Podcasts about afd alternative

“In Germany after 1945 . . . it was always sort of an unwritten rule or law that the more radical these [right wing populist] parties become, the less votes they get, and at some point they just disappear. And what is troubling with the AfD is that the more radical they become, the more votes they get.” Following Germany's recent election results, the far-right party AfD, or Alternative for Germany, is now a more prominent force than ever, doubling its support. Director of AJC Berlin Lawrence and Lee Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations Remko Leemhuis breaks down the rise of AfD, the role of Christian Democrat's Friedrich Merz—widely expected to be Germany's next chancellor—and the challenges ahead for Germany's relationship with Israel and the United States. Leemhuis also discusses the dangers of political polarization and its consequences for the Jewish community in Germany. As the Christian Democrats form a coalition and Merz takes the lead, how will Germany navigate the rise of populism while strengthening its alliances on the global stage? Resources: -What is the Alternative for Germany or AfD Party? Listen – AJC Podcasts: -The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. -People of the Pod:  Unpacking Trump's Gaza Plan The Oldest Holocaust Survivor Siblings: A Tale of Family, Survival, and Hope Israeli Hostages Freed: Inside the Emotional Reunions, High-Stakes Negotiations, and What's Next Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Remko Leemhuis: Manya Brachear Pashman:   German citizens went to the polls on Sunday for the fourth snap election in that nation's postwar history. Public opinion surveys indicated that the far right party, AFD Alternative for Germany, was poised to play a larger political role than ever before.  The party also has attracted significant attention from US political leaders of late, including US Vice President JD Vance, who, in addition to visiting a Holocaust concentration camp during a recent trip to Europe, also met with Alice Weidel, the head of Germany's AFD party. Here to discuss the outcome of the election, its impact on Germany's relationship with Israel, and the German Jewish community is AJC Berlin director Remko Leemhuis. Remko, welcome to People of the Pod.  Remko Leemhuis:   Hello, and thanks for having me. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So if you could just brief our audience on who exactly AfD is- what their history is and their ideology? Remko Leemhuis:   So the party started out in 2013 and started out as a – I don't want to make it a joke, but they started out as a sort of party of professors who were in opposition to the European austerity policy during the financial crisis. Meaning, especially keeping Greece, who was in a deep financial crisis, and they advocated for expelling Greece, for example, from the European Union, because they were afraid that their debt will be then sort of distributed among all member states of the Europeans. So that was their starting point.  But that was also their only issue. And I remember that in 2015 they were around 3-4%. But then the party changed. We had, as many of your listeners know, the influx of over a million refugees from mostly Syria, and the party sort of reinvented itself. And from then on, migration policy, illegal migration, all of the issues connected to these issues were at the center. And from there, they rose, and again, radicalized ever since. And right now, the migration issue is their central issue on which they are campaigning.  And it doesn't matter what you ask. I've seen a lot of these debates that we have before elections with all the heads of the parties, and it is really astonishing how the party is always able to tie every single issue to migration, be it taxes, be it–you can come up with every issue. At the end, it's always about migration, illegal migration, and migrants. And that is something that is their central platform. Manya Brachear Pashman: Well the Trump administration also made illegal immigration central to its platform, but I think what AJC here in America found so alarming about Vance's meeting with Weidel, perhaps there was alarm there in Germany too, was the party's clear record of antisemitism and hostility to America. Weidel herself has called Germany a “slave state” to America and Germany's Holocaust remembrance culture a “guilt cult”. AJC pointed these things out after the vice president's meeting.   So did AfD do as well as expected, Remko? What are the election results so far?  Remko Leemhuis:   So we had the highest voter turnout since 1990. We were above 80%. 83-84% which is the highest turnout since 1990, so the elections after reunification.  The AfD was able to double their result. In the last general election that around 10%, now they came in with 20%. And just for comparison, the Social Democrats came in with 15, close to 16%. So this is something that should concern us very much.  The Christian Democratic Union, so the German conservative center right party won the election. Although not with that many votes as expected. So their aim was 30% plus X. They now have 28-29% but still they are the strongest party. And given German election tradition, the party with the most votes then forms the government and invites other parties to form a government. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And that means that Friedrich Merz is poised to be the next chancellor. Is that correct? Remko Leemhuis:   Yes, if he's able to form a government, yes. I mean, at this point, he still has to talk to one party, and this will be the Social Democrats, even though they lost almost 10% compared to previous elections. Together, they have a majority, and everything indicates that they will form the next government. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Is there a possibility that Alternative for Germany or AfD could be part of the coalition as well?  Remko Leemhuis:   No, that has been ruled out by Friedrich Merz, given that he was ahead on the polls for at least over a year, he has ruled this out on numerous occasions. He has ruled it out yesterday in interviews, so there's no chance that the AfD will be part of a federal government. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So is there any reason for concern, given the trajectory of this election, and given AfD's results in this election? They came in second, correct? Remko Leemhuis:   There's a lot of reason for concern, because  we can say, of course, this is a broader trend in Europe and in the Western world, that you have the rise of these right wing populist parties. But in Germany, after 1945, it's not the first time that we have right wing extremist parties in Parliament, state or federal, but it was always sort of an unwritten rule or law that the more radical these parties become, the less votes they get, and at some point they just disappear.  And what is troubling with the AfD is that the more radical they become, the more votes they get. And this is something that is pretty hard to grapple with, and where I very honestly, also don't have an answer why they are able to sort of break with this rule. But this is very, very troubling, especially in light of the fact, and that is something that is well known to the German public, that the German domestic security services are surveilling the AfD and classifying them as a case of suspected right wing extremism.  So the whole party and three regional branches of this party are officially confirmed by German domestic security as far right. So which means that they are in opposition to liberal democracy. And this is something that, again, is very, very concerning. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Of course, AfD did not win. The Christian Democratic Union won. Could that victory have any impact on the special relationship between Germany and Israel? This is, of course, the return of the party of Angela Merkel, correct? Remko Leemhuis:   First of all, we have to get credit for the outgoing government coalition, because since October 7, this coalition has been a reliable ally of Israel. Of course, there were issues where there were differences, but in general, the outgoing coalition has stood by Israel's side, which was also recognized by Israel. And it is not just a talking point for Israel diplomats when they say that Germany is Israel's second most important ally.  And they have done it despite the fact that they had a lot of pressure from their respective voter bases, especially the Greens and the Social Democrats. So this is something where we really have to credit these parties. Now, the Christian Democratic Union, as you have mentioned, is the party of Angela Merkel, and it's the party that and she came up with the term of the staatsräson (reason of state), and that Israel's security is essential to Germany's policy.  I think there are areas where the relationship will even improve. And just to give you one example, we are talking, today on Monday, the day after the election. And it's really astonishing. Freidrich Merz gave a press conference today, the first after the election yesterday. And really the first question was about his call that he had with the Israeli Prime Minister yesterday.  And he stated very clearly that he has invited the Israeli prime minister to Germany, and that he will find a way to make sure that the Israeli prime minister will be able to visit Germany without being arrested, given the ICC warrant, something that the outgoing coalition didn't say this clearly or said they will adhere to the ICC arrest warrant. So this is something that, from our perspective, is very positive.  And also, I think that the military cooperation and the defense cooperation between Israel and Germany will again, first of all, all of that will not be, again openly debated, but again in the formats where they belong. And so in general, I would say the relations will improve. But this will not mean that also this government or the next government will only say, and do what Israel wants. But I think in general, the trend and the relationship will be more positive and even improve. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So what about relations with the United States? As I mentioned before, Vice President Vance met with one of the AfD leaders. Do you foresee that relationship changing significantly? Remko Leemhuis:   Well, first of all, I have to say Freidrich Merz is very committed to the transatlantic relationship. But yesterday, again, in a post-election interview, he said something that I thought I would have never hear from him. But he said that, We in Europe maybe have to grapple with the fact that the US will not be the sort of ally that it was before, and that we in Europe have to think about a situation where the US will only be very little or not present at all in Europe. Especially when it comes to war in Ukraine and the support for Ukraine. So even though he is very committed to the transatlantic relationship, given the recent developments he looks much more concerned to Washington and what is happening and what is coming out of Washington. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In other words, he sees a bit of a destabilizing effect when it comes to transatlantic relations and security from the direction of the United States, not within Europe itself. Remko Leemhuis:   Yes, destabilizing is the right word. And that doesn't mean that he doesn't see the failures that Europe and Germany has made over the past years. And I think that's something we also, as AJC, try to highlight every time. That the Europeans, especially the Germans, for decades, haven't lived up to their commitments when it comes to defense spending. And 11 years ago now, after Russia annexed Ukraine and the NATO states agreed on the 2% goal, Germany hasn't met this. And a lot of other European countries that are member of NATO haven't met that 2% goal.  And the discussion about this goes even, you know, way back longer. I think it was even started with President George W. Bush, who always highlighted this issue and that the Germans, the Europeans, have to do more. And especially the Germans as the third-largest economy in the world and the biggest economy in Europe, has to shoulder more responsibility, which means they have to spend more. So he's very aware of the fact of all these shortcomings, and he's very willing to fix that and to spend more money on defense if the US cuts its spending here, if the US withdraws troops from the European continent.  And still being aware that even if you know, Europe does its best, we will not be able to fill these gaps, because we just don't have the resources or the infrastructure to do that. So we still need the US, no matter what. So he will need to find a line, sort of working with the US, and then looking at what can Europe do to become a bit more independent from the US in all of these questions. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So let's zoom in and talk about the impact of the rise of AFD on the German Jewish community. Has it given license to those who might otherwise keep antisemitic attitudes to themselves? Remko Leemhuis:   So in general, as I said at the beginning, nothing of this is a big surprise. The AfD in the polls over the past year or so, I would say, you know, fared around 20%. So the result yesterday wasn't a surprise, and it was also not a surprise because we have seen the AfD having even bigger successes in state elections. But of course, this is concerning.  This is concerning because the AfD is also a symbol of polarization, and polarization that we see across the western world, in all democracies at this point, I think, and historically speaking, times of polarization have never been good times for the Jewish community.  But I also have to say that the German Jewish community is also very aligned in how to deal with the AfD, and that means no Jewish organization speaks to the AfD. Every Jewish organization at some point in time has come out against the AfD.  We as AJC have had numerous publication on highlighting the threat to democracy, and by that also to the Jewish community, by the AfD. And the AfD so far, hasn't been successful in using Jews, or, you know, Israel, or pretending to be Israel's biggest friend and the Jewish community's biggest friends. No one, no one buys into that, and everyone can see through that, and everyone understands that this is performative at best. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Here in the United States, people of opposite political persuasions are honestly having a hard time facing each other. Those who voted for Kamala Harris, they see the speed with which Trump is enacting his campaign promises. They're having a hard time facing their neighbors who voted for him, or who had yard signs up for him. People are organizing boycotts of businesses and CEOs who are aligning themselves with Trump.  Is the same dynamic playing out on the ground in Berlin or Munich, for example. Do you see that kind of, as you said, the polarization. Does it play out on the very personal level? Can neighbors face each other? Remko Leemhuis:   Yes. I'm not sure if we see it to the extent that we see it in the US. But of course, we see that and that political questions, political issues, have become a dividing line among friends, among families, and that people stop talking to each other. And that is a very worrying trend, that this happens. I mean, of course, there is a line, where I would say it is legitimate to say, I'm not going to discuss these issues. And I personally, and we as AJC, don't talk to AFD. For the reasons we have talked about there's nothing for us to discuss with them. But yes, I have to say that, especially over the past weeks, we have seen even an increase in this polarization and in this lack of unity, at least in terms of, everyone agrees that it is okay to fight and to fight about the issues and to have even hard debates on issues. And this is part of democracy.  And I guess we Germans also have to learn that, more that democracy means debating things and having hard debates about issues. But the last weeks have seen that it then ventures into contempt and denigration, and if you are not having this position, then you're automatically on the other side, not even to be talked to. And that you don't often run into people that have an opposing view, because we all live in a bubble, and that, I guess, the only place where you encounter people with different opinions is social media. And I guess we can all agree that social media is, for sure, not the best place to debate controversial issues. We all have to come out of our bubbles, that we all have to you know, even if we have political differences with other people, still see that there's much more that aligns us with most of these people, and that if one person doesn't exactly hold the same view as you on any given policy, doesn't mean that it is an inherently bad person. But still, someone that isn't just inherently bad, but your neighbor, your co-worker. And I think that is the biggest challenge for all democratic societies in the West at this point. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Remko, thank you so very much for joining us and for explaining the outcome of this election and what it narrowly avoided. Remko Leemhuis:   Not narrowly but, one thing is clear, and I think that is that is much more what I'm thinking about is that certain issues aren't addressed in a way that people feel, you know, they are addressed and they are taken serious. I mean, we just have to look to our neighbor, Austria, where an openly right wing extremist party is now the strongest party. And we should do everything we can to avoid that scenario. But that means then even having difficult debates and making also difficult decisions.  But, if we want the center to hold, there is no alternative. And that's why our appeal as AJC is. And a lot of people find this lame or undecided, that we have appealed on numerous occasions, also in this campaign cycle, on all democratic parties to find solutions for the pressing issues and to find a middle ground. And this is what we will continue to do.  And also we'll try to continue to then bring together people from different parties to debate these issues and give, you know, these conversations a platform, and do what we can do in order to facilitate such discussions, and hopefully by that, have a healthier culture of debate and a healthier political culture. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you so much, Remko.  Remko Leemhuis:   Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for the second installment of our two-part series on the faces behind antisemitism as part of AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report. I ask two Jewish college students about the report's findings that nearly a third of Jewish students in the U.S. reported feeling uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity. Our guests shared their own experience.

