Episodes

Germany’s longest-serving chancellor of the twenty-first century was also uniquely successful; Angela Merkel left office after sixteen years with an approval rating of over 70 percent. As Germany must now manage underinvestment in infrastructure, rebuilding the armed forces, the rise of the populist far-right, and Russia’s war in Ukraine, her policies have been widely scrutinized. On her 70th birthday, we discuss Angela Merkel’s legacy—her impact and leadership in Germany and the Christian Democ...

In 2019, the federal states established the Joint Federal and State Commission to Fight Anti-Semitism and Protect Jewish Life. This initiative builds on Germany’s decades-long political and civil society efforts to atone for the Nazi crimes of the Holocaust and resulted in the creation of state-level Commissioners for Jewish Life and the Fight against Anti-Semitism. Hessen’s Commissioner Uwe Becker joins this episode of the Zeitgeist to discuss the role of these commissioners, how they work toge...

From June 6 to 9, citizens across the European Union’s 27 member states voted for the 720 seats in the European Parliament. The center-right had the strongest result, with the European People’s Party winning additional seats and remaining the largest bloc in the EP. Far-right parties also made significant gains, especially in Germany and France. French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and announced snap elections, in response to the poor showing of his Renaissance, which...

On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon Schütz and Thomas Haakenson discuss the cost of discriminating against LGBTQ+ employees and customers, the U.S. and German legal landscape around discrimination, and associations that advocate for and promote LGBTQ+ businesses. Guest Host Eric Langenbacher, AGI Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture...

In this special episode of The Zeitgeist, we are sharing German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius’ address at an event hosted by AGI and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies on May 9, 2024. “Steadfast, Capable, and Ready: Germany’s Security Renaissance and Transatlantic Defense” details Germany’s approach to international security and the transatlantic partnership. It is followed by a conversation between Minister Pistorius and AGI President Jeff Rathke, along wi...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Germany’s government and public to think urgently about the threats to their security. Dr. Christian Mölling joins The Zeitgeist to discuss how politicians and the public have evolved from a peace-focused society to one that understands the need for strong defense. What must Germany do, and how quickly, to be ready for today’s threats? Can it move beyond responding to crises pragmatically to having a strategic vision for its and Europe’s security? ...

Elections in Europe and the United States this year could have significant impacts on the European economy. The outcomes will influence how the transatlantic partners address the challenge from China as well as the role of the existing global economic order. It could also raise new questions about Germany’s economic Zeitewende and its position within the EU. European economics editor at The Economist Christian Odendahl joins The Zeitgeist to discuss what is at stake for the German and European e...

Every four years, the U.S. National Intelligence Council publishes its Global Trends report, an unclassified document that seeks to assess the key factors that shape the strategic environment for the United States and help U.S. authorities plan for future developments. The next edition will be released early in 2025. National Intelligence Officer for Europe Dr. Phyllis Berry joins The Zeitgeist to discuss what factors will impact the future of Europe and transatlantic relations: Russia’s full-sc...

German Ambassador to the United States Andreas Michaelis joins The Zeitgeist podcast to discuss the state of the German-American relationship, how Germany is working with its key partners in Europe such as France, and how the U.S. elections are affecting the transatlantic relationship. Ambassador Michaelis has been serving in Washington since August 2023, and during this period Germany has become the leading military supporter of Ukraine in Europe and second only to the United States. He describ...

Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester have been playing the music of and inspired by the 1920s and 30s for almost forty years, to enormous success in Germany and internationally. …

2024 will be a year of crisis and change—the Russian aggression against Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and Africa; the continuing effects of climate change; and the biggest election year in history. Mathew Burrows and Julian Mueller-Kaler of the Stimson Center’s Strategic Foresight Hub join the podcast to discuss the greatest risks to the transatlantic partnership this year: the impacts of presidential candidate (and potential winner) Donald Trump’s “anti-globalist” agenda, a potential sta...

2023 was a tumultuous year in German politics and foreign policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government is polling at record lows following a series of unpopular policies and setbacks in the constitutional court. At the same time, support for the extremes is increasing, especially as the Alternative for Germany ramps up rhetoric on migration and the price of energy—two issues that may grow in importance in 2024. Despite squabbles over domestic politics, the coalition has remained steadfa...

