DW Berlin Briefing - Inside German politics

How do women leaders in Europe view current security challenges? Will the US be a reliable ally? Are democracies around the world under threat? DW’s Berlin Briefing and One Decision Podcast teamed up to host a powerful, all-female panel at the MSC: Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, former Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadottir, and former Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Kajsa Ollongren.

Germany's Green Party is campaigning for a second term in government. Their time in power has been controversial, with coalition infighting over climate policy and the economy. How did the Greens go from 1980s peace activists to 2020s military hawks? Why are they so hated by some sections of society? And can chancellor candidate Robert Habeck bring them back into government? 

Germany’s likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz just shook up the election campaign. He took a major political risk by relying on the far-right AfD for a majority in parliament for the first time. Tens of thousands took to the streets protesting the move. Did Merz just cancel his smooth ride to the chancellory? Or could he break the political paralysis around the AfD’s lifeblood issue: Migration.

Olaf Scholz’s government collapsed after months of infighting and deadlock. He’s attempting a comeback in the upcoming elections. What was the interplay between Russia's war on Ukraine, Germany’s economic malaise, and political dysfunction? Do the battles over migration provide Scholz with an opportunity? DW’s Richard Walker, Nina Haase and Michaela Küfner break it all down.

Friedrich Merz is the frontrunner to become Germany’s next leader after February’s elections. In this episode, DW’s Richard Walker and Michaela Küfner break it all down with writer John Kampfner. Who is Merz? Why did he have a feud with Merkel? How would he deal with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, the Ukraine war and the challenge of China? And can he deliver the reboot that he says Germany needs?

In this episode, DW’s Michaela Küfner, Nina Haase, Giulia Saudelli and Matthew Moore dive into the German election campaign, breaking down the key issues shaping the upcoming federal election. They explore the differences between the main parties on immigration, Russia's war on Ukraine, and climate change. And they wrapped up with their predictions for the election's outcome.

From Hitler, education and energy, to Mars colonization - X owner Elon Musk's chat with the far-right AfD party's Alice Weidel left many people puzzled. We break it down with Kate Conger, co-author of 'CharacterLimit: How Elon Musk destroyed Twitter'.

Germany’s new BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, is shaking up politics with a mix of left- and right-wing ideas. Opposing NATO and climate policies while advocating for a stronger welfare state and industry revival, it’s dividing opinions ahead of the elections. DW’s Richard Walker, Matthew Moore, and historian Katja Hoyer explore its platform and potential impact.

Elon Musk says there's only one political party that can save Germany: the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The far-right party is on track for its best result ever in Germany’s upcoming elections. What is driving its growth? How would the AfD change Germany? DW’s Richard Walker, Matthew Moore and Stefanie Witte (Tagesspiegel) discuss in this Berlin Briefing (recorded on December 13).

In this episode, we dive into the complexities surrounding the future of Syrians in Germany. The debate has been heating up since the Assad regime was toppled. Host Nina Haase speaks to DW's Michaela Küfner and migration expert Raphael Bossong from SWP think tank about where Germany stands-almost ten years after Angela Merkel said "we can do this" about taking in more than a million people.

“We are basically playing by the rules, whereas Moscow is not,” Foreign Affairs Correspondent for Die Zeit magazine Michael Thumann tells Berlin Briefing Host Michaela Küfner in this latest edition on Georgia’s looming constitutional crisis. Will Europe come to the rescue of thousands of pro-EU protesters?

China is already calling some major shots on European trade and security. Where that leaves Germany as Europe’s largest economy is at the core of this week’s Berlin Briefing podcast. We map out how Germany’s chancellor and foreign minister still have profoundly different views of the relationship Germany should have with China.

In this episode of DW’s Berlin Briefing, host Michaela Küfner challenges her guests to unpack Putin’s hybrid war and assess how Germany should respond. Former NATO analyst Michael Rühle and Carnegie Europe senior fellow Judy Dempsey clash over their different takes on whether Merkel was right on Ukraine and Russia.

Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur speaks to DW’s Nina Haase about Europe’s security challenges, Russia’s war in Ukraine, why European defense spending needs a major boost, and about the impact of Germany's political vacuum on defense commitments. Pevkur also shares his blunt views on Olaf Scholz’s phone call with Vladimir Putin, and why direct talks with Russia may not be the answer.

Germany is gearing up for a snap election in early 2025. The conservative CDU/CSU is leading in the polls. What's at stake for German politics and trans-Atlantic relations with the US? In this episode, hosts Nina Haase and Michaela Küfner sit down with Thomas Silberhorn, a senior member of Bundestag for the CSU, to talk through how to prepare for Trump 2.0 in domestically turbulent times.

Host Nina Haase talks to DW's Washington Bureau Chief Ines Pohl and James D. Bindenagel from the German Marshall Fund about what Donald Trump's victory means for European security, support for Ukraine, the future of transatlantic relations — and how the collapse of the German government coalition affects all this.