The German elections have taken place and the Bundestag is looking a lot more right-wing than it was this time yesterday.The centre-right CDU (Christian Democratic Union) led by Friedrich Merz will take power having won just over 28pc of the vote. But in second place and surging to just over 20pc of the vote was the AfD (Alternative for Deutschland). Having drawn controversy and even comparisons to the Nazi party for promoting the closure of Germany's borders as well as the mass deportations of migrants, they are now set to be the official opposition.But with a coalition required to make a working majority, is it undemocratic of the CDU to refuse to go into partnership with the AfD when they won so many votes? Kamal and Camilla speak to CDU politician Günter Krings, who also talks of the need for a European army to defend the continent.And on that note, with Ukraine marking the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion with a summit in Kyiv, we hear from Boris Johnson who's spoken to The Daily Telegraph from the Ukrainian capital.Producer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganPlanning Editor: Venetia RaineyExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsSocial Media Producer: Ji-Min LeeVideo Editor: Andy MackenzieStudio Director: Meghan SearleEditor: Camilla TomineyOriginal music by Goss Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

L'émission 28 minutes du 04/02/2025 L'Allemagne peut-elle basculer dans le camp de l'extrême droite ?Dimanche 2 février, plus de 160 000 Allemands selon les chiffres de la police, et 250 000 d'après les organisateurs, se sont réunis à Berlin pour protester contre l'alliance de circonstance nouée entre le parti de droite CDU (Chrétiens-Démocrates) et le parti d'extrême droite AfD (Alternative für Deutschland). Le président de la CDU Friedrich Merz a fait voter au Bundestag, mercredi 29 janvier, une motion non contraignante sur l'immigration en s'appuyant sur les voix du parti d'Alice Weidel (AfD). Cette motion prévoit des contrôles permanents aux frontières, ainsi que le blocage des étrangers en situation irrégulière, y compris les demandeurs d'asile. Une proposition de loi sur l'immigration a ensuite été débattue vendredi 31 janvier, mais Friedrich Merz a, cette fois-ci, essuyé un revers. À moins de trois semaines des législatives, l'écart sur les intentions de vote se resserre entre les deux partis, avec 30 % pour le parti de centre-droit en tête des sondages, contre 20 à 22 % pour le parti d'extrême droite. Friedrich Merz s'est attiré les foudres de la gauche mais aussi d'une partie de son camp, à commencer par la figure tutélaire des conservateurs, l'ex-chancelière Angela Merkel. Mais c'est surtout la société allemande qui a fait entendre sa colère tout le week-end, dans plusieurs grandes villes du pays, pour dénoncer un “pacte avec le diable”.On en débat avec Birgit Holzer, correspondante pour la presse régionale allemande à Paris, Hélène Miard-Delacroix, historienne et spécialiste de l'Allemagne et Paul Maurice, secrétaire général du Comité d'études des relations franco-allemandes (Cerfa).28 minutes est le magazine d'actualité d'ARTE, présenté par Élisabeth Quin du lundi au jeudi à 20h05. Renaud Dély est aux commandes de l'émission le vendredi et le samedi. Ce podcast est coproduit par KM et ARTE Radio. Enregistrement 4 février 2025 Présentation Élisabeth Quin Production KM, ARTE Radio

L'émission 28 minutes du 04/02/2025 Paul Watson, libéré et prêt à reprendre le combat en haute merPlus d'un mois après sa libération de prison au Groenland, dans laquelle il était enfermé depuis juillet 2024, Paul Watson a reçu la citoyenneté d'honneur de la ville de Paris. Il a également sollicité la nationalité française. Le 21 juillet dernier, le fondateur de Sea Shepherd avait été arrêté, lors d'une escale de son bateau dans un port groenlandais, en vertu d'un mandat d'arrêt international émis à son encontre, à la demande du Japon. Paul Watson mène des actions de défense contre les navires pratiquant la chasse à la baleine, activité interdite dans la quasi-totalité des pays du monde, excepté au Japon. Tokyo l'accuse d'être responsable de "dommages et blessures" lors d'une opération de Sea Shepherd en 2010 et avait demandé son extradition depuis la prison de Nuuk. Il a finalement été libéré après 149 jours de détention. Le militant écologiste de 74 ans et la présidente de Sea Shepherd France, Lamya Essemlali, partagent leurs combats à venir sur le plateau de 28'.L'Allemagne peut-elle basculer dans le camp de l'extrême droite ?Dimanche 2 février, plus de 160 000 Allemands selon les chiffres de la police, et 250 000 d'après les organisateurs, se sont réunis à Berlin pour protester contre l'alliance de circonstance nouée entre le parti de droite CDU (Chrétiens-Démocrates) et le parti d'extrême droite AfD (Alternative für Deutschland). Le président de la CDU Friedrich Merz a fait voter au Bundestag, mercredi 29 janvier, une motion non contraignante sur l'immigration en s'appuyant sur les voix du parti d'Alice Weidel (AfD). Cette motion prévoit des contrôles permanents aux frontières, ainsi que le blocage des étrangers en situation irrégulière, y compris les demandeurs d'asile. Une proposition de loi sur l'immigration a ensuite été débattue vendredi 31 janvier, mais Friedrich Merz a, cette fois-ci, essuyé un revers. À moins de trois semaines des législatives, l'écart sur les intentions de vote se resserre entre les deux partis, avec 30 % pour le parti de centre-droit en tête des sondages, contre 20 à 22 % pour le parti d'extrême droite. Friedrich Merz s'est attiré les foudres de la gauche mais aussi d'une partie de son camp, à commencer par la figure tutélaire des conservateurs, l'ex-chancelière Angela Merkel. Mais c'est surtout la société allemande qui a fait entendre sa colère tout le week-end, dans plusieurs grandes villes du pays, pour dénoncer un “pacte avec le diable”. Enfin, Xavier Mauduit retrace l'histoire de la “Bonne Mère”, la basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, dont le chantier de rénovation s'est ouvert lundi 3 janvier à Marseille. Marie Bonnisseau nous raconte comment des Américains résistent à Donald Trump grâce à un manuel de sabotage écrit en 1944 par l'ancêtre de la CIA.28 minutes est le magazine d'actualité d'ARTE, présenté par Élisabeth Quin du lundi au jeudi à 20h05. Renaud Dély est aux commandes de l'émission le vendredi et le samedi. Ce podcast est coproduit par KM et ARTE Radio. Enregistrement 4 février 2025 Présentation Élisabeth Quin Production KM, ARTE Radio

