Germany to Cover Pay for US Base Employees

Germany has agreed to front the October pay of about 11,000–12,000 local civilian employees who work on US military bases amid the US federal government shutdown, with the finance ministry initiating an unscheduled expenditure and expecting Washington to reimburse the cost. The decision followed warnings from the Verdi trade union and state officials that halted wages would violate German law and could disrupt support for roughly 35,000 US troops stationed in the country. Analysts warned that prolonged shutdowns could create deeper operational and humanitarian strains and have already led to furloughs at US agencies such as the National Nuclear Security Administration. In a separate controversy, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comments blaming migrants for shaping the 'public image' of cities provoked criticism and protests, and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil urged caution and called for politics that build bridges rather than divide.