Germany news: Berlin conference seeks to drum up investment

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz is to give the welcome speech at a conference aiming to boost investment in Germany
• Operations have returned to normal after a security incident at the Leipzig/Halle airport
• Carmaker Volkswagen is intending to freeze the salaries of many of its workers until 2030, media have reported
• The Berlin Social Democrats and Greens are to decide whether to start coalition negotiations with the Left Party after ending exploratory talks

This is a roundup of the stories from and about Germany that are hitting the headlines on Monday, October 19, 2026:

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Skip next section Merz to open investment conference

October 19, 2026

Merz to open investment conference

A two-day conference entitled "Invest in Germany Summit" is to begin on Monday evening in Berlin as the government seeks to shore up public-sector spending with private money.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz will deliver the opening speech at the conference, which will be attended by an expected 200 representatives from large German and international companies.

The CEO of the US chip manufacturer Nvidia, Jensen Huang, is to be one of the key guests at the conference.

The German government is looking to cooperate strongly with the company, whose products are central to the boom in artificial intelligence, in a bid to help Germany catch up in the sector.

Don't expect too much: Economic institute

The German Economic Institute (IW) has, however, warned against any too high expectations from the summit, saying that high costs for labor, energy and bureaucracy in Germany were a deterrent to investment in the country.

"It would be naive to believe that the summit will change that in the short term. Companies don't choose Germany because of a promotional event. What matters is whether they can make money here," IW director Michael Hüther told the DPA news agency.

He said it would be more effective if the government were to swiftly implement its reform agenda.

A study by Allianz Research has shown that investment in Germany fell by 6.4% between 2019 and 2025, while it grew by 6.7% in the rest of the eurozone and a whole 20.2% in the US. 

https://p.dw.com/p/5OOTv

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

October 19, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

The DW newsroom in Bonn bids guten Tag to all its faithful readers at the start of a new week!

Today, we will be looking at a conference in Berlin that will seek to attract private investment in Germany to help make the country fit for the future, with the field of artificial intelligence a key focus.

New statistics are also to be released on Monday on women in leadership and government positions in Germany and the EU in 2025.

And the Leipzig/Halle airport has resumed normal operations after a security incident involving a breached fence triggered a large-scale police operation.

This occurred just weeks after an explosives-laden drone that German officials believe was intended to carry out an attack on behalf of Russia was found at the airport.

Read on for more on these and other stories connected with all things German.