The US election is approaching quickly with implications for America's allies in the world. Professors Margarita Šešelgyte (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) join a roundtable discussion on the impact that a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump presidency could have on the security and future outlook of the Baltic countries and broader Europe, and how people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are feeling about the state of democracy in the US. This episode was recorded on September 25, 2024. TranscriptIndra Ekmanis: Thank you everyone for joining me in this discussion today. As we all know, the US presidential campaign has been rather unprecedented on many fronts this cycle. There's been the late change in the candidates at the top of the Democratic ticket from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris. And now we've had already multiple assassination attempts on the Republican candidate Donald Trump.And we know that whatever happens in November will certainly have effects on Americans, but it will also have reverberations around the world. And so I'm very glad to today be in discussion with you all about the potential impacts in the Baltic countries. But before we jump in, I'd like to ask you all to briefly introduce yourselves.Andres Kasekamp: I'm Andres Kasekamp. I'm the Professor of Estonian Studies at the University of Toronto. I used to be the Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute in Tallinn and a Professor at the University of Toronto.Daunis Auers: Hi, I'm Daunis Auers, a professor at the University of Latvia and also the director of a new think tank Certus in Riga.Margarita Šešelgytė: Hello, I'm Margarita Šešelgytė, and I'm a professor of security studies, but also a director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University.IE: Well, thank you all. So, I'd like to start with what is perhaps top of mind when people are thinking about the impacts of the US elections on the Baltic countries, and that's security, NATO, and Russia's war in Ukraine.So if we start with NATO: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania marked two decades in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this year. The alliance itself is now 75 years old, celebrating at its summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by president and at that point in time, still beleaguered Democratic candidate Joe Biden, where Biden underscored NATO unity. And during the summit, it was widely reported that the allies were working to “Trump proof” the Alliance as polls showed that Biden was slipping in the presidential race.Trump, of course, is remembered as deriding the Alliance, threatening to pull out entirely during his presidency. And at the same time, he is also somewhat credited with pushing member states to up their defense spending. With Biden out, of course, the calculus has perhaps changed a little bit.Vice President and now candidate Kamala Harris represents some measure of continuity with the Biden administration, though we know that her foreign policy experience is not necessarily as deep as Biden's. But a Harris presidency would be more compatible theoretically with the tradition of America as a stable leader in the transatlantic relationship.And obviously a strong NATO is critical to the security of the Baltic States. So, I wonder how you perceive the candidate stances on NATO and how they align with Baltic interests.AK: All right, briefly, Trump would be a disaster and Harris, indeed, would represent continuity with, with Biden. It goes back to the nature of the candidates, right, that Trump is a purely transactional individual, and doesn't seem to understand how NATO works.He's always said that the NATO countries owe the Americans money. It's not an organization where you pay a membership fee, so he simply doesn't get it. It is sort of partly true that European members who weren't doing enough spending on their own defense budgets, have been frightened into contributing more.Trump has something to do with it, but it has more to do with Russian aggression, in the region. So starting already in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea, European countries started increasing their spending. With the Harris presidency, it would be sort of more of the same, which is better than Trump, but it's certainly not as good as America could do, because Joe Biden has been failing Ukraine recently and placing these unreasonable restrictions on Ukraine's right to strike at Russian targets to defend itself.And hopefully Harris wouldn't continue that weak kneed policy.DA: I agree with what Andres has said, but I think it's quite interesting to look at the perspective also of Baltic Americans who after all will be voting in the election, unlike, I presume, the three of us—Margarita, Andres and I—who, as not being American citizens won't have a vote in the elections.And traditionally, there's been quite a lot of support for the Republican Party amongst the Baltic diasporas, because during the Cold War, the Republicans were seen as having the strongest backbone in defending Baltic interests. And much of this support actually carried over into the Trump era with a significant portion of Baltic Americans, especially from the older generation, still holding out support for Trump.And what I thought was interesting was that after Trump announced J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential candidate, the attitudes of many Baltic Americans actually changed because a lot of the affection for Trump is deeply personal, connected to his charismatic personality, the way he speaks, the way he does business, the way he calls back, sort of an ancient era of essentially a white America, from the 1950s.J.D. Vance doesn't have this affection. And when J.D. Vance was announced as the vice-presidential candidate, people were bringing out his notorious op-ed in the New York Times on April 12th, which was very defeatist in its nature, calling out various quotes that he had of not really caring who won in the war between Ukraine and Russia.And this was the moment that a number of Baltic Americans turned away from the Republicans and turned towards the Democrats. So, I would perhaps highlight the role of J.D. Vance in furthering support for the Democrats at least amongst the Baltic community in the United States.MS: I totally agree to what has been said already, but then I'd like to look from a more systemic perspective, and just to add to what has been said: We live in a very volatile security situation at the moment and this dynamism, security-wise, will not be changing pretty soon because there are some changes in the balance of power the rivalry between autocracies and democracies.So where do we stand as Baltic countries? We are small countries, and we have a major war in our region. And therefore, for us, it is essentially important to have our allies strong and to have our allies helping us. The United States is our main ally when it comes to security. Yes, we are members of NATO, but in terms of deterring Putin, one has to think about deterrence as a psychological concept.Putin is less afraid of NATO as overall organization than he is afraid of the United States of America. So having this in mind, the one who sits in Washington D.C. in the presidential position for us is essential as well. In Athena, we had already two elections this year, presidential and European Parliament elections, and the parliamentary elections are coming in October.But we're joking that the elections in the United States are more important than the elections in Lithuania and the change would be felt stronger of who comes to power in the United States.Interestingly enough, one of our media outlets just recently published a survey asking Lithuanians: Who would be a better president for Lithuania in the United States, Trump or, Harris? The majority of Lithuanians, 66 percent, said Harris and only 12 indicated that that could be Trump. So, for us, it's very important. It matters. We follow this election very, very closely.And I would say there are two points which are particularly important for Lithuania. Yes, NATO and US presence in the region. And we don't know what position Harris will take or if she will be more involved in the Pacific. But it's about stability. That's important.And another very important question, and it's very intertwined, is the war in Ukraine. And we already heard what Trump was saying about Ukraine, that when he becomes the president, he will seek for a certain deal. And for us Baltics, it's clear that no deal with Putin can be achieved at the moment, and it would be dangerous, and it would endanger our situation. So it's not acceptable.IE: You're actually running into kind of my next question here, which is exactly about Russia and Ukraine. And as we know, the Baltic states have been among the most ardent supporters of Ukraine following the full-scale invasion in 2022. Also, we know that the Baltic leadership has been quite hawkish warning about Russia for some time.And as you just mentioned, Donald Trump has refused to say that he wants Ukraine to end the war. He often talks about his rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Harris, on the other hand, has called Putin a dictator who would, “eat Trump for lunch.” She has condemned the Russia's actions in Ukraine as crimes against humanity and underscored the US commitment.But as you also mentioned, there has been a slow roll of US advanced weaponry and providing the ability for Ukraine to hit targets deeper into Russia, something that is actually being talked about right now at the UN General Assembly.Could you say a little bit more on the candidates' stances on Ukraine and Russia and in the war more broadly, what that means for Baltic leaderships and Baltic publics?DA: I think that the presidential debate, which I think looks like being the only debate between the two candidates, pretty accurately sketched in the difference, between the candidates. President Trump very much was hooked into the Kremlin narrative.He said that he was for peace, which we understand here in Europe as meaning you are for Russia because you bought into the narrative. He even mentioned that the United States holds some responsibility for the war as opposed for it to be a decision made by Russia to invade a sovereign country.I think we quite clearly saw that one of the candidates is, despite the macho image, quite soft on Russia. And the other one is fixing more clearly with the governing elites in the Baltic States perspective on, the war on Ukraine. One thing we should mention, however, there is an undercurrent of support for Trump in the Baltic States.In, Latvia, there is a political party named Latvia First—where did they get that name from—which sits in the parliament in opposition and is clearly Trumpian. They managed to have one MEP (Member of European Parliament) elected to the European Parliament. And in one of the debates, he was asked a very technical question about how he would vote on a trade deal with certain countries.He said, “well, I would do whatever Trump does. If it's good enough for Trump, it's good enough for me.” And he pretty much attached this to any other form of foreign policy. Now, this is a minority party, but we should recognize that there is some support for the Trumpian position albeit not in a governing position in the Baltic states. I'll hand over to Andres now.AK: Well, the same applies for Estonia, where the major opposition party EKRE (Conservative People's Party) on the far right is very clearly Trumpian. There's also, more alarming in this case, a lot of the mainstream media, like Postimees and the foreign news desk of the national broadcaster seem to normalize Trump.They don't point out his really deviant and demented behavior but treat him like a normal candidate. So, I also feel that there are plenty of people in Estonia who think that Trump has some good ideas, or at least they're so angry at the woke folks, that they're willing to entertain Trump, not recognizing the great damage that Trump would do to the Transatlantic Alliance and how he would put NATO deterrence, its credibility, in question.And I think that's what Margarita was saying earlier, right? Deterrence is psychological. It's not only what we do, it's what Putin believes, right? If Putin believes that the United States is ready to defend us, then he will be deterred. And that's, that's the bottom line.And with Trump, that's the one thing that's been consistent. I mean, he flip-flops on everything, criticizes everything, but the one thing he's been consistent on, he's never said a bad word about Putin, which really is not just odd, but quite alarming.MS: Well, I just want to add on what has been said in terms of the differences between the Harris and Trump. We don't know exactly what the policies of Harris will be because we don't know her so well, but for us, the most important thing is the stability, because if Trump becomes US president, it's not only what he does, but what kind of messages he sends.Andrus was already mentioning the messages for Putin, what's happening in Putin's head, understanding what Trump's messaging is. But also for the world, we are more secure and stronger together in European Union, in NATO, as transatlantic family and community.If Trump comes to power, the world will become a more dangerous place, because there will be more rifts and disagreements between allies, and we will be seen as weaker as a transatlantic community, not only by Russia, but by China, by Iran, by North Korea. So, it is a very dangerous scenario for us small states, because we cannot change the system. The system affects us.DA: And in the event of a Trump victory, I think there would be a much greater focus from policymakers in the Baltic states on the diaspora community in the United States. The diaspora community played a very important role in the Baltic accession to NATO in the late 1990s, early 2000s. And clearly one thing that Trump does listen to is voters, supporters, and interest groups in Washington. And I think the role of JBANC (Joint Baltic American National Committee) and also the three national lobby groups of American Latvians, American Lithuanian, and Estonian Americans will simply grow in importance, hugely. We can expect them to have quite a lot of communication and cooperation with our foreign ministries and with our embassies, even more so than at the moment.IE: Yeah, that's a really fascinating point too, that the impact of the diaspora lobbying groups in the United States. You all are touching on something that I also wanted to get at, which is the impact of the US elections on European solidarity. You mentioned how Trump's America first agenda has also emboldened right wing politicians in Europe and the Baltics.He has a close relationship with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary. Who has also even spoken at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States, but has been in some ways a thorn in the side of the European Union particularly around Russia.During his presidency, Donald Trump also often tried to bypass European institutions, kind of favoring a bilateral approach and personal appeals to national leaders. Harris presidency represents more of a stable transatlantic relationship, but there's also the concern that, as Margarita mentioned, that there's going to be a shift in attention to the Indo-Pacific. The People's Republic of China is seen kind of as this coming-up threat.So, some questions here. What is the situation of the European Union? How united or divided might the block be with either candidate? How is Europe thinking about retaining the focus of the United States as opposed to a shift to other global regions?Where do the Baltic states fit into that? Maybe we start from the Lithuanian perspective this time.MS: It's a very tough question. I think that when the war in Ukraine started, the European Union has surprised itself by its unity. And over the last three years, I think that this unity pertained, and we continue to be united.We sometimes disagree on how fast Europe has to be in providing certain aid for Ukraine. We sometimes disagree on how strict we have to be on punishing Putin in terms of sanctions, et cetera, et cetera. But in general, there is a consensus that we're sitting in the same boat, and this is a European war andI think that this is very important.Therefore, there is an appetite to continue supporting Ukraine until the end of the war, until the victory. But the problem is that there is this unity, which is very strong on the decision takers, decision-makers' level. But if you scratch the surface, you see that there are many different opinions.Businesses, communities, general society, different players do not share the general decision-makers' opinion, not in every country. States of the European Union are facing their own economic, political, and identity problems. And what makes me anxious is the tide of radical populism in certain European countries, and in particular in the biggest countries who matter a lot in the decision-making of the European Union.And maybe in the next two or three years, we won't be seeing those radicals overtaking the government. Well, let's hope fingers crossed that in Germany, the elections will not bring AfD (Alternative for Germany) to power. However, it reduces certain policies, international policies, foreign policies, to a minimal level rather than emboldening them.So there could be some steps back, which might be quite dangerous in these final stages of the war, or what we are seeing now, when at least Ukrainian side is trying to search for certain agreements. So, yes, there is a unity that also benefits the Baltic countries.European countries are listening to what we said more and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in her State of the Union speech, said we should have listened more to the Baltic countries. But I guess the appetite to listen to Baltic countries is shrinking a bit for the time and also when we propose certain solutions, they still seem very provocative and more provocative than some of the EU countries would like to take.AK: Let me just add that in American debate, when they talk about Europe, they talk about Europe as kind of lagging behind and being a slacker in support for Ukraine, which is absolutely false, right? The United States is obviously spending more in absolute terms than any other country in terms of military. But as a whole Europe is providing more altogether.And of course, we should really be looking at the contribution in terms of the percentages. And here, the three Baltic states, from the beginning, have been the leaders, along with some other countries like, like Denmark and Sweden, who have given a percentage of their defense budget to Ukraine, which is much greater than the percentage that the Americans are giving.Americans are actually being quite miserly, even though the sums sound huge. And of course, in the American case, the money, which in the US political debate seems that it's just being handed over to Ukraine, is actually going to American manufacturers. And a lot of the money is actually just nominal sums, which are old American armament, equipment, and ammunitions, which were destined to be written off. In any case they're given some monetary value.So, this is something that's really caught on in the narrative in the US: The Americans are paying so much, and the Europeans are doing so little, which is certainly not the case. When you look at the three Baltic states, which have been, continue to be in the lead, and that leads to what Margarita was highlighting.Our establishments, our political leadership in the Baltic States are very firm on Russia, but as a society, there's a cost to that. If we've all raised our defense spending, that means cuts in societal programs, and that leads to dissatisfaction and unrest.So, that's difficult for the governments to keep a check on.DA: Europe is changing. We see this in the European Parliament elections in 2024, that you have this growing support for political parties on the fringes, which we sometimes call as populists, and the support for the centrist mainstream parties, which we typically understand as the liberals, the center right, the Christian Democrats, or the European People's Party and the centrist socialists are declining.Now, they still make up a majority, and we see this in the European Commission as well. The European Commission, which is likely to be approved over the next couple of weeks under Ursula von der Leyen, is still a centrist European Commission, but Europe is changing. And I think it's quite interesting if we look at the Baltic States here.30 years ago, as the Baltic States were just beginning to build democracies and capitalistic systems after 50 years of Soviet occupation, they were quite crackpot, right? I was reading some newspaper articles from the early 1990s, and the one that stayed with me—it's a casual throwaway article written sometime in late 1992 about, oh by the way, 62 prisoners escaped to prison yesterday, and they haven't been caught yet.And the next day, it's not even on the front page of a newspaper, because there's some kind of mafia killing that's being reported on. And that's how things were 30 years ago. Today, the Baltic states are a sea of tranquility. We see that our political systems are actually far more stable, if you look at recent indicators, than the Nordic states.You look at the profile of our governments, the female prime ministers that we had in office in the summer, Europe's first, openly gay president. We have very progressive political systems, and it's Western Europe where democracy is declining in quality, where crackpot political parties are appearing, where you have extremely dodgy political leaders being elected to lead governments and extremely odd parties coming into governments or propping up minority governments.Europe is changing quite a lot, which is unfortunate for the Baltic States in a sense, because just as we have achieved a level of normality. Lithuania is achieving huge economic success as being the fastest growing economy in Europe in the 21st century, the rest of Europe is fraying.Fortunately, there's still a majority, let's say a mainstream majority, which favors support for Ukraine and whose policies broadly align with the very centrist and mainstream policies that all three Baltic governments have long been adopting. But things are changing and there is a risk that the longer the war possibly drags on in Ukraine, the more—I'm sure that opinion in the Baltic states won't change because this is such an existential issue for us—but elsewhere in Western Europe, we might see these radical populist forces rise even further and perhaps begin to fray away at the coalition, which is still broadly supportive of Ukraine. But it is being chipped away at almost monthly, I would say.IE: I want to put a pin in some of the things that you just touched on around the state of democracy, maybe we can turn back to that in a moment.Perhaps we can briefly turn to the impacts of either candidate on US trade policy and energy.MS: It's a global issue. And globally, it is important when it comes to the general situation in transatlantic community, the feeling of trust. But when it comes to Baltics, I don't that it has this direct link to what is important for us. I believe that neither decision-makers nor society are looking in particular what Trump or Harris are saying in terms of energy policy and trade.Okay, he [Trump] can increase tariffs for Latin products, but there are now so many going to the United States.DA: For the Baltic States, our biggest trading partners are our Western neighbors. In the case of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, are one and two. Then the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, and so on.I took a look at the data for 2022, and the United States was Latvia's 11th biggest trading partner: small, single digits. Latvia for the United States was the 117th biggest trading partner. So, when it comes to economic relations, including also energy, it's not a critical relationship.Politically, the relationship is very, very important. But economically, when it comes to trade, it's marginal.AK: Well, let me just add that for the bilateral relationship, it's not important, but the tone that the US administration sets is not a good direction for the Baltic states. Trump initiated this protectionism, and Biden unfortunately has continued in that same vein.And we don't really know how Harris will continue Biden's legacy on that front. But in any case, the world has become more protectionist. And the three Baltic states have been amongst the biggest champions and beneficiaries of free trade, right? And for an open, globalized economy. This wave of protectionism, which Trump initiated, and Biden has continued in a general picture, is bad for the world and bad for the Baltic states.DA: There is an alternative view to that, Andres, which is that, because of the policies, the global value chains are becoming more compact, they're becoming more localized. And as the global value chains are, let's say, semi-returned to Europe, away from Asia, then the Baltic States together with Poland and other countries are expected to be the big beneficiaries of, say, manufacturing returning to Europe.I don't think it's such a black and white picture, but a collapsing global trade is necessarily bad for the Baltic States. It depends on the domestic policies which are adopted that can seize the opportunity in a sense.MS: And when it comes to energy, if the United States chooses to become the major player in the world in terms of energy supply, it could change and change in general, the picture of the world that we have.But that is a big question: the tracking issue, getting further away from the green plan or implementing this plan. There are advantages and disadvantages of either path.In order to stop climate change, I think fracking would be quite a bad decision because it's increasing dependency on this fuel. But when it comes to changing the power balance, that could be the way to end the war in Ukraine, pushing Russia to the corner, because the bulk of its budget comes from natural resources.This would add more competition: increasing the supply of energy resources in the world's market.IE: For a non-question, that actually was a quite interesting response.But to come back to the idea—Donna you were talking about people's feelings of democracy and the shift in the way that the Baltic states perhaps are perceiving or showing off their strength, in democracy—you all sort of mentioned attitudes on the ground.I'd like to explore that a little bit more. I mean, Margarita noted that people think of the American elections as potentially more consequential than the upcoming elections in Lithuania. Do you feel that on a day-to-day basis? Is it just in surveys or are people paying attention? Do they care?And how do they view the state of democracy in the United States, which I think is a big question on this side of the Atlantic.DA: Well, I think we clearly see that the media in Latvia, at least, are following this election much more closely than previous elections. Certainly, that's because of the nature of the election taking place at a time of war, not so far away from us.But it's also because of the candidates and especially Trump. I mean, Trump is news. He's magnetic. And there is a feeling about, “Wow, look at this guy.” Some people look at him in awe. I would say a majority look at him in confusion as to, as to why is it that he's so attractive to American voters.But certainly, the nature of the candidates, as well as the context of the election, is something which draws public attention. And we see a lot of newscasts, a lot of discussion shows, both on television and online portals, dedicated to the American elections more so than in previous years.AK: In fact, as soon as we finish recording this, I will have to go to an Estonian webcast to discuss the US election. So, indeed, there's plenty of interest and a realization that this matters to us in the Baltic states quite a bit, but that's been the case for previous US elections as well.Trump just adds this more of a circus atmosphere to it that was perhaps not present and a sort of polarizing view. But when you talked earlier about the impact of Trump on Europe, I can remember back to when Obama was elected, right?And the response in Europe was: Western Europeans loved him. Eastern Europeans were a little bit more skeptical, but even the Western Europeans who loved Obama were very disappointed by the man because he was focused on a pivot to Asia. And he didn't give the Europeans the deference and the time of day that his predecessors had.So that's already a shift that's been going on for quite some time and Biden has been the throwback to the way things were, but I think we can expect that Biden will be sort of the last real trans-Atlanticist American president.MS: Yeah, I just want to pick what Andras was mentioning in terms of the policies of the potential US leader, President Harris or President Trump, and the consequences for the Baltic countries. I think that this pivot to Asia is very consequential, and the consequences are increasing with time.And first of all, it was more economic and political, but now it's also related to defense. We've seen, one of the former advisors of Trump, Elbridge Colby, say that Taiwan and the security of Taiwan, would be a more important issue than the security of Europe or Eastern Europe and that he would advise Baltic countries to not stop at 3 percent spending from GDP, but continue spending more for defense and reaching perhaps 10 percent, which is a lot of money.And I don't think it's attainable in the near future. However, the US Pivot to Asia had an effect on Lithuanian policies. If your major ally pivots to Asia, you have to pivot there as well. I think that there is more Asia in Lithuania and there is more Lithuania in Asia in the Indo-Pacific at the moment.First of all, it started with the hosting of Taiwanese representation in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan, which became a major issue for China. A major argument with China ensued on economic, secondary sanctions that China was threatening with political ranting and a lot of other things.But then due to this disagreement, we discovered a lot of potential for cooperation in this area. At the moment, the economic relationships with Indo-Pacific countries are increasing quite speedily. And there are more of those countries, like South Korea and Japan, in Lithuania, both politically, but also economically.And we are also discussing our security corporation, particularly in the era of cyber security. I think that this is an important turn for Lithuania, probably for other Baltic countries to a less extent, but still, and this is also a certain security net for us. If there will be some more speedy pivot to Asia under the Trump presidency, we might also try to ask our friends in Taiwan to say some good words about Lithuania and our security to the ear of Trump, because Trump most likely will listen what Taiwanese are saying.IE: Well, you've kind of tackled the last question head on, which is what are the Baltic States doing to ensure their own futures? Regardless of who ends up in the White House in November. I want to open it up for any last words or thoughts on the subject.Any final conclusions that you'd like to share?DA: Well, I think a big development, possibly a positive outcome from the events in Ukraine, is the additional impetus for Baltic cooperation. Because Baltic cooperation really has lagged for the last 30 years. If we compare the way in which the Baltic states work with each other to our closest neighbors, the Nordics, we don't really cooperate. We've imitated some of the institutions of the North, but we haven't really enacted them. We haven't sort of like full-bloodedly, adopted them. But we can see that when it comes to defense, there are some very serious initiatives, which have moved ahead recently.I think procurement is one of the big areas where we see Latvia cooperating with Estonia, for example, in air defense systems, in buying training grenades. We also have a cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania on respirators. We have the Baltic defense line—although that seems to be being executed individually by each state—but it was still a common announcement with a common aim, and so on. It would be great if this was an impetus for even further Baltic cooperation, because there are many areas where we would benefit from cooperating with each other in a sort of Nordic style politically, economically, culturally, and so on.Because we are an extremely dynamic region of Europe, especially if we look at the Lithuanian economy, which is to an outsider, an amazing story. What's happened there over the last 20 years is a story to tell, and there is a common identity and common political structures which can be built upon, beginning with this enhanced military cooperation, but taking that to various political and economic levels as well.So that's one thing that I would end on attempting to be more positive.AK: I would just add and expand on Daunis, for the regional cooperation, of course, is much wider. It's a Nordic Baltic cooperation, which is the most intense and active at the moment. And the one good outcome of Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been Finland and Sweden joining NATO, which has given a real impetus to Nordic Baltic cooperation, which was already strong in all other fields.But now with defense cooperation also, we're all much closer together in the region and it's one of the most dynamic regions in the European Union.MS: I guess I'm obliged to step even further on the European level. I don't know how strong this political will and commitment in the European institutions and in some European countries will continue to be. I guess it will depend at the end of the day on the level of a threat—but we will not be living in a less threatening environment in the future—and the appetite to build strong defense industry and defense in Europe.That's a very, very important step forward. And if one thing is to come from the Ukrainian War, I would say that this would be a very, very important thing for the future of the European Union as the player in international politics.IE: Well, Professors Kasekamp, Šešelgytė, Auers. Thank you so much for your time for your commentary and we really appreciate you taking the time to speak on this subject. Thank you very much. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

