As a lecturer in European Studies and Comparative Politics at the University of Augsburg, I have recently been invited to comment on two significant public discussions: analysing Friedrich Merz’s election as German Chancellor on the public broadcast BR24 radio, and participating in a panel discussion on European solidarity at the documentary film festival DOK.fest München. Both engagements allowed me to connect academic insights with current political developments in Germany and Europe.
BR24 Radio Interview: Analysing Merz’s Unusual Path to Chancellorship
I was invited to offer my research-based view on BR24’s “Thema des Tages” (Topic of the Day) programme about the unprecedented circumstances surrounding Friedrich Merz’s election as German Chancellor. The discussion centred on a historic anomaly: for the first time in Germany’s post-war history, the Chancellor was not elected in the first round of voting. While previous chancellors-in-waiting have also had to witness parliamentarians from their own coalition parties abstaining or voting against them (and partly even more than in Merz’s case), the number of dissenters had never been high enough to ultimately prevent the election in the first round. Given the slim majority of the new coalition formed by Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, however, Merz had to wait for round no. 2 to be elected as Chancellor. The unusual situation required procedural intervention, with Merz ultimately needing support from the Greens and the Left in the Bundestag to modify procedural rules allowing a second vote on the same day. The unusual proceedings of the day were discussed by many as potentially weakening further the already rather low public trust in the political system and its elected proponents, and as potentially strengthening the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD). During our conversation, however, I argued that this unusual election does not necessarily signify a lack of stability or efficiency of our political system, but rather provides proof that democratic procedures were at play: to be sure, Merz and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil were shown by members of their party groups that they might have to engage more profoundly and seriously with their fellow party members, and that even in times of crisis, common and inclusive striving for shared positions rather than top-down ruling would be necessary for a governing coalition to work. According to the established rules and to fundamental democratic principles, all Bundestag members of all parties – including those hoping to form the next government – were free during the election to act according to their opinion and consciousness; and after some struggle for a common way forward, majorities were found that allowed the new government to enter into office. The fact that the AfD immediately called for new elections and stylised the turn of events as a sign for Merz’s and his new coalition’s lack of support is neither a new strategy nor surprising considering the AfD’s position as (biggest) opposition in parliament vying for as much political and discursive influence as possible, and frequently employing appeals to public discontent with the established political system and democratic parties as a rhetorical strategy. Catering to the AfD and its blame game, however, assigns the party a level of relevance and power that it did not have in the situation at hand, I argued.
DOK.fest München: European and Global Solidarity in Asylum and Refugee Policy
My second engagement brought me to Munich’s prestigious documentary film festival DOK.fest, where I participated in a panel discussion following the screening of David Bernet’s new documentary “SOLIDARITY”. This film examines asylum and refugee policy and variances in international solidarity through the lens of crisis situations in Belarus, Ukraine, and Gaza/Israel. The film brings together expert analysis and the experiences of those directly affected.
The panel discussion, organised by EUROPE DIRECT München as part of Europe Day, expanded beyond the film’s immediate focus to explore broader questions about the evolution of intra- and extra-EU solidarity since World War Two. I was honoured to join this discussion alongside filmmaker David Bernet and two people who also appear in the film: human rights activist Marta Siciarek, and Christine Goyer, representing the UNHCR. Our conversation included reflections on shifts in and limits of state solidarity, especially between the Global South and North; current challenges posed by the current shift of politics to the right across and beyond Europe; and gaps between intentions and implementation in solidarity-based policies.
These two engagements, while each having a distinct focus, revealed profound interconnections between domestic German politics and broader European challenges. Both discussions ultimately centred on the fundamental question: How do our democratic institutions respond when tested by crisis, polarisation and fragmentation? Moreover, both conversations explored how democratic institutions respond to pressure – whether from coalition instability in Germany or humanitarian crises at Europe’s borders. Chancellor Merz now leads Germany during a period of significant migration challenges and rising right-wing populism – precisely the issues explored in Bernet’s “SOLIDARITY” documentary. His administration’s approach to asylum and refugee policy will directly impact the European solidarity mechanisms discussed in the film and our panel. Germany’s role as both an economic powerhouse and key destination for displaced people places Merz and his new coalition government at the centre of Europe’s ongoing struggle to balance humanitarian commitments with political goals.