DailyDrop Germany edition No. 16 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 20, 2026 · Berlin SPD and Greens vote for coalition negotiations with the Left…

The Berlin SPD and the Berlin Greens decided on Monday, October 19, to enter coalition negotiations with the Left Party (Tagesschau, Handelsblatt, FAZ). According to Handelsblatt, the SPD state executive board approved by 26:3. The Greens decided in the evening at a small party convention; according to Handelsblatt, of 45 delegates there were officially two votes against, later there was talk of probably four, because some ballot cards had been overlooked. The Left Party has not yet voted, according to Tagesschau. The basis is the exploratory paper by lead candidates Elif Eralp, Graf and Steffen Krach. Giffey warned of the socialization of housing (Handelsblatt), Banaszak criticized comparisons between the AfD and the Left Party (FAZ).

With the decisions, the three parties move from exploratory talks to formal negotiations; only a coalition agreement, which the party bodies must approve, would establish a government. Because the Left Party, as the election winner, is next to move, the timetable depends on its still pending decision.

For Berliners nothing changes for now: the current Senate stays in office as long as there is no new coalition agreement. Anyone affected by rent policy, housing stock or the state budget will find the negotiating topics in the exploratory paper.

Supporters in the SPD and the Greens see the exploratory paper as a workable basis. According to Handelsblatt, the Greens delegates approved by a large majority, and Banaszak rejected comparisons between the AfD and the Left Party, according to the FAZ.

Critics point to the risks of the alliance: Giffey warned of the consequences of socialization (Handelsblatt), the Union attacked the plan sharply beforehand, and there were three votes against in the SPD state executive board. According to Handelsblatt, resistance in the SPD parliamentary group had grown beforehand.

Confirmed are the approval by the SPD state executive board and the Greens party convention. Open are the Left Party’s decision, the start date of the negotiations and how to handle the socialization of large housing holdings. To watch are when the Left Party votes and whether the SPD parliamentary group follows the course.

Tagesschau (votes by SPD and Greens, Oct. 19, 2026) · Handelsblatt (26:3 vote and Greens party convention, Oct. 19, 2026) · FAZ (live blog, Oct. 19, 2026)

Domestic · Berlin✓ 3 outlets · Left Party decision still pending

Berlin SPD and Greens vote for coalition negotiations with the Left Party – SPD state executive board backs it 26:3

A small Greens party convention follows with a broad majority; the Left Party, as the election winner, has not yet voted.

The Berlin SPD and the Berlin Greens decided on Monday to enter coalition negotiations with the Left Party. Tagesschau, Handelsblatt and FAZ report this. The SPD state executive board approved first; Handelsblatt cites a vote of 26:3. The Greens followed in the evening: at a small party convention, a broad majority of the 45 delegates voted for negotiations, according to Handelsblatt; officially there were two votes against, later there was talk of probably four, because some ballot cards had been overlooked. The vote by the Left Party, which won the election, is still pending, according to Tagesschau; Handelsblatt writes that the party is still taking its time. The basis is the exploratory paper by the lead candidates Elif Eralp (Left Party), Graf (Greens) and Steffen Krach (SPD), presented on Saturday. According to Handelsblatt, the vote was preceded by weeks of criticism: first the Union attacked the possible alliance, then resistance grew in the SPD parliamentary group.

The decision comes amid a debate over the role of the Left Party. Economic Affairs Senator Franziska Giffey of the SPD warned, according to Handelsblatt, of the consequences of the socialization of housing. Greens leader Felix Banaszak criticized comparisons between the AfD and the Left Party, according to the FAZ live blog. With the decisions, the three parties move from exploratory talks to formal negotiations; there is no coalition agreement, and the party bodies would still have to approve one. The reports give no date for the start of the talks.

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The French government announced locally limited curfews on Monday, October 19 (Tagesschau, SRF, NZZ, Handelsblatt). Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said, according to the NZZ: “On Saturday we lost control.” According to SRF, a curfew for minors applies in Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain, and a nighttime curfew in two Paris districts from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. The NZZ cites at least 3,000 looted shops and almost 1,000 injured police officers. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had offered his resignation; President Emmanuel Macron declined (NZZ). Handelsblatt reports calls by the Yellow Vests for new protests on Saturday, Tagesschau a blame assignment by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt against two groups.

Curfews intrude on daily life and show that the authorities do not consider the situation calm after the weekend. That Macron is sticking with Nuñez exposes the government to the question of whether planning and assessment of the situation were adequate.

Anyone traveling to France in the coming days should check on local curfews and announced demonstrations on Saturday, especially in Paris and in the north. German travel and safety advisories will be updated if anything changes.

From the government’s point of view, limited, local curfews are the appropriate means to prevent looting without restricting the whole country. According to the NZZ, Macron is sticking with Nuñez and leaving it to Lecornu to lead the response.

According to the NZZ, critics accuse Nuñez of having reacted too late. On this reading, the figure of almost 1,000 injured police officers and at least 3,000 looted shops shows how far control was lost on Saturday.

Confirmed are the local curfews, Nuñez’s offer to resign and Macron’s refusal. Unclear are the final figures on injuries and damage, which differ depending on the source. To watch are the night into Tuesday and the call to protest for Saturday, October 24.