Gaslit Nation is vindicated yet again. Today, The New York Times reports on Bob Woodward's latest book War, which confirms what we've been warning about since day one: Russia is infiltrating the U.S. through Trump's MAGA fascist cult. The same tactics of weaponized corruption that Paul Manafort, Trump's longtime friend and neighbor in Trump Tower, used to bring “Ukraine's Trump” Viktor Yanukovych to power are being deployed here. Ukraine has long been a testing ground for Russian aggression, and what happens there is a precursor for what Russia will try in other nations, including the U.S. This is why Ukraine's success is our own. We recorded this week's episode Tuesday morning before the publication of the report on War, which claims Trump has spoken to Putin at least seven to a dozen times since leaving office. It also reveals, unsurprisingly to Gaslit Nation listeners, that while Trump was waging war on so-called blue states—withholding life-saving supplies during the height of the pandemic—he sent Covid tests to Putin amidst a shortage of tests, further proving his fealty to the world's most sanctioned terrorist. This week, Terrell Starr reports from Berlin, Germany, a country grappling with its own MAGA crisis with the rise of the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany). We unpack why some nonwhite voters support Trump despite it being against their interests; MAGA disinformation weapon Candace Owens; and Stacey Abrams' warning that “demographics are not destiny.” We also explore how to survive the apocalypse–a time of climate crisis driven by gas station dictatorships, MAGA's Big Oil backers, and their fascist footsoldiers. In times of compounding crises and confusion, Gaslit Nation is here to help you stay grounded. This week's bonus show for subscribers at the Truth-teller level ($5/month) and higher will answer questions from our Democracy Defender subscribers ($10/month and above). We'll dive into why Louis DeJoy remains in power and the origins of the Green Party's Kremlin cicada, Jill Stein. Tune in Saturday morning for that! Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Reform the Electoral College https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/5/28/reform-the-electoral-college Sister District x Gaslit Nation GOTV Phonebank! https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrictnyc/event/642096/ Book Raises Unverified Claims About Trump's Ties to Putin The journalist Bob Woodward cited an unnamed aide saying that Donald J. Trump had spoken to Vladimir V. Putin as many as seven times since leaving office. Multiple sources say they cannot confirm that report. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/us/politics/trump-putin-woodward-book.html Ron DeSantis Not Relying on FEMA As Florida Braces for Hurricane Milton https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desalts-not-relying-fema-hurricane-milton-1965526 Come As You Are Weekly Political Salons! Join us every Monday at 4 PM ET via Zoom! Let's share frustrations, ask burning questions, seek support, and help shape Gaslit Nation. Everyone's voice matters—whether you're a political junkie or just finding your voice, you belong here! Recordings available exclusively on Patreon.

