Delayland – Germany and the Missing Magic

Despite the problems we discussed in Delayland, people from many countries want to live and work in Germany. From nurses to IT specialists, skilled workers are needed, but bureaucracy is slowing things down. Write to: Delayland@dw.com

Waiting in line forever at city hall to register a new address – that’s how we roll in Germany. Accessing public services online is the exception, not the rule. In fact, sending a fax might speed things up (if you can believe that). But it's not as if people don't want to change. And we've found two countries that could teach us how to go digital. Write to: Delayland@dw.com

Big construction projects take surprisingly long to complete in Germany. It can take a decade or longer to build an airport, a train station, or a concert hall — skyrocketing costs included. What happened to the country’s love of planning and efficiency? Now, a neighboring country that's not famous for timely execution is showing Germany how it’s done. Write to: Delayland@dw.com

For years, German car manufacturers were convinced they built the world’s best automobiles — and the world was happy to buy from them. Then, nothing. Until a country that once was Germany’s pupil in car design sped ahead. How can Germany get back in the race?

If you think Germans are punctual and efficient, think again. Germany's national train system is so run down that most passengers are happy if they arrive at all. How did one of the world's most reliable train operators become an international joke? Can anyone help Germany to get back on track? New episodes every Thursday

Once dubbed an "economic miracle”, things don't run like they used to in Germany. This new DW original podcast endeavors to find out how Germany lost its magic and who’s got it now? Traveling beyond Germany — to India, France, Switzerland, and Denmark — the show explores how others are getting things right, and what Europe's former Wunderkind might learn from them. Wherever you get podcasts.

Berlin Briefing is a new podcast by the crew behind ‘Merkel’s last Dance’. It is a video podcast where we dive deep into how Germany is navigating major geopolitical challenges - from Trump's second presidency to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and Europe’s shift to the right. Once a week we give you an essential Berlin briefing on what’s coming next and why it matters. here's our latest episode.

We wanted to share a new DW podcast we thought you might like. Don't Drink the Milk traces the unexpected backstories of things we all think we know well. From passports to beer, zip codes to witches, discover how these things made their way around the world – by force, by chance or by choice. No need to pack your bags. Just subscribe to Don't Drink the Milk, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel really is going to step off that dance floor soon. What better way to end a podcast dedicated to her last dance, i.e.her last year in office, than with a rare exclusive interview? DW's Max Hofmann waltzed the German chancellor through the interview and has the backstory for us in this final episode of "Merkel's last dance."

China, the transatlantic relationship, the future of the EU - foreign policy didn't play a large role in Germany's election campaign. But there are huge issues for the next government to address. As Olaf Scholz works to establish a new coalition, we ask his party's foreign policy spokesman what the world can expect from a Germany under Scholz's leadership.

The Greens will likely play a central role in a future government coalition. September’s elections have elevated them to new levels of political power. The current rounds of exploratory and coalition talks will determine just how green Germany will go from here. DW’s Nina Haase and Guilia Saudelli team up with chief political editor Michaela Küfner to unpack the Greens’ governing potential.

The beginning of the end of the Merkel era is here. A narrow win for the SPD under Olaf Scholz has left Merkel's camp damaged, and given unprecedented leverage to the "kingmakers," the neoliberal FDP and Greens, in the search for a new coalition. In the latest edition of Merkel's Last Dance we catch up on the state of play and speak to potential FDP Foreign Minister, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff.

Compared to other world leaders, Merkel is seen as the one leading the charge in the global effort to combat climate change. But, says Claudia Kemfert, she’s also had a number of disappointing moves, like extending the use of nuclear power, siding with the car lobby, and not exiting coal sooner.

Europe’s richest country is lagging behind the US and China in technology - and Angela Merkel knows it. But how much is the chancellor herself to blame? In this episode, Merkel’s top digital advisor talks to DW’s chief technology correspondent Janosch Delcker about Big Tech, digital deficits exposed by the pandemic, and what reforms are needed to get Germany out of this mess.

America's 43rd President invited DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl to his family's summer house in Maine. He doesn't give many interviews any more. But he made an exception to talk about "his friend" Angela Merkel - and about a shoulder massage that made headlines at the time.

How does she do it? How has the German Chancellor managed to stay on top for 15+ years? What does "Merkeling through" mean? Find out from somebody who has served as minister under Angela Merkel, working closely with her, but also campaigning against her.

Angela Merkel's political career has been marked by many "firsts." But: in her 15 years as German chancellor, what has she done for the equality of the sexes and for moving gender fairness forward? We talk to the woman who publicly posed the question: 'Are you a feminist, Ms. Merkel?' Miriam Meckel did not only find Merkel's reaction surprising, she also tells us where Merkel disappointed her.

Angela Merkel has gone from Europe's leadership champion in the COVID fight to lagging behind on vaccines and testing. In this episode, podcast series "Merkel’s Last Dance" explores whether her legacy may be rewritten.

As China and the US slip deeper into geopolitical confrontation, Angela Merkel's approach to Beijing is being questioned as never before. In this episode, Merkel's Last Dance explores a complex legacy.

In this episode, Margot Kässmann tells host Michaela Küfner about an important piece of advice she received from the German Chancellor, when Kässmann became the first woman Leader of Germany's Protestant Church. The Covid-19 pandemic puts Merkel's religious roots on display, says Kässmann. But which values drive Merkel? And does she always stand by her principles? Margot Kässmann doesn't think so.

Wolfgang Ischinger was German Ambassador to the US when Angela Merkel made her first visit to the White House as Chancellor back in 2006 - to meet with then-president George W. Bush. He talks to Max Hofmann about a special moment during that first meeting, as well as about the ups and downs in Merkel’s relationship with ‘her’ three US presidents so far – and about what love’s gotta do with it.

Angela Merkel has always made a point of not drawing attention to her East German heritage. But how much does it still shape the chancellor? In this episode, find out how a panel discussion on suicide and a shopping trip to buy oysters can help us answer the question.

Has Angela Merkel held the EU together or has she pushed it towards the breaking point? Hear what Yanis Varoufakis has to say in our first podcast episode.

The era of Angela Merkel is coming to an end. The actions, and inaction, by Germany's chancellor have reshaped Europe for years. Our hosts follow her moves over her last months in office — possibly the toughest yet.