Germany news: Nearly three-quarters of Germans unlikely to celebrate Halloween. Meanwhile, parties debate who should succeed President Steinmeier

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, October 28, 2026: Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add DW as a Preferred Source on Google. Instead, a special Federal Convention brings together Bundestag lawmakers and an equal number of delegates chosen by Germany's 16 state parliaments. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) , and their coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) , together hold a majority. That means they could elect a candidate without support from other parties, provided their delegates agree.