After Thuringia and Saxony, Brandenburg, as the third federal state in the territory of the former GDR, will hold state elections on Sunday. Following the victory of the right-wing AfD - Alternative for Germany with its full name - experts also expect a similar outcome in Brandenburg. Dieter Herrmann, editor-in-chief of WEEK IN AUSTRALIA - is also not optimistic - Nach Thüringen und Sachsen wird am Sonntag Brandenburg, als drittes Bundesland auf dem Gebiet der ehemaligen DDR, Landtagswahlen abhalten. Nach dem bisherigen Siegeszug der rechtsgerichteten AfD - Alternative für Deutschland mit vollem Namen - erwarten Experten auch einen ähnlichen Ausgang in Brandenburg. Auch Dieter Herrmann, Chefredakteur der WOCHE IN AUSTRALIEN - ist nicht optimistisch

Join us for another episode of Hearts of Oak Podcast, where we're honoured to have the return of Petr Bystron, a Member of the European Parliament representing the Alternative for Germany (AfD), as our guest.  In this insightful conversation, Petr delves into the transformative currents sweeping through European politics, sparked by the AfD's significant electoral achievements.  We'll explore how the AfD's strategic alliances are influencing European policy, the media's portrayal of populist movements, and the party's dedication to tackling critical issues like immigration and national sovereignty head-on. Petr provides a unique perspective on the shifting dynamics within the EU, where traditional political alignments are giving way to a resurgence of nationalist sentiments. Expect a candid discussion that goes beyond the headlines, examining the core values and political philosophies at play in today's Europe. Tune in as we navigate these complex waters with one of the key figures shaping the continent's future. Petr Bystron is the highest-ranking foreign politician of the AfD: He has been Chairman of the AfD in the Foreign Committee of the German Bundestag since 2017. Since 2021 he has been the foreign policy spokesman for his party and its representative in the Council of Europe and the Interparliamentary Union (IPU). He was the first AfD politician to be officially received by an incumbent president (Milos Zeman) and the first European to receive the „Eagle Award “ from the conservative US Phyllis Schlafly Foundation. He was born in the CSSR, from which he fled to Germany at the age of 16, where he received political asylum. Thirty years later, he faced similar persecution in Bavaria: during the 2017 election campaign, he was subjected to an illegal house search and it was announced that he was being monitored by the Bavarian secret service. In addition to these state reprisals, he is always the target of attacks by left-wing extremists. Bystron is actively committed to supporting politically persecuted people. In 2018, with the help of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, he was able to free journalist Billy Six from Venezuelan detention. Petr Bystron is one of the founding members of the AfD. From 2015 to 2017 he was the state leader of the party in Bavaria. He took over the party in a crisis and led it from 3.5% of the vote to the best election result of all western federal states in the 2017 federal election with 12.7%. He founded and headed his party's National Committee for European and Foreign Policy (2013-2015). Bystron studied political science at the University of Politics and the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich and has been working as a journalist for years. His articles on business and politics have been published in renowned daily newspapers and magazines in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. He has won several creative competitions, including an EU essay competition on the future of Europe. His current book 'MEGA – Make Europe Great Again' contains portraits of leading conservative politicians such as Viktor Orbán, Marine Le Penn and Nigel Farage. Petr is married, has two children and has lived in his constituency of Munich North for more than 30 years. He has been an entrepreneur for over thirty years. Connect with Petr and The AfD...

