Inside Story

What is next for Germany after Angela Merkel?

Angela Merkel steps down as chancellor after 16 years leading Europe’s biggest economy.

For 16 years, Chancellor Angela Merkel steered Germany through economic meltdowns, refugee crises and – most recently – a pandemic.

Now her leadership has come to an end.

Olaf Scholz takes over as chancellor and will run Europe’s biggest economy.

He says his three-party coalition government will work with democracies around the world and strengthen the European Union.

Scholz faces numerous challenges, including rising COVID-19 infections, climate change and geopolitical tensions with Russia and China.

So what is next for Germany and the European Union?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Ulrich Brueckner – Professor of political science, Stanford University in Berlin

Rebecca Christie – Non-resident fellow at Bruegel, an independent think-tank

Matt Qvortrup – Chair of applied political science at Coventry University and author of Angela Merkel: Europe’s Most Influential Leader