Germany is falling well behind most European countries in the installation of smart electricity meters, raising concerns as the continent accelerates its transition toward renewable energy and more flexible power systems.

Smart meters have become increasingly important as Europe relies more heavily on electricity generated from wind and solar energy. Unlike traditional power sources such as coal, gas and nuclear plants, renewable energy production depends on weather conditions, making it more difficult for grid operators to balance electricity supply with demand.

The devices automatically transmit electricity usage data to energy suppliers, eliminating the need for manual meter readings while allowing consumers to monitor their energy consumption more closely. They also enable households to access time-of-use tariffs, which offer lower electricity prices during periods of lower demand or higher renewable energy generation.

Energy experts say smart meters can help reduce pressure on electricity grids by encouraging consumers to run energy-intensive appliances, charge electric vehicles or operate heat pumps when renewable power is abundant. This improves grid efficiency and reduces the need to curtail renewable energy production when electricity supply exceeds demand.

The International Renewable Energy Agency has also highlighted the growing importance of battery storage in supporting renewable energy, estimating that Europe will need to expand battery capacity tenfold to meet its 2030 climate and energy targets.

Despite these benefits, progress across Europe has been uneven. The European Union’s 2009 Third Energy Package called on member states with positive cost-benefit assessments to install smart meters in at least 80 percent of households by 2020. Six years after that target, overall deployment across the bloc stands at roughly 60 percent.

The European Commission has since proposed new targets calling for at least half of all consumers to have smart meters by 2030 and 65 percent by 2033.

Several European countries have already achieved near-universal coverage. Denmark has reached full deployment, while Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal and Spain each report coverage of around 99 percent. Italy, one of the earliest adopters, completed widespread installation more than a decade ago. France has reached 94 percent, the Netherlands 90 percent and Ireland 84 percent. Great Britain has installed smart meters in around 70 percent of households.

Germany remains the clear outlier. According to data from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, only about 2 percent of German households had advanced smart meters installed by 2024, the lowest rate among Europe’s major economies. Although the country introduced mandatory installation requirements for certain consumers in 2025, rollout has continued at a slow pace.

Analysts say wider adoption of smart meters could deliver significant savings for consumers while helping electricity networks manage growing demand from electric vehicles, home batteries and heat pumps. The technology is also expected to play a central role in supporting community energy projects and reducing the overall cost of integrating renewable energy into Europe’s power system as the transition to cleaner electricity gathers pace.

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has come under fire after writing that France’s national football team plays “without Frenchmen,” a remark that has drawn accusations of racism and xenophobia ahead of the World Cup semifinal between Spain and France.

Rajoy made the comments in his regular World Cup column for Spanish newspaper El Debate following Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium. Looking ahead to Tuesday’s semifinal against Didier Deschamps’ side in Dallas, the former Spanish leader acknowledged France’s success on the international stage, describing the squad as top-class before adding that it was “without Frenchmen.”

The statement was widely interpreted as a reference to the ethnic and immigrant backgrounds of several French players, despite the majority of the squad being born in France.

Of the 26 players selected by Deschamps for the tournament, only three were born outside the country. Michael Olise was born in London to a British-Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Marcus Thuram was born in Parma, Italy, while his father, former France international Lilian Thuram, was playing there, and goalkeeper Brice Samba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before moving to France as a child.

Rajoy’s remarks quickly prompted criticism from politicians in both Spain and France.

Spanish Socialist Party MEP José Cepeda described the comments as “racist and xenophobic” during a television interview, saying it was shameful for a former prime minister to make such statements.

In France, Equality Minister Aurore Bergé condemned what she described as repeated racist remarks, writing on X that sport should remain a place where people are judged by their talent rather than any other characteristic.

French Communist Party national secretary Fabien Roussel also criticized Rajoy, urging that his comments be condemned. He compared the controversy to recent remarks made by a Paraguayan politician about French striker Kylian Mbappé, which prompted prosecutors in Paris to open an investigation after a complaint alleging aggravated public insult.

The Élysée Palace did not immediately comment on the controversy.

The debate over France’s national football team and its multicultural identity has existed for decades. Following France’s 1998 World Cup triumph, players including Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly and Patrick Vieira became symbols of a diverse French society.

At the time, however, far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen argued that the team did not truly represent France because of its multicultural makeup. Those views were widely condemned and have resurfaced periodically during broader national debates over immigration and identity.

The latest controversy comes as Spain and France prepare to meet in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday. The match coincides with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s planned visit to Paris for France’s Bastille Day celebrations, placing additional attention on relations between the neighboring countries both on and off the football field.

A major police operation remained under way in southwest Berlin on Saturday morning after a woman was reportedly taken hostage by a knife-wielding man inside a supermarket, prompting a lengthy standoff with emergency services.

The incident began late Friday evening at a Rewe supermarket, where police said a man allegedly threatened a woman with a knife before holding her inside the store. Authorities were alerted at around 10 p.m., and specialist officers quickly surrounded the area.

By early Saturday, the situation was still unresolved. Police confirmed that negotiations with the hostage-taker were continuing as officers worked to bring the incident to a peaceful end.

“We are in contact with the hostage-taker,” a police spokesperson told the German news agency dpa, adding that every effort was being made to resolve the crisis without harm to the hostage.

The supermarket remains sealed off as heavily armed officers from a special operations unit maintain positions around the building. Numerous police vehicles, ambulances and fire service crews have been deployed to the scene, while surrounding streets have been restricted.

During the early hours of Saturday, officers positioned a ladder against the building in an effort to gain a clearer view of the situation inside the supermarket as negotiations continued.

Authorities have not disclosed the identity of either the suspect or the hostage, and it remains unclear whether the two knew each other before the incident.

Police confirmed that all supermarket employees who were inside the building when the hostage situation began managed to leave safely. They were evacuated without injury and are receiving support from emergency services.

Witness accounts have started to emerge, although officials have not verified their accuracy. One supermarket employee told German newspaper Bild that the suspect was standing at a checkout before the incident unfolded.

According to the employee, the man allegedly refused to place his shopping on the conveyor belt before suddenly producing a knife. Police have not confirmed that version of events and have urged caution while the investigation continues.

The hostage incident has attracted a significant emergency response as authorities seek to avoid a violent outcome. Negotiators have remained in close communication with the suspect throughout the standoff, while specialist tactical teams stand ready if intervention becomes necessary.

Officials have asked members of the public to stay away from the area to allow emergency services to carry out their work safely.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is expected to continue once the hostage situation has been resolved. Police have not released further details about the suspect’s motive or the condition of the woman being held inside the supermarket.