Police sealed off the Die Zeil shopping street in Frankfurt after rioters smashed windows, looted stores and attacked officers. The unrest was part of demonstrations organised by the youth group Gen Z regelt! in 34 German cities on 31 Oct 2026. Organisers estimate up to 170,000 participants, while police counts show about 6,000 protesters in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin and roughly 1,000 in Frankfurt itself. Police deployed water cannons, pepper spray and made several arrests, and interior minister Roman Poseck warned against modelling the unrest on France.
Frankfurt
3 stories since 28 October 2026, newest first
1 November 2026
29 October 2026
Christine Lagarde announced her resignation on Thursday and will step down as European Central Bank president on 7 Feb 2027, nine months before her term ends. The decision comes as euro‑zone inflation runs at almost twice the ECB’s 2 % target and bond yields, especially in France, are rising sharply. Lagarde told officials she wants the freedom to comment on political issues beyond monetary policy. The European Council has launched a selection process, with candidates such as Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos mentioned as front‑runners.
28 October 2026
The European Central Bank kept its deposit rate unchanged at 2.5 percent on 29 Oct, with the Governing Council deciding unanimously to hold. Eurozone headline inflation rose to 3.8 percent in September, its highest level since September 2023, driven by energy prices that climbed 18.8 percent amid Middle East turbulence. The ECB said risks to inflation are skewed to the upside. Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, announced she will step down early in February 2027. Markets priced in about a 67 percent chance of a rate increase in December.