This week, for the first time since the Second World War, elections in Germany provided significant victories for the far-right. In Thuringia, candidate Björn Höcke of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) hailed an "historic victory". But what does this mean for German and European politics? And what broader trends might we look at in terms of increasing far-right success at the ballot box? To discuss this – and with Tom Hamilton on holiday – the Cyclists are joined from Berlin by Rachel Rizzo, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. You can now subscribe to the PREMIUM version of The Political Cycle on Hubwave: tricycle.hubwave.netHere are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/01/success-far-right-afd-shows-east-west-germany-drifting-further-aparthttps://vsquare.org/czech-filip-tureks-fans-european-parlament-social-media/https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/05/06/final-verdict-tobias-buck/?itid=ap_emilytamkinhttps://harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk/products/babel-or-the-necessity-of-violence-an-arcane-history-of-the-oxford-translators-revolution-rf-kuang-9780008501839/Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to the PREMIUM version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kan Duitsland, de economische motor van Europa, de immense uitdagingen van digitalisering, verduurzaming en politiek extremisme aan? In deze eerste aflevering van Oosterburen nemen correspondent Derk Marseille en bondsdaglid Otto Fricke je mee achter de schermen van de Bondsdag in Berlijn om de antwoorden te vinden.  Met Oosterburen krijg je toegang tot het centrum van de Duitse macht. Derk Marseille, correspondent voor BNR Nieuwsradio, en Otto Fricke, een invloedrijk Bondsdaglid, beginnen hun diepgaande verkenning van de grote vraagstukken waarmee Duitsland vandaag de dag wordt geconfronteerd. We trappen af met een introductie van onze gastheer en deskundige gids, Otto Fricke, die bekend staat als "Mr. Niederlande" in de Duitse politiek. Fricke deelt zijn unieke inzichten en ervaringen uit de wandelgangen van de Bondsdag, het kloppend hart van de Duitse democratie.  In deze aflevering bespreken we de belangrijkste economische uitdagingen die Duitsland te wachten staan. De digitalisering van de Duitse industrie is een gigantische opgave. Duitsland, de derde grootste economie ter wereld, staat voor de enorme taak om zijn industrie te digitaliseren. We bespreken waarom het land nog steeds vasthoudt aan verouderde technologieën zoals faxmachines en contant geld, en welke stappen er worden genomen om deze achterstand in te halen.   Daarnaast komt de verduurzaming van de economie aan bod. De overgang naar een groenere economie is een van de grootste prioriteiten van Duitsland. Derk en Otto bespreken de uitdagingen en mogelijkheden van deze transformatie, inclusief de rol van hernieuwbare energiebronnen en de impact op traditionele industrieën.  Politieke stabiliteit en extremisme vormen ook een belangrijk onderdeel van onze discussie. De opkomst van extremistische partijen zoals de AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) en de gevolgen hiervan voor de politieke stabiliteit van Duitsland worden uitgebreid besproken. We duiken in de groeiende invloed van deze groeperingen en hoe ze het dagelijkse politieke leven en de besluitvorming in Berlijn beïnvloeden. Duitsland bevindt zich in een geopolitieke balanceeract tussen de Verenigde Staten en China. Derk en Otto analyseren de invloed van deze grootmachten op de Duitse economie en politiek, en hoe Duitsland probeert zijn eigen koers te varen te midden van deze krachtenvelden.  De impact van internationale conflicten, zoals de oorlogen in Oekraïne en Gaza, en hun invloed op de stabiliteit in Europa komen eveneens aan bod. We bespreken welke maatregelen Duitsland neemt om zijn positie te versterken en welke rol Nederland hierin speelt. Tenslotte bekijken we de cruciale relatie tussen Duitsland en Nederland. Otto deelt zijn visie op hoe beide landen kunnen samenwerken om deze uitdagingen het hoofd te bieden en te profiteren van elkaars sterke punten.  Deze eerste aflevering biedt een rijk gedetailleerde introductie tot de complexe wereld van de Duits-Nederlandse betrekkingen en de belangrijke vragen waarmee Duitsland vandaag de dag geconfronteerd wordt. Mis het niet en krijg een uniek perspectief op de toekomst van Europa's grootste economie.  Abonneer je op Oosterburen en blijf op de hoogte van de nieuwste ontwikkelingen in Duitsland! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Die AfD hat vor Gericht eine Niederlage zu erwarten. Die FDP befeuert den Rentenstreit in der Ampel. Und Angela Merkel ehrt einen Grünen. Das ist die Lage am Montagmorgen. Die Artikel zum Nachlesen: Weitere Hintergründe zur AfD: Alternative gegen Deutschland Mehr Hintergründe: Was steckt wirklich hinter dem Ampelstreit über das Rentenpaket? Mehr Hintergründe: Altkanzlerin Angela Merkel will Jürgen Trittin verabschieden +++ Alle Rabattcodes und Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier: https://linktr.ee/spiegellage +++ Die SPIEGEL-Gruppe ist nicht für den Inhalt dieser Webseite verantwortlich.+++ Alle Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier. Die SPIEGEL-Gruppe ist nicht für den Inhalt dieser Seite verantwortlich. +++ Alle SPIEGEL Podcasts finden Sie hier. Mehr Hintergründe zum Thema erhalten Sie bei SPIEGEL+. Jetzt für nur € 1,- für die ersten vier Wochen testen unter spiegel.de/abonnieren Informationen zu unserer Datenschutzerklärung.

PREVIEW: #EU: #ESPIONAGE: Conversation with colleague Theresa Fallon in Brussels regarding the sudden revelation of PRC spies throughout the EU and UK, especially focusing on one PRC agent, a dual German/Chinese passport holder, who has been an aide to the leading AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) candidate for the EU Parliament, Maximilian Krah. More details to follow tonight. 1884 Brussels

The rise of extremist movements throughout the world is nothing new. However, their power and influence in Western democracies is particularly startling, especially in the bastion of such a stable democracy as Germany, whose political and economic strength so many throughout Europe rely on. This is why it is hard to fathom, Claudia Koestler states, why a critical mass of her fellow countrymen and women are turning to right-wing parties like the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland ). It's easy to be dismissive of such movements, but the rise of extremism has been building over the years and has now gained power and influence, becoming a fixture on the political landscape at the local, regional, and national levels. The alarm bells are now ringing and millions have taken to the streets to support their democratic way of life.  But are the recent protests against the AfD throughout Germany going to be effective in turning back the tide of right-wing extremism? Hear how Claudia questions the motives and efficacy of these demonstrations and who they're aimed at. While it may not change the minds of many die-hard AfD supporters, Claudia argues that it will send an important signal across Germany and the world that values, freedom, and democracy are the core of Western society and worth standing up for.

Det er blevet drøftet igen og igen i Tyskland - skal elever i skolen sige “Sie” eller “De” til deres lærer. Tidligere WELT-journalist Franca Lehfeldt sagde i Stern TV, at hun frygtede kaotiske tilstande i det tyske samfund, hvis man bevægede sig ud på den glidebane, det er at afskaffe høflighedsformen i skolen. Og det har genstartet debatten. Vi skal også se på, om atomvåben kan blive en del af den stort proklamerede Zeitenwende, på protester mod udenlandske investorer i tysk fodbold og Berlinales ”af-invitation” til AfD - Alternative für Deutschland. Vært: Mirco Reimer-Elster Medvirkende: Moritz Schramm, formand for dansk/tysk selskab og lektor, Institut for Kultur- og Sprogvidenskaber, SDU + Lykke Friis, direktør Tænketanken Europa + Jonas Lieberkind, lektor DPU, Danmarks institut for Pædagogik og Uddannelse + Jonas Schwartz, vært og kommentator, ViaplaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tytułowy pluralizm jest swoistym ideałem dla piewców demokracji.Zakłada on, że mimo oczywistej i niedyskutowalnej największej siły partii, za którą stoi większość wyborców, inne partie, dysponujące mniejszym poparciem, również będą uczestniczyć w dyskursie publicznym dotyczącym najważniejszych spraw dla obywateli i państwa.Tyle teorii...Jak taki pluralizm działa w Polsce - widzimy nieprzerwanie od 30 lat. Jak może wyglądać w wychwalanych za demokrację i praworządność Niemczech - porozmawiamy dzisiaj.Zapraszam Was na dłuższą rozmowę o tym jakie postulaty wnosi do niemieckiej polityki partia AfD - Alternative fur Deutschland.Pochylimy się również nad jej szansami w najbliższych wyborach do Bundestagu - parlamentu Niemiec, jak i czerwcowymi do Europarlamentu.Czas poprowadzić rozpoznanie bojem siły, która może już za parę miesięcy rządzić naszym najważniejszym sąsiadem.Zapraszam!Jeśli chcesz otrzymywać na maila informacje o nowych odcinkach - zapisz swój adres e-mail na stronie: https://pogodneszorty.pl/lista

Germany's far-right AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) party is gaining momentum. For the past few months, it has been capitalising on widespread fears among the population over the war in Ukraine, immigration and inflation, as well as the challenges faced by the ruling coalition. The AfD has been on the radar of German intelligence services for several years, and some regional branches of the party are clearly identified as a threat due to their radicalism. But it was the revelations from investigative media outlet Correctiv, whose journalists documented a secret meeting between AfD members and neo-Nazis to discuss a plan to deport foreign or foreign-born individuals, that triggered mass protests. That meeting has reignited debate on banning the party, as our correspondents report.

