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Berlin is to withdraw its bid to host the Olympic Games. This means that, for its partner city Leipzig too, the dream of hosting the Olympics has once again been dashed. The Saxon police, in collaboration with Polish officers, have broken up a car-theft gang operating across Europe. And: The defence contractor Covenant plans to open its new factory near Leipzig in just two weeks’ time. The LZ summarises the key events in Leipzig and beyond on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.
Leipzig’s Olympic dream dashed
A large public viewing event had been announced for this coming Saturday on Leipzig’s market square. People were planning to gather there to eagerly follow the decision by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on who would be allowed to enter the international race as Germany’s official Olympic bid. Leipzig is part of Berlin’s bid and is in the running – or rather: it was in the running. As rbb reported today, Berlin intends to announce the withdrawal of its bid tomorrow. This would mean Leipzig is also out of the running – just as it was for the 2012 Games.
Yesterday’s announcement of the results of the DOSB Evaluation Commission’s assessment seems to have put the final nail in the coffin of this withdrawal decision. The commission places Munich right at the top with 87 out of a possible 100 points, closely followed by Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr with 85 points. Berlin, on the other hand, managed only 74.6 points – a very poor starting position indeed. What likely proved most detrimental to the capital’s bid was that, unlike its two rivals, it had chosen not to hold a public referendum on its Olympic bid.
In addition to the resulting fears of a lack of public support, the DOSB also anticipates political headwinds for the Olympics following the outcome of the recent Berlin elections. This is because both the election winners, Die Linke, and the Greens – who together account for 40 per cent of the votes in the House of Representatives – were and remain opposed to an Olympic bid. Munich is now therefore considered the clear favourite, having previously hosted the Summer Games in 1972. The decision will be made early on Saturday afternoon at the extraordinary DOSB General Assembly in Baden-Baden.
Car-theft gang arrested
The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Saxony State Criminal Police Office are investigating twelve Polish nationals aged between 19 and 54 on suspicion of aggravated gang theft in more than 70 cases. The accused are alleged to have been members of a gang – operating across Europe from Poland – and to have stolen high-value cars in Germany between early 2017 and late 2025, transporting them to Poland. It is alleged that the vehicles were then sold there at a profit.
The investigations cover vehicle thefts in over 50 towns and municipalities across the whole of Germany. Based on the information available so far, the total loss is estimated at more than three million euros. Yesterday, 22 September, nine suspects were arrested in Poland on the basis of European Arrest Warrants issued by the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office. They are currently being held in custody pending extradition. The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office has applied for their transfer to Germany so that criminal proceedings can be conducted.
At the same time, law enforcement officers searched numerous premises in Wroclaw, Lubin, Zgorzelec, Bogatynia, Porajow, Ogorzelec and Zlotoryja, amongst other locations. In the process, they seized vehicle parts from around 30 stolen cars. A total of 120 Polish and 60 Saxon police officers were involved in the operations. The investigations are ongoing. The operations in Poland are co-funded by ISF LUMEN Expanded with funds from the EU International Security Fund for combating organised crime.
Arms factory to open earlier than planned
The US defence contractor Covenant plans to officially open its new plant in or near Leipzig as early as the beginning of October. This was reported by the LVZ today (paywall). However, according to current plans, production of cruise missiles is not due to begin until the first quarter of 2027. Covenant itself did not comment on the new developments when asked by the newspaper.
Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and, apparently, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche (CDU) are expected to attend the plant’s opening. However, confirmation from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs is still pending.
Protests against the plant’s establishment continue. As recently as last Saturday, over 500 people marched through the city under the slogan ‘No missile factory in Leipzig’. However, the city has only limited scope to stop the project altogether, as Covenant is a private-sector company and is, moreover, taking over an existing warehouse.
What the LZ reported on today:
The one-eyed man amongst the blind: Criticism of Saxony’s ‘1st place’ in the INSM education ranking
Hello Leipzig: Wednesday 23 September 2026 marks the start of
The story of a torn homeland: A book about all the turmoil of the Middle East conflict
Other important news:
Following a major rockslide on the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain is shrouded in a huge cloud of dust. Fortunately, there was no damage or injuries.
The federal government has approved a draft bill to abolish the requirement for paper receipts. The usual paper receipts are therefore to be replaced by digital alternatives from 2028.
Collective bargaining negotiations are on the horizon for workers in the metal and electrical industries. The IG Metall trade union is entering the negotiations demanding a five per cent pay rise plus a collectively agreed profit-sharing scheme.
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