logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
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
Growth negligence: Britain’s budget
<p>The tax-and-spend plan was fine-tuned to avoid immediate political jeopardy. But it <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/11/26/this-bodge-it-budget-does-not-give-britain-what-it-needs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_conte ... Show More
22m 46s
Yesterday
Party likes it 1959: Cuba in crisis
<p>The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/11/18/cuba-is-heading-for-disaster-unless-its-regime-changes-drastically?ut ... Show More
23m 15s
Yesterday
Trailer: Drum Tower
Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. <em>The Economist</em>’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion from London. This award-winning podcast takes on ever ... Show More
2 m
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
First not past the post: Germany’s chancellor shocker
<p>In a post-war first, Germany’s round of parliamentary voting for a chancellor did not produce one. We ask why members of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/05/01/germanys-staid-seeming-new-chancellor-has-a-mercurial-streak?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast ... Show More
22m 22s
Dec 2024
Scholz fired: Germany calls snap election
<p>After <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/12/13/what-to-expect-after-germanys-confidence-vote?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" r ... 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
32m 11s
Oct 2024
Left field: a new force in German politics
<p>Our correspondent interviews Sahra Wagenknecht, the popular leftist whose eponymous political party is now making the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/germanys-party-system-is-coming-under-unprecedented-strain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&u ... 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 2025
He’s got Seoul: South Korea’s new leader
<p>The election of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/06/03/can-south-koreas-new-president-mend-a-divided-battered-country?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_ter ... 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
40m 6s
Feb 2025
Rubio and Russia's Ukraine talks, Argentina's cuts and low-cost loophole challenge
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscow's nearly three-year war in Ukraine. At the same time, Europe’s leaders are holding an emergency meeting to discuss the developments. The U.S. has ... Show More
12m 42s
Oct 16
Rome run: Meloni’s surprising stamina
When Giorgia Meloni was elected Italy’s prime minister, many people feared she would prove divisive and volatile. Instead, at a time when many other European governments have been in turmoil, her three years in office have been remarkably tranquil. Why German trains no longer run ... Show More
22m 28s