Our good friend and partner in crime David Vance returns to help us plough through some of the talking points in the news and from his awesome social media. Up for discussion this episode... - Live in London: Fr Calvin Robinson and Laurence Fox in conversation with David and Peter coming soon. - Greater Manchester Police Grooming Gang report failings. - Call for CSE and grooming review in Bradford backed by law firm - Farming is “ecocide”! - Rise of the AfD: Alternative for Deutschland surges in German polls. - China told to immediately stop new tests on mutant Covid strain with '100% fatality rate'. - Asylum seekers taken from taxpayer-funded hotels and simply moved to other hotels. - Woke Dictator Sadiq Khan removes memorial to the 1K who have been murdered on the streets of London since he took over. - Britain's strictest headteacher taken to High Court over school's Muslim prayer ban.  - The top concern of the EU and WEF is “Disinformation and Misinformation” - Female football presenter flees the country after some hurty words from Joey Barton. - The Road to The White House: Donald Trump rides high in Iowa. HOLD THE LINE - Challenge The Narrative  Fr Calvin Robinson & Laurence Fox Friday 1st March 2024  TICKETS             https://www.tickettailor.com/events/davidpeterevents/1115546 Recorded 19.1.24 Connect with David... X                          https://twitter.com/DVATW?s=20&t=vaRYl6wCZ4_ZLJ9DB0xpXQ WEBSITE             https://davidvance.net/ GETTR                 https://gettr.com/user/davidvance PODCAST           https://vancedavidatw.podbean.com/ Connect with Hearts of Oak... WEBSITE            https://heartsofoak.org/ PODCASTS        https://heartsofoak.podbean.com/ SOCIAL MEDIA  https://heartsofoak.org/connect/ TRANSCRIPTS   https://heartsofoak.substack.com/ Support Hearts of Oak by purchasing one of our fancy T-Shirts....  SHOP                  https://heartsofoak.org/shop/ *Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast. Check out his art https://theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com/ and follow him on X https://twitter.com/TheBoschFawstin?s=20 

Ehre oder Schmutz ist zurück mit Ausgabe #227 und die heißt nicht umsonst "Die Super Nanny XXL". Mit einer Spiellänge von knapp 3 Stunden bleiben wir unserem aktuellen XXL Kurs treu. Viel Spaß mit der Folge. Ehre oder Schmutz - Fusionen von Firmen - Glaube - AfD Wahlergebnisse Fusionen von Firmen: Fusionen von Unternehmen sind ein heißes Thema in der Geschäftswelt. Auf der einen Seite können sie Effizienzsteigerungen und Innovationen fördern. Auf der anderen Seite bestehen Bedenken hinsichtlich wachsender Monopole und Machtzentren. Sind Fusionen zwischen Unternehmen ein Weg zu wirtschaftlichem Fortschritt und Ehre, oder bergen sie das Risiko von Schmutz und Ungerechtigkeit? Glaube: Glaube ist ein tiefgehendes, persönliches Thema, das Menschen auf der ganzen Welt bewegt. Es kann Menschen Trost und Hoffnung spenden, aber auch zu Konflikten und Missverständnissen führen. Wir werden über die Vielfalt von Glaubensrichtungen sprechen und die Frage stellen, ob Glaube eine Quelle der Ehre ist, die Menschen zusammenführt, oder manchmal eine Quelle des Schmutzes durch Spaltungen und Konflikte darstellt. AfD Wahlergebnisse: Die Wahlergebnisse der AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) sind ein kontroverses Thema in der deutschen Politik. Die Partei hat sich als eine der wichtigsten Oppositionsparteien etabliert und polarisiert die Gesellschaft. Wir werden über die Ursachen und Auswirkungen dieser Wahlergebnisse sprechen und darüber, ob sie eine ehrenhafte Äußerung des demokratischen Prozesses oder vielleicht auch Schmutz in der politischen Landschaft darstellen. Wir haben auf der Bucket List noch stehen, dass wir endlich erfahren wollen was Sebastian B. so beruflich macht. Daraus entsteht ein spannender Talk in dem wir mehr über agile Arbeit, Coaching und SCRUM erfahren. Warum Super Nanny im Titel steht? Erfahrt ihr genau in dem Segment. Links zur Folge: - Geht SCRUM auch im privaten? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYeYnbxwkKQ - Die Anstalt vom 10. Oktober https://www.zdf.de/comedy/die-anstalt/die-anstalt-vom-10-oktober-2023-100.html - Walking Pad von Indra und Sebastian E. https://www.amazon.de/dp/B09789DHP3?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details - Gewichtetes Springseil https://www.amazon.de/dp/B093T3X856?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ehreoderschmutz/message

Ben: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ungeskriptetbyben?sub_confirmation=1TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ungeskriptetInstagram: https://instagram.com/ben_ungeskriptetBoris: Instagram: https://instagram.com/borisvonmorgensternYouTube: https://youtube.com/@BorisvonMorgenstern TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@borisvonmorgensternHomepage: https://boris-von-morgenstern.de{ungeskriptet} gibt's hier bei YouTube und überall, wo es Podcasts gibt. Alle weiteren Links: https://www.ungeskriptet.com Mein Ziel ist, der beste Podcast Host Deutschlands zu werden. Ich verspreche dir, die spannendsten Gäste an meinen Tisch zu holen. 100% Realtalk. No Bullshit. KAPITEL: (00:00:00) - Trailer(00:01:39) - Wie hast du mich gefunden?(00:28:16) - Kritische Kommentare(00:46:58) - Ich kenne den Islam!(01:07:39) - Warum hat der Islam Schuld??(01:31:02) - Sachkundiger Bürger(01:47:05) - AfD - Alternative für Deutschland(02:06:01) - Die Moral der Geschicht(02:13:37) - Auf Wiedersehen

The German analysis since the start of Corona vaccination program show that the population has seen drastic changes in disease patterns and deaths. This is the result of data from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), which our guest today, Martin Sichert MP was able to evaluate exclusively together with data expert Tom Lause. In December 2022 they made their findings public at a press conference which provided frightening insights. With the start of mass corona vaccinations, the number of people who died “suddenly and unexpectedly” skyrocketed compared to previous years, more than fourfold. In every quarter, starting with the first quarter of 2021, more sudden and unexpected deaths were identified by panel doctors than in every year from 2016 to 2020 as a whole. Martin Sichert is the health policy spokesman for the AfD (Alternative for Germany) Party in the German Bundestag, is a member of MENSA and has a degree in business administration. To follow Martin online..... GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/martinsichert TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Martin_Sichert TELEGRAM: https://t.me/martinsichertinfo FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sichertmartin AfD Website: https://www.afd.de/ Bundestag Website: https://www.bundestag.de/abgeordnete/biografien/S/sichert_martin-858038 Interview recorded 23.1.23 *Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast. Check out his art https://theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com/ and follow him on GETTR https://gettr.com/user/BoschFawstin/ To sign up for our weekly email, find our social media, podcasts, video, livestreaming platforms and more https://heartsofoak.org/connect/