Tagesschau (curfews, Oct. 19, 2026) · SRF (curfews in Lille and Paris, Oct. 19, 2026) · NZZ (Lecornu and Nuñez, Oct. 19, 2026) · Handelsblatt (calls to protest, Oct. 19, 2026)

World · France✓ 4 outlets · official figures differ depending on the source

France imposes local curfews, Macron rejects Interior Minister Nuñez’s resignation

After the looting and street battles of the weekend, the French government announced locally limited curfews on Monday. Tagesschau, SRF, NZZ and Handelsblatt report this. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu admitted, according to the NZZ: “On Saturday we lost control.” According to SRF, a curfew for minors applies in Lille, Douai, Wattignies and Denain; in two Paris districts a nighttime curfew applies from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. The NZZ counts at least 3,000 looted shops and almost 1,000 injured police officers. Handelsblatt reports that the Yellow Vests called for new protests on Saturday. Tagesschau reports that Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt blamed two groups for the riots in the neighboring country. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who is accused of having reacted too late, had offered his resignation after the riots. President Emmanuel Macron rejected it, according to the NZZ, and left it to Lecornu to calm the situation. The figures on injuries and damage differ depending on the source and the time of the report; the government had given other figures at the weekend than the NZZ now cites.

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Inside

Alberta votes in a non-binding referendum on a possible path to secession from CanadaThe question is whether the province stays in Canada or starts a process toward a binding second referendum. Zeit, Handelsblatt and Tagesschau report.World · ✓ 3 outlets

Meloni announces a tough response to the riots in Milan and calls a crisis meetingAfter looting around the cathedral, the FAZ reports 160 arrests, Spiegel around 200. Handelsblatt reports on a planned decree.World · ✓ 4 outlets

Breakthrough in the Langley case: bones of the Regensburg woman missing since 2007 found, investigators cite a confessionAccording to police, the bones very probably belong to Kerstin Lee Langley. Tagesschau, Süddeutsche Zeitung, FAZ and Spiegel report.Panorama · ✓ 4 outlets

Merck acquires British biotech firm Silence Therapeutics for around one billion dollarsAccording to dpa-AFX, the Darmstadt-based group pays 20 dollars a share; closing is expected in the first quarter of 2027. Zeit and Handelsblatt report.Business · ✓ 2 outlets

Telekom, Vodafone, Orange and Telefónica want to secure frequencies for satellite mobile communications togetherThe operators signed a declaration of intent on the 2-GHz band, whose licenses expire in May 2027. Spiegel, Handelsblatt and Zeit report.Technology · ✓ 3 outlets

The Basel-based pharmaceutical group Roche is halting all new investment decisions in Germany for now (WirtschaftsWoche, Blick, 20 Minuten). Germany head Daniel Steiners cites the federal government’s planned austerity measures in health care as the reason; politics has “destroyed a great deal of trust” (20 Minuten). According to WirtschaftsWoche, it is mainly about the plan to raise the statutory manufacturer rebate for many patent-protected drugs from 7 to 15.5 percent from January 2027. Projects already approved are not affected, according to the report, including the expansion of the Penzberg site with more than 600 million euros. Roche employs around 18,000 people in Germany. No job cuts have been announced so far.

Investment decisions by large pharmaceutical companies determine where production and research are located. A public halt is also a signal to the government that the industry regards the cost containment as a locational disadvantage.

For insured people nothing changes at first; the supply of medicines is not affected. Employees at Roche’s German sites and in the supply chain should follow whether the halt has concrete consequences for projects.

Roche argues that the plans rely on short-term savings and burden the industry instead of solving the structural problems of statutory health insurance. The group stresses that what has already been decided will continue.

With the increase in the manufacturer rebate, the government is pursuing the goal of stabilizing health insurance contributions. The reports give no statement from the federal government on Roche’s move.

Confirmed are the halt on new investment decisions and the reasoning given by the Germany head. Open are the government’s reaction and possible consequences for other companies. To watch is whether other pharmaceutical makers announce similar steps.

WirtschaftsWoche (Roche puts investments on ice, Oct. 19, 2026) · Blick (halt on new investments, Oct. 19, 2026) · 20 Minuten (trust destroyed, Oct. 19, 2026)

Business · Pharma✓ 3 outlets · federal government’s reaction not stated

Roche puts new investments in Germany on ice and accuses the Merz government of breaking trust

The Basel-based pharmaceutical group Roche is halting all new investment decisions in Germany for now. WirtschaftsWoche, Blick and 20 Minuten report this. Germany head Daniel Steiners justifies the step with the federal government’s planned austerity measures in health care; politics has “destroyed a great deal of trust”, 20 Minuten quotes him as saying. According to WirtschaftsWoche, it is mainly about the plans to raise the statutory manufacturer rebate for many patent-protected drugs from 7 to 15.5 percent from January 2027. Projects already approved are not affected, according to the report, including the expansion of the Penzberg site in Bavaria with more than 600 million euros. Roche employs around 18,000 people in Germany; no job cuts have been announced so far.

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In brief

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Idefix flies to Mars’s moonThe Japanese space probe MMX has launched with the German-French rover Idefix; the destination is the Martian moon Phobos (Zeit, Handelsblatt).
Indictment of AfD politician DorowProsecutors accuse Kevin Dorow of using a Hitler Youth slogan at the founding of the AfD youth organization (Spiegel, Zeit).
Musk promises US children SpaceX sharesThe entrepreneur announced he would give every child in the US one SpaceX share (Spiegel, FAZ).
Statutory health insurance doctors warn of longer waiting timesDoctors are to report a fixed number of free appointments in future; the doctors’ association expects longer waiting times as a result (Zeit, Handelsblatt).
Dead after flooding in SpainA storm system flooded roads and campsites in southeastern Spain; at least two people died (Tagesschau).
Reiche promises hydrogen billionsEconomics Minister Katherina Reiche wants to kick-start the slow-starting hydrogen market with billions in aid (Tagesschau).

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Berlin SPD and Greens vote for coalition negotiations with the Left Party – SPD state executive board backs it 26:3

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