The Zeitgeist American-German Institute

Germany’s longest-serving chancellor of the twenty-first century was also uniquely successful; Angela Merkel left office after sixteen years with an approval rating of over 70 percent. As Germany must now manage underinvestment in infrastructure, rebuilding the armed forces, the rise of the populist far-right, and Russia’s war in Ukraine, her policies have been widely scrutinized. On her 70th birthday, we discuss Angela Merkel’s legacy—her impact and leadership in Germany and the Christian Democratic Union—with Dr. Sarah Wiliarty.



Host

Jeff Rathke, President, AGI

Guests

Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program, AGI

Sarah Wiliarty, Associate Professor of Government, Wesleyan University

In 2019, the federal states established the Joint Federal and State Commission to Fight Anti-Semitism and Protect Jewish Life. This initiative builds on Germany’s decades-long political and civil society efforts to atone for the Nazi crimes of the Holocaust and resulted in the creation of state-level Commissioners for Jewish Life and the Fight against Anti-Semitism. Hessen’s Commissioner Uwe Becker joins this episode of the Zeitgeist to discuss the role of these commissioners, how they work together, and how Germany can combat growing anti-Semitism.



Host

Jeff Rathke, President, AGI

Guests

Uwe Becker, Representative of the Hessian State Government for Jewish Life and the Fight against Anti-Semitism

Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program, AGI

From June 6 to 9, citizens across the European Union’s 27 member states voted for the 720 seats in the European Parliament. The center-right had the strongest result, with the European People’s Party winning additional seats and remaining the largest bloc in the EP. Far-right parties also made significant gains, especially in Germany and France. French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and announced snap elections, in response to the poor showing of his Renaissance, which finished a distant second to the far-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen. Sophie Pornschlegel joins The Zeitgeist to assess the results of the election for EU policymaking, the Franco-German relationship, and EU support for Ukraine.



Host

Jeff Rathke, President, AGI

Guests

Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program, AGI

Sophie Pornschlegel, Director of Studies, Europe Jacques Delors

On this episode of The Zeitgeist, guest host Dr. Eric Langenbacher speaks with two participants of the AGI exchange program, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States.” Simon Schütz and Thomas Haakenson discuss the cost of discriminating against LGBTQ+ employees and customers, the U.S. and German legal landscape around discrimination, and associations that advocate for and promote LGBTQ+ businesses.



Guest Host

Eric Langenbacher, AGI Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program

Guests

Thomas Haakenson, Associate Professor and Special Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Support, California College of the Arts; Treasurer, German Studies Association

Simon Schütz, Head of Communication, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA)



This podcast is part of the project “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future” and is generously funded by the Transatlantik-Programm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland aus Mitteln des European Recovery Program (ERP) des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz(BMWK) (Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany with Funds through the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action (BMWK)).

In this special episode of The Zeitgeist, we are sharing German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius’ address at an event hosted by AGI and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies on May 9, 2024. “Steadfast, Capable, and Ready: Germany’s Security Renaissance and Transatlantic Defense” details Germany’s approach to international security and the transatlantic partnership. It is followed by a conversation between Minister Pistorius and AGI President Jeff Rathke, along with several questions from the audience.



Host

Jeff Rathke, President, AGI

Guest

Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defense

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Germany’s government and public to think urgently about the threats to their security. Dr. Christian Mölling joins The Zeitgeist to discuss how politicians and the public have evolved from a peace-focused society to one that understands the need for strong defense. What must Germany do, and how quickly, to be ready for today’s threats? Can it move beyond responding to crises pragmatically to having a strategic vision for its and Europe’s security?



Fragile Sicherheit by Christian Mölling



Host

Jeff Rathke, President, AGI

Guests

Christian Mölling, Research Director, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)