Can Germany reform its way out of the rise of the far right AfD? | Berlin Briefing Podcast

/ 3 hours ago March 26, 2026

From DW News.

Germany’s governing parties in Chancellor Merz’ coalition just faced a moment of truth. The need for drastic reforms is hitting home in the Social Democrat SPD Party, who were dealt another electoral blow this week. At the same time the far-right Alternative for Germany now sees itself as the party of the workers. DW Chief Political Editor Michaela Küfner separates the economic facts from the political drama with the Director of the German Institute for Economic Research, Marcel Fratzscher, DW Berlin Bureau Chief Max Hofmann and DW’s AfD Expert, Matthew Moore. Listen to them dissect why a regional election win for Chancellor Merz’s Conservative CDU isn’t all good news for him. Why the Social Democrats may need to make sacrifices. And how the ugly truth about the economy and social security demands political action.

00:00 Intro
01:55 German Depression
04:00 Social Democrat blues
06:35 A new Reform Agenda?
09:21 Who wants sacrifices?
11:03 AfD double results
12:51 Moral Economy breakdown
15:07 AfD voters’ fears
16:51 AfD = libertarian?
20:01 Agenda 2010 reloaded?
21:18 Plugging budget holes
23:49 Could political heads roll?
26:01 Germany’s most popular politician
28:12 Getting rid of red lines
30:51 The three big reforms
32:06 End

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