing a story about Germany's rail crisis.
56% of long-distance trains arrive within 6 minutes of the scheduled time. Will my Berlin-Munich train make it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
56% of long-distance trains arrive within 6 minutes of the scheduled time. Will my Berlin-Munich train make it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
I swear a German dog barked at me this morning for jaywalking.
September 25, 2025 at 8:41 AM
I swear a German dog barked at me this morning for jaywalking.
Donald T. vs. Donald T. -- today's trans-Atlantic cage match
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Poland tells Trump Russian drone incident wasn’t a mistake
President Donald Trump said violations of Poland’s airspace by Russian drones “could have been a mistake,” contradicting NATO allies including Poland, who said it was intentional.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 12, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Donald T. vs. Donald T. -- today's trans-Atlantic cage match
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Berlin just tested its air raid sirens for the first time in 30 years. This is what it sounded like.
September 11, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Berlin just tested its air raid sirens for the first time in 30 years. This is what it sounded like.
A reader sends this haiku in response to my story today on how Germans work less than residents of any other wealthy country:
Industrious ants
Are no longer trending, freund.
Lilies of the field.
Industrious ants
Are no longer trending, freund.
Lilies of the field.
September 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
A reader sends this haiku in response to my story today on how Germans work less than residents of any other wealthy country:
Industrious ants
Are no longer trending, freund.
Lilies of the field.
Industrious ants
Are no longer trending, freund.
Lilies of the field.
Have Germans become the slackers of Europe -- and of the entire developed world? The data certainly says so.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
September 9, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Have Germans become the slackers of Europe -- and of the entire developed world? The data certainly says so.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
To prepare for war, Germany is readying tanks, missiles... and a strategic ravioli reserve? www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Germany’s latest prep for war: A national ravioli reserve
Wary of a warmongering Russia, Germany is refitting its military, buying weapons, recruiting soldiers and also contemplating new strategic reserves of canned food.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 8, 2025 at 12:53 PM
To prepare for war, Germany is readying tanks, missiles... and a strategic ravioli reserve? www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Tesla sales have absolutely tanked in Germany, and across Europe, since Elon Musk cast his lot with Donald Trump.
Now Tesla's introducing a new European model. Will anyone buy it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Now Tesla's introducing a new European model. Will anyone buy it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
After Tesla sales crash in Europe, new model faces a hostile market
Tesla was the second best-selling electric car in Germany but the rise of competitors and backlash against Elon Musk’s foray into U.S. politics sent sales into a tailspin.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Tesla sales have absolutely tanked in Germany, and across Europe, since Elon Musk cast his lot with Donald Trump.
Now Tesla's introducing a new European model. Will anyone buy it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Now Tesla's introducing a new European model. Will anyone buy it?
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
This is recycling in Germany:
-Bring recyclables to building's trash room (but not on Sundays!) and sort into bins
-There's no bin for glass, so bring bottles to store to get deposit back
-The store can't take 2/3 of your bottles
-Hunt in the streets for glass recycling bins
-Repeat every 2-3 days
-Bring recyclables to building's trash room (but not on Sundays!) and sort into bins
-There's no bin for glass, so bring bottles to store to get deposit back
-The store can't take 2/3 of your bottles
-Hunt in the streets for glass recycling bins
-Repeat every 2-3 days
August 12, 2025 at 11:01 AM
This is recycling in Germany:
-Bring recyclables to building's trash room (but not on Sundays!) and sort into bins
-There's no bin for glass, so bring bottles to store to get deposit back
-The store can't take 2/3 of your bottles
-Hunt in the streets for glass recycling bins
-Repeat every 2-3 days
-Bring recyclables to building's trash room (but not on Sundays!) and sort into bins
-There's no bin for glass, so bring bottles to store to get deposit back
-The store can't take 2/3 of your bottles
-Hunt in the streets for glass recycling bins
-Repeat every 2-3 days
Germany is having an identity crisis: It's trains no longer run on time. Not even close.
Here's how bad it's gotten: Switzerland has stopped allowing some German trains past the border city of Basel because they're messing up the (more reliable) Swiss network
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Here's how bad it's gotten: Switzerland has stopped allowing some German trains past the border city of Basel because they're messing up the (more reliable) Swiss network
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Germany’s identity crisis: The trains no longer run on time
Germans are deeply frustrated over a train system that is falling apart, undermining the punctuality that has long been core to Germany’s national self-image.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Germany is having an identity crisis: It's trains no longer run on time. Not even close.
Here's how bad it's gotten: Switzerland has stopped allowing some German trains past the border city of Basel because they're messing up the (more reliable) Swiss network
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Here's how bad it's gotten: Switzerland has stopped allowing some German trains past the border city of Basel because they're messing up the (more reliable) Swiss network
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Also, hi! I'm fully installed here in Germany as the @washingtonpost.com Berlin bureau chief. Please follow me for news out of Germany and central Europe, and random musings on beer, trains, and sausages.
July 30, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Also, hi! I'm fully installed here in Germany as the @washingtonpost.com Berlin bureau chief. Please follow me for news out of Germany and central Europe, and random musings on beer, trains, and sausages.
15 years ago: Germany was Europe's debt police, forcing its neighbors to cut spending and cap deficits
Today: The German cabinet approves a budget that envisions a *172-billion-euro* deficit.
How did we get here? I explain:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Today: The German cabinet approves a budget that envisions a *172-billion-euro* deficit.
How did we get here? I explain:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Germany, long tightfisted, goes on a spending spree with new budget
After constitutional changes earlier this year that released Germany’s “debt brake,” the cabinet unveiled a federal budget calling for historic borrowing.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:50 AM
15 years ago: Germany was Europe's debt police, forcing its neighbors to cut spending and cap deficits
Today: The German cabinet approves a budget that envisions a *172-billion-euro* deficit.
How did we get here? I explain:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Today: The German cabinet approves a budget that envisions a *172-billion-euro* deficit.
How did we get here? I explain:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will eliminate taxes on tips. Here's how other countries tax them—and why the U.S. is such an outlier: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Trump’s bill ends tax on tips. Here’s how other countries tax them.
The U.S. is an outlier on tips. President Donald Trump’s tax bill would allow workers to deduct them from federal taxes.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will eliminate taxes on tips. Here's how other countries tax them—and why the U.S. is such an outlier: www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...