Episode 99 – Is Black (CDU) the New Red (SPD)? - Germany’s Election, Coalition Building and the Future

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Jeffrey Rathke, President of the American-German Institute at John Hopkins University, as well as host of The Zeitgeist podcast, to discuss the results and implications of the recent elections in Germany. Clay and Jeff first recap the events that led to these elections back in November of 2024, before analyzing the results of a voter turnout not seen since reunification: Implications of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)-Christian Social Union (CSU) bloc forming a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), impact on the German economy and its role as a European powerhouse, how U.S.-German relations may change under new leadership, likelihood and procedure of halting the debt brake and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.