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 …
Episode 98: 2023 in Review
2023 was a tumultuous year in German politics and foreign policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government is polling at record lows following a series of unpopular policies and setbacks in …
Episode 92: State Elections in Bavaria and Hesse
Two German Länder elected their state parliaments on Sunday, October 8: Bavaria and Hesse. In both states, it appears that the current coalitions will continue, led by center-right parties (the …
Episode 87: German Political Turbulence and the Rise of the Alternative for Germany
Squabbles within Germany’s coalition parties and unpopular policy decisions—including a controversial home heating bill spearheaded by Green Party Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck—have dragged the approval rating of the traffic light …
The Ukrainian People Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize
An earlier version of this Op-Ed was originally published in German in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on April 28, 2023. When wars erupt, it is not always possible to clearly …
Episode 77: Zeitenwende Anniversary
On February 27, 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made an historic speech to the German Bundestag, declaring a historic turning point (Zeitenwende) for Germany’s security and defense policy following Russia’s …
Episode 73: 2022—A Year in Review
As 2022 draws to a close, AGI President Jeff Rathke, AGI Senior Fellow and Director of Society, Culture, and Politics Program Eric Langenbacher and AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger …
Episode 69: Germany’s Shifting Political Landscape: Through the Lens of the Lower Saxony Elections
On this episode of the Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke, AGI Senior Fellow and Director of Society, Culture, and Politics Program Eric Langenbacher and AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger …
The Grand Failure
Grand New Beginning? February 24, 2022, will go down in history as a watershed moment for Europe and not the least for Germany. The day Russia invaded Ukraine spelled the …
Episode 67: Will Germany’s Zeitenwende Stick?
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a “Zeitenwende,” a historic turning point for Germany’s security and defense policy. Scholz pledged to set up an …
Episode 59: Germany’s Shifting Political Landscape—State Election Edition #2
This month’s election in Germany’s largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, saw a resurgence of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), growing support for the Green Party, further decline of the Social Democratic …
Episode 53: The Changing Dynamics of German Politics
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Liberal FDP has just passed 100 days in office, faced with Russia’s war on Ukraine and …