Hot Topics Call: The Future of the CDU and the Evolving Political Landscape in Germany

In 2018, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she would not run for reelection in 2021. This set the stage for the selection of a new Chairperson of the CDU. In a contested race between three candidates, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was elected as party Chair in December of 2018 and presumptive candidate for Chancellor. However, last month she decided to step down as party Chair, reopening the question of...

Hot Topics Call: How New Social and Economic Cleavages are Shaping German Politics

With the drop in support of the center-right and center-left Volksparteien (catch-all parties) it seems as though Germany’s political middle is hollowing out. Different forces and trends are at play. Join us for a Hot Topics Call on Friday, March 13, at 10:00 am (EST) with Thomas Krüger, Director of the Federal Agency for Civic...

Hot Topics Call: The Economic Implications of the Coronavirus

In late February, William Boston and Tom Fairless published the attached article in the Wall Street Journal. The article focuses on the economic implications of the spread of the coronavirus on the German economy. Since then, markets have dropped, borders have closed, and factories have suspended production. Just days ago, Volkswagen, the world’s biggest car maker by sales,...

Hot Topics Call: Spread and Management of Coronavirus in Europe and Asia

The spread of COVID-19 has been stealing news headlines for weeks – if not months. With over 300,000 confirmed cases worldwide, it is still to hard to tell how many people will contract the virus. Although Italy is one of the hardest hit countries, Germany's rate of infection remains relatively low. Join us for a...

Hot Topics Call: How Germany Is Combatting Coronavirus

More than 160 nations worldwide have confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The following have the highest number as of 4 a.m. ET*: China 81,591 (+0.04%) Italy 69,176 (+8.21%) US 55,225 (+18.89%) Spain 42,058 (+19.44%) Germany 32,991 (+13.54%) Iran 24,811 (+7.64%) France 22,635 (+12.38%) Switzerland 9,877  (+12.30%) South Korea 9,137 (+1.11%) UK 8,164 (+21.38%) Source: Johns...