I’m joined by writer and Twitter poster eugyppius for a broad discussion on German politics. We first hear about his intellectual journey, which leads to a discussion on a recent Twitter argument he had with Vice President Vance. Next, we discuss the role American soft power plays in European politics. Is America to blame for European decline? eugyppius argues to the contrary. We then dive into Germany’s February election, which saw the right-wing AfD take second place. In response, German intelligence labeled it an extremist organization. What are the implications of that? (Note: This episode was recorded before German intelligence withdrew its extremist classification for AfD.)
In the second half (available to subscribers), we continue our discussion of AfD's troubles. Interestingly, the German government tried to ban a different right-wing party in recent years – did it work? I then ask what the average AfD voter is like. Switching gears, we consider why the AfD is stronger in the east than in the west. Next, I ask eugyppius about Chancellor Merz's failure to secure a majority in the first round of voting, an unprecedented occurrence in post-war Germany. Later, we discuss Germany's economy, the various motivations behind mass migration, and more.
