Hey,
It's Srijith from 0049 :)
Welcome to The Blick! Each week I round up the stories, events, and opportunities that matter most if you’re living in Germany or planning a move here for work or studies.
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🔹 Germany Q4 2025 GDP confirmed at +0.3%: Destatis confirmed GDP grew 0.3% in Q4 2025, driven by household spending and construction. Full-year 2025 came in at +0.2% — the first annual expansion in three years
🔹 Ifo Business Climate Index hits six-month high: Germany's leading business sentiment indicator rose to 88.6 in February from 87.6 in January, its highest since August 2025. Manufacturing, services, and construction all improved.
🔹 Cologne court blocks 'extremist' label on AfD: On February 26, a Cologne court blocked Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) from classifying the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist until the case is fully decided. The BfV designation dates to May 2025.
🔹 Ver.di nationwide public transport strike: Ver.di called a 48-hour strike across all 16 states, halting U-Bahns, trams, and buses. Deutsche Bahn and regional trains ran normally. Negotiations are in their fifth round with no deal
🔹 Germany unemployment stays above 3 million: The Federal Employment Agency reported 3.07 million unemployed in February, down 15,000 from January but 81,000 higher than last year. Unemployment rate: 6.5%.
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🔹 Baden-Württemberg state election, March 8, 2026: Registered voters in Baden-Württemberg should confirm polling station details. Results will be released the same evening and will shape regional policy on housing, integration, and local infrastructure.
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🔹 New Video: Registering a business in Germany is confusing, especially for expats and non-EU founders. This video walks through the exact process step by step, from freelancer registration to UG and GmbH. If you are building something here and need to get the legal side right, start here: Watch: How to Register Your Business in Germany
🔹 0049 Community: The 0049 Community is taking shape, a dedicated space for anyone planning to study, work, start a business, learn German, or build a life in Germany. It will include organized spaces based on your goals, plus focused discussions and support. I’ll announce the official launch here first, stay tuned.
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That is it for this week.
The economic signals are improving, but the labour market and political landscape still carry real uncertainty. Stay informed, plan ahead, and make decisions with the full picture in mind.
Until next week,
💙 Peace,
Srijith