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 coalition down as low as 20 percent this summer. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is reaping the rewards of Germans’ discontent, polling at 20 percent nationwide and as high as 30 percent in some states. AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger joins The Zeitgeist to discuss what current developments in German politics could mean for the upcoming state elections and next year’s European elections, how to understand the rise of the AfD in the polls, and what the political turbulence could mean for the future of transatlantic relations. Host Jeff Rathke, President, AGI Guest Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow