Podcasts · Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald
Policy of rupture: How the AfD became Germany's most disruptive force
· 29 min
Episode Policy of rupture: How the AfD became Germany's most disruptive force
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks weaker than ever, and the nation's far-right AfD is stronger than ever.
Europe's most important country looks to be heading into a period of deep political instability. The AfD has just won two state elections in eastern Germany, while the hard-left Die Linke has taken Berlin.
That leaves coalition talks in turmoil and raises fresh questions about whether Germany's long-standing political "firewall" against the far right can hold.
At the same time, Berlin is trying to lead Europe's rearmament, support Ukraine against Russia, and fill the gap left by a more reluctant United States.
Tom Nuttall, The Economist's chief Germany correspondent and head of its Berlin bureau, joins Laura Tingle and Latika Bourke to explain how Germany reached this point.
We unpack the AfD's rise, its links to Russia, why Friedrich Merz has become so unpopular, and why growing numbers of voters are backing what Nuttall calls a "policy of rupture".
Guest: Tom Nuttall, Chief Germany correspondent & head of the Berlin bureau - The Economist.
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