Overview

• AfD-NRW press spokesman Kris Schnappertz was suspended over allegations that he pressured a student aide to spy on deputy state chief Sven Tritschler in exchange for unusually high pay.
• The controversy has exposed a fierce power struggle in North Rhine-Westphalia between Martin Vincentz’s moderate leadership and a völkisch faction around Matthias Helferich, casting doubt on the party’s direction ahead of local elections.
• Latest Politbarometer figures put the AfD at 24 percent—its highest level since April—while the Union has slipped to 27 percent and approval for the Schwarz-Rot coalition has fallen from 60 percent in June to 49 percent.
• For the second time this month, the CDU/CSU–SPD government failed to win the two-thirds Bundestag majority required to appoint Federal Constitutional Court judges, underscoring legislative gridlock.
• Chancellor Merz’s July remarks minimizing Germany’s solo impact on global emissions drew sharp criticism from climate activists demanding binding commitments and economists warning of misplaced budget priorities.