logo
episode-header-image
May 6
22m 22s

First not past the post: Germany’s chanc...

The Economist
About this episode

In a post-war first, Germany’s round of parliamentary voting for a chancellor did not produce one. We ask why members of Friedrich Merz’s coalition turned on him, and what happens next. Daring raids on scam compounds in Myanmar freed many slave-labour scammers—but thousands remain trapped there (9:42). And diving into the data that show young Americans are getting (slightly) happier (16:23).


Economist Education is running a new six-week online course on international relations—a window into shifting geopolitical trends and a guide to navigating uncertainty and risk. Listeners to “The Intelligence” can save 15% by clicking here and using the code INTELLIGENCE.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
That warm buzzy feeling: malaria and climate change
As temperatures climb, mosquitoes will migrate to places where natural resistance to malaria is lower. More and more severe natural disasters will make for more breeding grounds. How to stop a deadly disease getting deadlier? In China’s cut-throat food-delivery war, absolutely no ... Show More
24m 43s
Aug 22
Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syria
Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees: why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of o ... Show More
23m 38s
Aug 21
Stake and chips: will America take 10% of Intel?
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural ... Show More
21m 2s
Recommended Episodes
May 6
First not past the post: Germany’s chancellor shocker
In a post-war first, Germany’s round of parliamentary voting for a chancellor did not produce one. We ask why members of Friedrich Merz’s coalition turned on him, and what happens next. Daring raids on scam compounds in Myanmar freed many slave-labour scammers—but thousands remai ... Show More
22m 22s
May 6
Political Crisis in Germany as Merz Fails to Win First Vote as Chancellor
A.M. Edition for May 6. Germany enters a period of political uncertainty as Friedrich Merz, winner of the recent election, fails to secure enough support in a first-round vote in parliament to be confirmed as the country’s next chancellor. Plus, the WSJ s peaks to Harvard’s Presi ... Show More
13m 23s
Dec 2024
Scholz fired: Germany calls snap election
After Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, lost a confidence vote in parliament yesterday, Germany is preparing for a snap election. Urban waste is a growing problem in India; our trash-talking correspondent visits one of the few cities that have tackled it (9:49). And Fortnum & Ma ... Show More
21m 57s
Mar 2025
Dirty games in Brussels and war games in Europe
A lobbying frenzy, secret perks, and now police raids. Huawei’s cozy ties in Brussels have exploded into a full-blown corruption scandal. As the European Parliament tries to rehabilitate its image post Qatargate, lawmakers are once again at the center of allegations. With offices ... Show More
33m 11s
Oct 2024
Left field: a new force in German politics
Our correspondent interviews Sahra Wagenknecht, the popular leftist whose eponymous political party is now making the political weather in Germany. How Russia is trying to sabotage Moldova’s attempt to move towards Europe (10:40). And why Tiktok is changing how we speak (17:38).  ... Show More
22m 10s
Feb 2025
Germany's election tests a far-right firewall
Germany is holding snap elections on February 23. A stagnating economy and tensions over migration have fueled the rise of a far-right party, which is polling in second place. This resurgence of political extremism was once considered impossible - but the firewalls put in place a ... Show More
23m 45s
Jun 4
He’s got Seoul: South Korea’s new leader
The election of South Korea’s new president represents a resounding rejection of the political turmoil that preceded the campaign. Our correspondent explains the domestic and international challenges ahead. How Africa’s diaspora is shaping Afrobeats (10:06). And why culling dingo ... Show More
24m 2s
Feb 2025
Can Germany’s next chancellor help Europe deal with Trump?
Germany has voted, and Friedrich Merz is now the chancellor-in-waiting. But can he rise to the occasion? With Donald Trump signaling a retreat from Europe and cozying up to Vladimir Putin, the continent faces its biggest security challenge in decades. Will Merz shake off Germany’ ... Show More
41m 6s
Sep 2020
Episode #51 - Alexander Mercouris and the Long Reach of Brexit
This week I sit down with the Editor-in-Chief of The Duran, Alexander Mercouris, to discuss how the latest twists in the Brexit saga are having far-ranging influences on not only American politics but most especially European politics. There is a fascinating parallel between the ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2025
Trump and Macron's Ukraine divide, DeepSeek and Germany’s Left
Stark differences on Ukraine were on display during U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron’s meeting. How China’s DeepSeek built a game-changing AI model. And the far-left party Die Linke’s best election result in years exposes a fragmented and polarised ... Show More
12m 52s