Germany: Constitutional & Administrative Law

In July 2026, the German Federal Government adopted the National Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining (Action Plan) and submitted it to the Bundestag in September 2026.

Germany is modernizing its foreign direct investment screening regime to align with EU standards by 2028. The leaked draft of the new Investment Screening Act reveals a largely familiar framework with elevated statutory protections, but introduces notable changes for EFTA investors and listed company thresholds. Will the final legislation maintain this continuity or introduce more substantial reforms as parliamentary debate unfolds?

Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt regional elections, winning nearly 44% of the vote and dealing a severe blow to the ruling Christian Democratic Union. The election results are creating political instability that could weaken Berlin's leadership role in the European Union and reshape the bloc's approach to critical trade, industrial policy, and China relations during a pivotal period for European policymaking.

Olaf Scholz has proposed federal elections to take place in March or April 2025. The leader of the opposition, Friedrich Merz, is pushing for federal elections already in January 2025.

On November 24, 2023, the upper chamber of the German parliament – the Bundesrat – approved relatively extensive changes to the German Federal Lobbying Act (Lobbyregistergesetz, LobbyRG).

Today saw two landmark decisions for the energy industry.

Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union (commonly known as "Brexit") and the expiry of the transition period on December 31, 2020

On 29 April 2021, the German Federal Constitutional Court published its groundbreaking ruling following several constitutional complaints against provisions of the German Federal Climate Change Act of 2019.

In a ruling announced on April 29, 2021, the German Federal Constitutional Court ("Court") delivered a groundbreaking decision on national climate change legislation.