Episode 119: Voter Volatility and Political Stagnation
Germany votes for a new parliament on February 23. While the center-right Christian Democrats maintain a lead in the polls, the three parties of Olaf Scholz’s outgoing “traffic light” coalition …
The 2025 Bundestag Election and Its Consequences
AGI ProjectEpisode 116: The Evolution of LGBTQ+ Rights in Germany
For thirty-five years, the LSVD+ – Queer Diversity Association has been representing the interests of LGBTQ+ people in Germany. Its managing director Klaus Jetz joins The Zeitgeist to discuss how …
Episode 114: The Transatlantic Legacy of Stonewall
In September 2024, participants in AGI’s project “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future” traveled to New York City for site visits and discussions …
Episode 112: Eastern State Elections and Their Implications for National Politics
In state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to first and second place, respectively, with over 30 percent of the vote in both states. …
Episode 110: The Continued Strength of the AfD
The eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia will vote in state elections on September 1, and Brandenburg will vote on September 22. The populist radical-right Alternative for Germany (Alternative …
Understanding the Alternative for Germany (AfD)
AGI ProjectEpisode 109: Angela Merkel’s Legacy
Germany’s longest-serving chancellor of the twenty-first century was also uniquely successful; Angela Merkel left office after sixteen years with an approval rating of over 70 percent. As Germany must now …
Episode 108: The Role of Germany’s Anti-Semitism Commissioners
In 2019, the federal states established the Joint Federal and State Commission to Fight Anti-Semitism and Protect Jewish Life. This initiative builds on Germany’s decades-long political and civil society efforts …
Episode 107: Interpreting the European Parliament Elections
From June 6 to 9, citizens across the European Union’s 27 member states voted for the 720 seats in the European Parliament. The center-right had the strongest result, with the …
Episode 106: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion and the Economy
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon …
Will A Beautiful Summer Follow Germany’s Winter of Rage?
The mood in Germany right now is as bleak as a Berlin winter. Things are indeed not going so well in this “winter of rage” (Wutwinter). The economy contracted by …