My newest Letter from Berlin paints a picture of a Germany full of contradictions. Under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the country appears more assertive and influential on the international stage than it has in years. At home, however, it continues to struggle with economic stagnation, reform paralysis, and growing political discontent. While Merz is emerging as a leading … [Read more...] about Merz asserts himself. But does he have a game plan?
Bundestag Bombshell
For Merz, after half a year struggling with a caretaker government and disappointing snap election results for the democratic center parties, especially the Social Democrats led by then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, there was good news on April 9, 2025, when the CDU/CSU and SPD presented a coalition government deal. When Merz was asked by Deutsche Welle’s political editor Michaela … [Read more...] about Bundestag Bombshell
Germany in Crisis
On the day Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term, the main German stock index DAX briefly rose over 21,000 for the first time ever, suggesting that a large share of foreign investors—some estimates guessed around 70 percent—supported Trump’s “Make America Great Again” triumphant return as the fortyseventh U.S. president. This contrasts with the prevailing fear in … [Read more...] about Germany in Crisis
Germany Without A Government – political chaos reigns
In the regional elections in the east ern states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, the dire predictions about Germany’s threats from the far right have become bitter reality. Now the Greens are suffering their worst political meltdown in de cades. The biggest worry at this stage is the worsening economic situation, with Germany’s economy facing stagnation and increasing … [Read more...] about Germany Without A Government – political chaos reigns
Germany’s Threats From the Far Right
As the history of the European Union shows, over the decades France and Germany —the two largest countries and economies — were the motors of integration of the twenty-seven EU member countries and their combined population of 450 million. As the results of the June 2024 European Parliament elections show, France and Germany as the largest EU democracies are threatened as never … [Read more...] about Germany’s Threats From the Far Right