Budget reduction weakens Germany's international broadcaster
Following the reduction in the federal subsidy for Deutsche Welle (DW) for 2026, the Broadcasting Council, the Administrative Board and the DW management team convened a special joint session to discuss a comprehensive package of measures to achieve the required savings of 21 million euros. Under the plan, the Greek service will be discontinued and the journalistic portfolio in other languages scaled back. The German-language journalistic offering will be merged with the German language courses. Numerous positions across the organization will be eliminated, and investment funds significantly reduced. In purely numerical terms, around 160 full-time positions are affected, although the final number may vary. There will be no layoffs.
Dr. Karl Jüsten, Broadcasting Council Chair: "DW must remain a strong voice for freedom, especially in restricted media markets such as Russia and Iran. To do that, it needs reliable, long-term funding. Due to the cuts, the broadcaster will have to expect significant losses in reach. This is particularly troubling, as Russia and China are investing heavily in their state-run propaganda outlets while the US withdrawal from international broadcasting is creating further gaps. By reducing funding to DW, both the German and European perspectives will be weakened internationally – and that at a time when Europe urgently needs new partners and allies. We especially regret the closing the Greek service. For over 60 years, they strengthened German-Greek relations and made the German perspective visible in Greece. We did not take this decision lightly and it was not approved without dissenting voices. Unfortunately, the forced savings made this step unavoidable."
Dr. Achim Dercks, Administrative Board Chair: "The current budget cuts at DW come just two years after they implemented a savings package of 20 million euros. This is in direct contradiction to the pledge made by the government in its coalition agreement to strengthen DW. Without restoring its funding in the 2027 Federal Budget, rising costs across nearly all areas threaten to lead to long-term damage to journalistic quality, technical infrastructure and reach. It is only with adequate funding that Deutsche Welle will be able to successfully make its contribution to free reporting and against disinformation."
DW Director General Barbara Massing: "The savings made necessary by the cuts and the lack of compensation for collective wage increases are extremely painful. They weaken our competitiveness at a time when a strong German and European presence is becoming ever more important geopolitically. At the same time, we will continue to advance DW's quality initiative and digital transformation, launched several years ago – albeit at a slower pace. DW is widely regarded as a trusted and independent source of information, both in censored markets and in countries where Germany is building strategic partnerships. Sustainable funding for the future is crucial if we are to fulfill our journalistic mandate in a highly competitive global information space. Now is the time for the government and parliament to set the necessary course together. I am sincerely grateful to the members of the Broadcasting Council and the Administrative Board for their support, which was clearly evident during the meeting."
In the 2026 federal budget, the German government reduced its subsidy to DW by 10 million euros to 415 million euros. At the same time, the failure to offset moderate pay increases from the existing collective bargaining agreement will generate an additional 11 million euros in costs. As a result, DW is required to reduce spending by a total of 21 million euros. The savings will be implemented in a socially responsible manner and in accordance with DW's strategic priorities. Multiple areas of the organization will be affected.
DW language services
DW's Greek-language service will be discontinued. This service provided independent information to audiences in Greece, including during the military dictatorship. It served as an important channel of dialogue during the euro crisis, conveying German perspectives to the Greek public. Greece has long been a member of the European Union and is a stable democracy with a diverse media landscape, which is why DW must make cuts in this area.
DW's German-language offerings will be restructured: The journalistic offerings DW German and DW Learn German will be merged, with the budget nearly halved. Independent journalism and integrated language-learning elements will be combined into a clearly defined overall product focused primarily on learners at higher language levels (from B1/B2). The new format is aimed at audiences outside the DACH region – Germany, Austria and Switzerland – including learners in pre-integration programs abroad who are seeking reliable information about living and working in Germany and Europe. The service is designed to combine journalistic relevance with practical guidance while strengthening language skills. People who speak German well enough to follow current affairs coverage in the language can access established German-language media brands and publishers online.
Changes to the journalistic portfolio
The budget for the language services Portuguese for Africa and Dari/Pashto for Afghanistan will be reduced. The number of editions of the Spanish-language TV news will be reduced, while prime-time broadcasts will remain unchanged. Several programs will be discontinued: the Russian-language satire magazine Zapovednik (an external production), the arts and culture magazine Arts Unveiled, and the debate format Auf den Punkt in all language editions. Also ending are the science magazine Tomorrow Today in Portuguese (target country: Brazil), the environmental magazine Eco Africa in Portuguese, and the Europe-focused magazine Europeo in all seven language editions.
Infrastructure and Administration
More than one-third of the total savings will come from infrastructure and administrative areas, as well as from cost reductions achieved through the use of AI. Professional training programs and events are among the areas affected. Funding will also be cut for technical equipment, the further development of DW apps and building renovations. The expansion of new international correspondents' offices will be slowed. Costs in production and distribution will also be further reduced.