Thứ Ba, 05/05/2020, Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức ra tối hậu thư yêu cầu Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu (BCE) trong vòng ba tháng phải giải thích rõ về chương trình mua nợ đưa ra năm 2015. Năm ngày sau, 10/05/2020, trong một thông cáo, Ủy Ban Châu Âu cho biết xem xét khả năng mở một vụ kiện chống Đức. Vì sao Đức và Liên Hiệp Châu Âu lại đọ sức với nhau vào lúc này ? Đâu là những rủi ro cho tương lai khu vực đồng euro ? Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu vượt quá thẩm quyền ? Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức vừa đặt một quả bom nổ chậm ngay dưới chân nền tảng của khối đồng tiền chung euro, Le Monde ngày 07/05 thẳng thừng nhận xét. Các thẩm phán Đức ra hạn định Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu có ba tháng để giải trình về chính sách trên, bằng không họ có thể ra lệnh cho Bundesbank (Ngân hàng Trung ương Đức) – cổ đông lớn nhất của BCE, ngưng tham gia vào chương trình mua lại trái phiếu công. Với báo Le Monde phán quyết lạnh lùng này của thẩm phán Đức chẳng khác gì như « cú đánh trời giáng » đe dọa đến sự độc lập của Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu, có trụ sở tại Frankfurt, được thiết kế theo mô hình của Bundesbank. Chuyện gì đã xảy ra cách nay năm năm ? Tại sao Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức lại đòi BCE phải giải thích vào lúc này ? Chuyên gia kinh tế Anne-Laure Delatte, thuộc Trung Tâm Nghiên Cứu Quốc Gia Pháp, Trung Tâm Nghiên Cứu Triển Vọng và Thông Tin Quốc Tế (CEPII), trên đài RFI nhắc lại vụ việc : « Sau cuộc khủng hoảng tài chính lớn năm 2008, Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu (BCE) cũng như các ngân hàng khác trên thế giới đã đưa ra một chính sách tiền tệ rất đặc biệt mà người ta gọi là ʺQuantitative easingʺ (tạm dịch là chương trình nới lỏng định lượng), nghĩa là người ta mua phiếu nợ trên thị trường để cung cấp thanh khoản. Đến năm 2015, BCE còn tiến thêm một bước nữa là đi mua các trái phiếu công trên thị trường thứ cấp. Nói ngắn gọn, BCE mua các loại phiếu nợ của các chính phủ, của các nước thành viên khối sử dụng chung đồng euro. Những nước khác họ cũng làm như thế như FED (Cục Dự Trữ Liên Bang Mỹ), Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Anh Quốc nhưng ở mức độ thấp hơn. Kể từ năm 2015, Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu thực hiện chương trình này và điều này rất quan trọng, bởi vì trên thực tế, BCE chi phối việc mua trái phiếu. Dần dà, bảng tổng kết của BCE ngày một phình to, đã tăng lên gấp 3 lần trong những năm gần đây. Việc mua loại trái phiếu được biết đến nhiều nhất PSPP (Public Sector Purchase Programme – Chương trình mua trái phiếu khu vực công) hiện chiếm đến gần như phân nửa chương trình mua phiếu nợ được ghi trong bảng tổng kết tài sản của Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu. » Một cách cụ thể, các thẩm phán Đức trách cứ Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu năm 2015 đã vượt quá thẩm quyền, thực thi một chính sách tiền tệ « quá bành trướng », « tỷ lệ thuận » với các rủi ro, có nguy cơ gây tác động đến vấn đề chủ quyền kinh tế của một quốc gia. Chỉ có điều phán quyết được đưa ra không đúng thời điểm. Ngay giữa lúc nhiều nền kinh tế châu Âu đang kiệt quệ vì dịch bệnh Covid-19 hoành hành, Liên Hiệp Châu Âu vừa thông qua một « kế hoạch khẩn cấp chống đại dịch » PEPP – Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme. Cụ thể là Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu mua lại các khoản nợ công của các nước thành viên, trị giá 750 tỷ euro, nhằm vực dậy các nền kinh tế sau dịch bệnh. Theo nhận định của ông Frederik Ducrozet, chuyên gia kinh tế ngân hàng tư nhân Pictet, khi trả lời phỏng vấn báo Le Monde, quyết định này của các thẩm phán Đức còn ngầm nhắc lại những quy định do chính Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu tự áp đặt vào năm 2015 khi đưa ra kế hoạch mua lại nợ. « Một trong những nguyên tắc đó là Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu không nên chiếm giữ quá 33% mức nợ của một nước. Vậy khi người ta gộp cả hai chương trình PSPP và PEPP, họ đang tiến gần một cách nguy hiểm đến mức giới hạn này. Từ đây đến cuối năm 2020, BCE sẽ có nguy cơ nắm giữ đến hơn 33% nợ của nước Đức ». Xung đột pháp lý giữa Đức và Liên Hiệp Châu Âu Chính sách tiền tệ của BCE luôn là một chủ đề nhậy cảm tại Đức. Là những người rất tiết kiệm, người dân Đức cảm thấy bị thiệt hại nhiều bởi các chính sách tiền tệ của BCE từ 10 năm qua, nguồn cội của việc lãi suất thấp. Đây chính là điểm khiến cho những thành phần bảo thủ và cực hữu tại Đức, những người hoài nghi châu Âu khai thác tối đa cho các mục tiêu chính trị như nhận xét của nữ kinh tế gia Anne-Laure Delatte với đài RFI : « Trên thực tế, có một bộ phận chính trị gia Đức phản đối ý tưởng dự án châu Âu, hay khối đồng euro theo mô hình liên bang. Ẩn sau thách thức chính trị này, những người dựa vào Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức là ai ? Đó là những thành viên của đảng CSU (Liên Minh Xã Hội Kitô Giáo Bayern), và nhất là đảng cực hữu AfD (Alternative für Deutschland – Con đường khác cho nước Đức). Có một sự liên minh đặc biệt giữa những người có xu hướng bảo thủ và phe cực hữu để chống đối chính sách tiền tệ này của Liên Hiệp Châu Âu ». Đây không phải là lần đầu tiên Tư Pháp Đức tấn công BCE. Ngay từ năm 2015, Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức đã phản đối chương trình PSPP. Nhưng đến tháng 12/2018, Tòa Án Công Lý Liên Hiệp Châu Âu (CJUE) khẳng định là chính sách tiền tệ này là hợp lệ. Dù vậy, các thẩm phán Đức vẫn cho rằng « những năm gần đây, Tòa Án Công Lý Châu Âu ngày càng đi quá đà trong việc diễn giải các hiệp ước như Maastricht (1993) hay Lisboa (2009) » theo như bình luận của một chuyên gia am tường trong lĩnh vực này với báo Le Monde. Các thẩm phán Đức còn nghiêm khắc chỉ trích Tòa Công Lý Châu Âu đã thiếu các biện pháp nhằm giám sát các chương trình hành động của BCE. Về điểm này, một nhà ngoại giao giải thích với nhật báo Pháp rằng « các thẩm phán Đức tại Tòa Bảo Hiến có một quan niệm rất nghiêm ngặt trong việc phối hợp giữa luật pháp quốc gia và luật châu Âu ». Theo phân tích của ông Guntram Wolff, kinh tế gia và giám đốc Viện Bruegle trên đài RFI, bất đồng quan điểm pháp lý trong cách diễn giải các hiệp ước chính là vấn đề cốt lõi của vụ việc này. « Đây mới chính là vấn đề trọng tâm theo như quan điểm của Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức. Việc đưa ra những quyết định cần thiết này từ một trong số các thẩm phán nhằm khẳng định rằng chính họ là người diễn giải giới hạn các thẩm quyền, rằng luật của châu Âu chỉ dành cho các định chế của Liên Hiệp Châu Âu. Các thẩm phán ở Luxembourg, Tòa Công Lý Liên Hiệp Châu Âu không thể diễn giải các giới hạn của luật hiến pháp Đức, theo đó, chính họ mới là người trao các thẩm quyền cho Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu. Đây chính là điểm xung đột. Bởi vì, theo quan điểm của Liên Hiệp Châu Âu, bắt đầu từ điều luật của Liên Hiệp và trong lô-gic của cách diễn giải này, chính Tòa Công Lý Châu Âu mới là bên chịu trách nhiệm diễn giải hiệp ước. Nhưng lô-gic quốc gia cho rằng yếu tố chủ quyền đất nước mới tạo dựng nên nền tảng cơ bản cho mọi hình thức chủ quyền châu Âu. Cuộc xung đột này mới chính là tâm điểm của cuộc tranh luận hiện nay. » Nguy cơ khủng hoảng 2010 – 2012 tái diễn ? Trước quyết định của Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức, Ủy Ban Châu Âu cho biết có thể mở một quy trình pháp lý kiện nước Đức. Chuyên gia Anne-Laure Delatte cảnh báo vụ việc này có nguy cơ vượt quá khuôn khổ chính sách kinh tế, tiền tệ và thương mại. « Ở đây còn có một thách thức chính trị thật sự nhằm phá vỡ các dự án hội nhập của Liên Hiệp. Trên thực tế, người ta đang tạo điều kiện cho các phe chủ nghĩa dân túy tại Hungary và Ba Lan cũng như tất cả những ai phản đối tiến trình hội nhập Liên Hiệp Châu Âu ». Vẫn theo nữ kinh tế gia này, phán quyết này của Tòa Bảo Hiến Đức có nguy cơ để lại nhiều rủi ro cho tương lai khu vực đồng euro. « Điểm quan trọng ở đây chính là cuộc khủng hoảng nợ công như những gì xảy ra trong giai đoạn 2010 – 2012, đã tái xuất hiện ngay từ tháng Ba. Thậm chí từ cuối tháng Hai, người ta đã thấy là nhiều khoản vay của Ý, lãi suất rủi ro của Ý, rủi ro mà các nhà đầu tư chấp nhận để cho chính phủ Ý vay tăng vọt. Quả thật người ta rất lo sợ là cuộc khủng hoảng 2010 -2012 lại tiếp diễn. Trên thực tế, bà Christine Lagarde và đương nhiên là BCE đã làm mọi cách cần thiết để hạ nhiệt căng thẳng và đã có phản ứng rất nhanh. Thế nên, khi đặt nghi vấn chính sách tiền tệ vào lúc này, đây quả thật là cực kỳ mạo hiểm bởi vì đây chính là người lính cứu hỏa duy nhất trong khu vực đồng euro hiện nay. Rủi thay là Hội Đồng Châu Âu và tất cả các định chế khác bên cạnh Ngân Hàng Trung Ương Châu Âu lại không có một phương tiện nào để dập lửa như BCE đã làm ».

It is inconceivable that this Middle East superpower should be so humiliated by terrorists, that our kindergartens have to be held in shelters. Hear: Walter's assessment of how it should have been handled. Who: Is the enemy within? And: The Hypocrisy of the Court Of Justice Of the European Union and how they surrendered to BDS pressure. Do You Remember: The first night alone with your newly wedded wife? Or - A must read kosher book for newlyweds. All About: The anniversaries of Kristallnacht, Armistice Day, the Rabin and Kahane murders and the fall of the Berlin wall that all happened during this week years ago. Also: German parliamentarian dismissed for Anti-Semitism. Far right AFD (Alternative for Germany) party is third largest in the lower house of the German Parliament. The Walter Bingham File 19NOV2019 - PODCAST

The Malian singer Rokia Traoré is celebrated for her extraordinary voice, her collaborations with musicians and writers such as Damon Albarn and Toni Morrison, and her efforts to give opportunities to other artists in Mali. These qualities and interests are reflected in her choices as Guest Director of this year’s Brighton Festival. She talks about the work she and others will be performing. In Germany, the far-right party AfD - Alternative fur Deutschland – are using the nineteenth century painting Slave Market by Jean-Leon Gerome in their posters for the upcoming European elections. The French artist is seen as a leading proponent of Orientalism, and this work depicts a nude fair-skinned enslaved woman paraded for sale and examined by Middle Eastern or North African men. One has his fingers in her mouth, as if she were a horse whose teeth he is checking. BBC Correspondent Damien McGuiness and art critic Fisun Guner discuss the use of this provocative work in a political campaign. Granta, the literary magazine was launched in 1979 by a group of Cambridge University students and went on to become an influential force in the literary world, publishing heavyweights like Angela Carter, Raymond Carver and Philip Roth. Its "Under 40" list of emerging writers was influential and at its height it enjoyed a readership of 135,000. As the magazine turns 40 co-founder and former editor Bill Buford considers its history and place in today's literary world. Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Kate Bullivant

Mhh... schwierig das Ganze zu beschreiben, aber höre es Dir einfach an. Und ganz wichtig: In dieser Episode findest Du viiiiiiel subjektive Meinungen & Einschätzungen, sehe diese Folge als Inspiration für eigene Nachforschungen an und teile Deine persönliche Meinung gerne mit uns.

Legal analyst Harry Litman joins Suzi to unpack the legal and constitutional questions raised in both the Mueller investigation and the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The question that is on the table is whether the Constitution and the traditional practices of the American political system can protect us from the from the power of the extreme right and the march to authoritarianism. And then Germany: The demonstrations in Chemnitz at the end of August sent chills through Europe and the world, just a year after the electoral successes of the AfD (Alternative for Deutschland) in the September 2017 elections. They reflect the ascent of the far right, including outright Nazis on the German political scene. We talk to long-time analyst of the German far right, Volkhard Mosler, socialist activist in Chemnitz Gabi Engelhardt, and Einde O’Callaghan, a teacher and activist who has lived in Germany for twenty-five years to get an analysis of what is behind the rise of the Right — and the fight against it.