Volkswagen Restructuring: Volkswagen employees will grill CEO Oliver Blume at extraordinary staff assemblies in August as the automaker faces pressure over potential job cuts and plant closures amid Chinese EV competition and tariffs. Energy Security & Costs: Germany confirmed a strategic gas reserve equal to 10% of storage capacity, to be filled in 2027–2028 and funded via consumer levies—expected to raise household energy bills. Labour Market & Growth Reform: Germany’s coalition unveiled a major economic reform package aimed at boosting growth, including tax cuts, more labour-market flexibility, and less bureaucracy. Defence Cooperation: France and Germany pledged deeper defence cooperation, targeting missile defence and long-range strike systems while pushing back on China-linked industrial overcapacity. Workplace Safety: A railway security worker was critically injured after a confrontation on a moving train in southwestern Germany, with police provisionally arresting the suspected attacker. Health & Public Services: Seven Americans were quarantined at a U.S.-backed Ebola isolation facility in Kenya after arriving from the DRC outbreak response. AI at Work: A Japan survey found generative AI underperformed expectations versus countries including Germany, where only a small share reported results above expectations.