Public memorials have many functions: honoring victims, acknowledging history, or symbolizing values. After the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the site was transformed into an interim memorial to honor the 49 people who were killed. As LGBTQ+ groups in Germany and the United States work to build community spaces and bring LGBTQ+ stories into public consciousness, what lessons can be learned from commemoration efforts in Orlando? Participants of the AGI Project “Bu...

The international order built by the United States after World War II is under strain, and the consensus about America’s role that used to unite U.S. political leaders and the public is fraying. Across the Atlantic, Germany, uneasily facing a return to hard power politics represented by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has instituted a “sea change” in its foreign and security policy. European voters are electing more populist and nationalist parties. Will the U.S. commitment to shaping the internat...

Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller joins this episode of The Zeitgeist to discuss Germany, transatlantic defense, and the West’s response to today’s challenging security order. Are Germany and the United States doing enough to support Ukraine amidst ongoing Russian aggression and geopolitical ambition? What domestic political debates are driving foreign policymaking and impacting defense spending? How does Germany view its role as a leader in European defense? And as Germany’s chapter of Women in Inter...

On October 7, Hamas terrorists carried out a surprise attack that killed 1,400 people—the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Over 200 people remain hostages. One of the first foreign leaders to visit Israel after the attacks was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has visited twice. How has Germany responded to the crisis, and how has their response been received in Israel? What are the international implications, including for the German-Israeli relationship? D...

On October 23, one of Germany’s most popular politicians Sahra Wagenknecht announced that she would leave the Left Party and form a new political party. The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (BSW) would be the first new political party established since the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in 2013. Will Wagenknecht’s brand of anti-migration left-populism shake up the German political landscape and weaken the extreme-right AfD? Dr. Sarah Wagner joins The Zeitgeist to discuss the BSW’s potential political...

Two German Länder elected their state parliaments on Sunday, October 8: Bavaria and Hesse. In both states, it appears that the current coalitions will continue, led by center-right parties (the Christian Democrats in Hesse and their sister party Christian Socialists in Bavaria), but the elections also show serious signs of discontent and disruptions on the German political scene. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw gains in both states, while support for the parties of the national g...

Dr. Eva Högl is the German Bundestag’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, assisting the Parliament in their oversight of the German military. She is working to ensure that everyone in Germany—from policymakers to soldiers to civilians—understands the role of the military and the consequences of Germany’s “sea-change” in defense policy. As Germany works to meet its commitments to defense spending, the Bundeswehr must balance procurement, personnel, and infrastructure costs. Dr. Högl...

The multilateral economic order is in crisis. The WTO no longer has the final word on trade issues, the IMF and World bank have lost market share as lenders, and countries are becoming more protectionist. Are smaller groups of countries, such as the G7, G20, or BRICS, the solution to the fracture? Can the WTO be reformed to avoid this fracture and also help countries address critical challenges such as climate change? How can the United States and Europe work together to build a sustainable and ...

Dr. Jill McGovern has been involved with AGI since the idea for it came about in 1981. As part of our AGI at Forty series, Dr. McGovern reflects on how an idea for a think tank that focused on two German states from an American perspective came to fruition. She discusses how AGI’s unique and forward-thinking perspective in the Cold War set the tone for its research agenda through the next forty years. Host Jeff Rathke, President, AGI Guests Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of AG...

On this episode of the Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of the Society, Culture & Politics Program, continues our AGI at Forty podcast series with Geoeconomics Non-Resident Senior Fellow and former Program Director Alexander Privitera. When Mr. Privitera joined AGI, Germany was leading Europe through a sovereign debt crisis. What can be learned from this period about how Germany manages crises now and in the future? How has the bilateral relationship evolve...

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 Fran...

In its economic policies, the Biden administration has focused on domestic investment, close collaboration with like-minded democracies, and addressing geopolitical challenges. The EU is proposing an economic security strategy; the recently released German national security strategy refers to the strategic role of trade agreements, and the EU and United States are working to address climate change both domestically and bilaterally. Director of Bruegel Jeromin Zettelmeyer joins The Zeitgeist to d...