Syrian president's visit sparks controversy

A visit to Berlin by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has stirred resentment among Germany's Kurdish population who accuse him of human rights violations.

Meanwhile, fears are mounting about inflation.

DW has the latest.

Here are the latest developments from across Germany on Monday, March 30:
German wine output has dropped again after wet harvest season
German winemakers have produced less wine in 2025 , as heavy rainfall during the harvest reduced yields, official data showed.

The Federal Statistics Office said total production reached about 7.55 million hectoliters of wine and must, down 2.6% from the previous year and 10% below the 2019–2024 average.

A similarly low harvest was last recorded in 2017, said Ernst Büscher of the German Wine Institute, adding that increasingly volatile weather conditions continue to challenge growers.

Smaller grape harvests were a key factor behind the lower output.

According to the data, heavy September rain increased the risk of rot and shortened the harvest period, particularly in the two largest wine regions, Rheinhessen and the Palatinate.

Together, they still accounted for 48.1% of Germany’s total wine and must production.

The total vineyard area declined only slightly, by 1.1% or about 1,100 hectares.

Output in the Rheingau also fell, dropping 10.2% year over year.

Production trends varied across Germany’s 13 wine regions.

Output rose 12% in the Moselle region, largely due to commercial wineries processing grapes from other regions.

Production also increased in Baden, up 4.5%, and more strongly in Württemberg, up 11%, and Franconia, up 21.1%.

Smaller regions including Saxony and Ahr also recorded gains.

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Germany set to cap daily gasoline price hikes
Germany is set to introduce a new rule limiting petrol stations to one price increase per day starting April 1, the Economy Ministry has said.

A ministry spokesman said Monday that the government had passed the measure last week in response to rising oil prices linked to the war in the Middle East.

The bill was signed Friday by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and must be published in the Federal Law Gazette before taking effect.

The spokesman said stakeholders had asked for the law to take effect April 1 to ensure smooth implementation.

He added the bill is scheduled to be published Tuesday, allowing it to enter into force Wednesday.

Under the new regulation, gas stations will be allowed to raise prices only once per day, at midday, while price reductions can still be made at any time.

The government said the measure is intended to curb price swings and improve transparency at the pump.

The rule is modeled on similar legislation in Austria, though critics and consumer groups have warned it may not go far enough to control fuel costs.

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Camping overnight stays in Germany hit record high
Camping in Germany has reached a record level, with more overnight stays than ever before, official data has shown.

The Baltic Sea coast remained the most popular camping region.

Schleswig-Holstein recorded 3.4 million overnight stays, followed by 3.1 million in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .

Other leading destinations included the Black Forest with 2.6 million stays and the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony with 2 million.

Syrian interim president visits Berlin amid protests
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in Germany for talks in Berlin expected to focus on refugees and reconstruction after years of war.

Al-Sharaa was received by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and was set to speak to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

He is also due to attend a roundtable with business leaders.

Ahead of the trip, critics sharply condemned the visit, with Left Party lawmaker Cansu Özdemir calling Merz's meeting with al-Sharaa a "moral bankruptcy" and accusing him of normalizing Islamist figures linked to violence against minorities .

Germany’s Kurdish community also accused al-Sharaa of human rights abuses and war crimes, with its chairman Ali Ertan Toprak saying he belongs in court, not in the chancellery.

Several demonstrations against the visit have been registered, with authorities expecting around 5,000 participants.

Merz originally invited al-Sharaa in November, primarily to discuss the return of Syrian refugees, but the visit planned for January was postponed due to renewed violence in Syria.

"Our interest is in seeing Syria rebuilt as a stable and prosperous nation, including with the help of the many, many Syrians who came here to Germany and Europe during the civil war and found refuge here," German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said ahead of the visit.

Al-Sharaa rose to power after the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew longtime ruler Bashar Assad in late 2024, ending nearly 14 years of civil war and marking a shift toward closer ties with Western countries.

German firms planning more price hikes
More companies in Germany are expecting to raise prices , with a key indicator hitting its highest level in three years, according to the Ifo Institute.

The Munich-based institute said its price expectations index rose to 25.3 points in March from 20.3 in February, marking the highest level since March 2023.

Survey chief Klaus Wohlrabe said price pressure in Germany is rising noticeably once again.

Wohlrabe said the increase was driven by sharply higher prices for oil, gas, and electricity linked to the conflict involving Iran.

He added that elevated energy costs are likely to push inflation higher in the coming months after previously easing price growth.

The trend is particularly strong in industry, where the indicator leapt from 13 to 20 points.

Companies in construction and consumer-related services have also significantly raised their pricing expectations.

Wohlrabe said firms were increasingly passing on higher costs, noting that rising production and transport expenses are feeding energy prices through to goods and services.

Guten Tag from DW's newsroom in Bonn.

You join us as Syria’s transitional president arrives in Berlin, with Germany weighing closer diplomatic ties with a highly controversial figure.

Ahmed al-Sharaa is in Germany after meeting international leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and US President Donald Trump in Washington.

Stay with us here for this and all the latest on what Germany is talking about today.