On this episode of the Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke, AGI Senior Fellow and Director of Society, Culture, and Politics Program Eric Langenbacher and AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger discuss the result of Lower Saxony’s Landestag election on October 9 and what it illustrates about national politics in Germany. What are the major issues shaping the country’s political dynamics? Has the SPD’s relative success in Lower Saxony removed concerns about the party’s recent dive in nationwide public opinion? Is the Green Party, which will be part of 12 of Germany’s 16 state governments becoming a new centrist fixture in German politics? Will the stability of the federal government coalition come under threat as the FDP comes under pressure to strengthen its profile following a string of poor performances in recent state elections? And have observers underestimated the AfD’s appeal to German voters, especially in times of crisis?

Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AGI
Guest
Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, AGI Non-Resident Senior Fellow
Eric Langenbacher, AGI Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program