On Monday, 24 February 2025, I had the opportunity to discuss the recent German general elections on a live radio show, streamed on YouTube and broadcasted across several channels of the German ARD group. Alongside a representative from the IGM trade union and the moderator, I explored key topics surrounding the election results and their implications for German politics.
The most striking outcome of this election was the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) significant rise, prompting discussions about its growing influence. With this surge, questions arose in the studio and from various listeners (in this programme, listeners can call to ask questions and voice their opinion) regarding the future of democratic principles in coalition-building and governance, and the stability/permeability and justification of the “Brandmauer” or cordon sanitaire between the AfD and all other major parties. In our conversation, we highlighted the challenges that this presents to Germany’s political landscape and political culture, notably in times of seemingly ever more complex crisis.