DW Berlin Briefing - Inside German politics

Not at war, yet under attack: Germany's Russia challenge

Germany has officially blamed Russia for a suspected hybrid attack at Leipzig airport. Hosts Nina Haase and Max Hofmann discuss what that means for Germany and NATO with

Berlin Briefing #100: Germany, Europe & the world – Your questions, our answers

For our 100th episode, DW’s Nina Haase, Michaela Küfner and Max Hofmann have come together with colleagues to answer the toughest questions that you've sent us and reflec

Saxony-Anhalt elections: Interview with CDU candidate Sven Schulze

Ahead of the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin Briefing host Michaela Küfner interviewed Sven Schulze, state premier and the CDU's candidate.

Saxony-Anhalt: An election that could change Germany? | Berlin Briefing Podcast

Could a regional vote by less than 3% of the German electorate reshape national politics and redefine the center parties' response to the far right? The AfD leads polls a

Germany's climate crisis: Why politics struggle to keep up

Germany is heating and drying up faster than ever. Yet climate change is not high on the agenda of many politicians. Together with sustainability researcher Maja Göpel a

“Was it Russia?” Is the Leipzig drone attack part of a hybrid war?

DW’s Michaela Küfner asks security analyst Hans-Jakob Schindler, disinformation expert Julia Smirnova and DW Riga Bureau Chief Juri Rescheto to piece together what we kno

Is Germany's pension reform reopening the East-West divide?

A landmark pension reform is triggering backlash from eastern Germany and exposing deep divisions within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party. Why is Germany's pension syst

Germany's summer crisis: A cabinet reshuffle gone wrong?

An ad-hoc cabinet reshuffle backfired on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. With political egos flying and hurt feelings all around, could inner-party frustration threaten

Merz Under Pressure: What the Berlin Pride Attack Changes for Germany

The attack on Berlin Pride has triggered a political debate. Calls for tougher security measures are getting louder, and pressure is mounting on Friedrich Merz's governme

Burnham's German plan: Why Britain's new PM is looking to Europe

Brexit was supposed to pull Britain away from Europe. Yet 10 years on, Britain's new prime minister is championing ideas that look strikingly familiar to Germans – ideas

What do war games reveal about Europe’s security future?

What can a war game tell us about a real-world security crisis? In this episode of Berlin Briefing, DW’s Nina Haase speaks with Carolina Drüten, International Security C

Boost or bust the AfD? Inside Friedrich Merz’ gamble to reform Germany

Can German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stop the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany? Germany's coalition government has launched sweeping reforms on the economy,

250 Years of USA: Where Germany needs to pivot now

As the United States marks 250 years of independence, Germany is confronting an uncomfortable question: can it still rely on its most important ally? Former German ambas

NATO under pressure: Can Germany be the European leader?

In this Berlin Briefing special from the Global Media Forum, DW’s Nina Haase and Max Hofmann are joined by NATO expert Gerlinde Niehus and Maximilian Mayer from the Unive

Rewriting the past? Inside the AfD's history agenda

Berlin Briefing looks at how Germany remembers the Holocaust and why it's being targeted by the far-right AfD. Björn Höcke rejects German collective guilt, blaming only t

World Cup 2026: Can Germany’s football team save the government?

As the World Cup kicks off, pundits in Germany are asking: Could success on the pitch help the coalition bounce back? In Berlin Briefing, host Max Hofmann discusses with

Inside Germany's big UN defeat

Germany just suffered one of its biggest diplomatic setbacks in decades: losing a UN Security Council seat it thought was practically guaranteed. In this episode of Berli

Will Germany stand up to the big tech bros?

Berlin Briefing host Michaela Küfner unpacks the Pope's call for responsible AI regulation and asks what Germany’s plans are to avoid a sell-out to big tech interests. Sh

What the AfD would do in power

The AfD is surging in the polls - in some regions, it's way out in front of Germany’s traditional parties. But despite record support, the far-right party still has almos

Putin’s Contradictions: Attack Ukraine, Talk Deals, Propose Schröder

As Russia launches a fresh wave of attacks across Ukraine and the Kremlin signals it could pursue economic deals with the United States — under certain conditions — Vladi