In two days, Friedrich Merz will mark one year in office, with a poor track record. Domestically, the black-red coalition is continuously at odds over taxes and subsidies, dragging down its poll numbers. Gordon Repinski examines the chancellor’s recent appearance on ARD with Caren Miosga, his attempt to refocus on governance, and the challenging trust dynamics with SPD leaders Bärbel Bas and Lars Klingbeil.
Internationally, Merz’s remarks at a school risk causing significant diplomatic damage. The response from Washington is swift: US President Donald Trump announces the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany and possibly more. Rixa Fürsen explains why this leaves a dangerous gap in security arrangements, especially since planned deployments of long-range precision weapons like Tomahawk and Typhoon are canceled.
In the 200-second interview: Elif Eralp, the lead candidate for the Left Party in the upcoming September parliamentary election, emphasizes housing issues and advocates for the socialization of large property companies to make Berlin affordable again.
Links to the weekend discussions: Rasmus Buchsteiner here and Felix Lee here.
The Berlin Playbook podcast is available every morning from 5 a.m. Gordon Repinski and the POLITICO team provide concise, international, and in-depth political insights.
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