Germany's new reality: Merz's plans for defense and infrastructure | Berlin Briefing Podcast

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, has stirred up political waters with his bold "whatever it takes" stance. In a massive shift, Merz and the Social Democrats have jointly announced a plan to rearm Germany, heavily invest in infrastructure, and break away from the notorious "debt brake" to finance these projects. But will this "defense and infrastructure bazooka" get approval? What will it mean for Germany’s future? In this episode of DW Berlin Briefing, we break it all down with expert insights from Ralph Bollmann, political editor at FAZ Sunday, and Benjamin Hilgenstock from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:14 Merz: “Whatever it takes”
00:26 Plans of German Conservatives and Social Democrats
02:30 Turning point in German defense politics?
03:01 Breaking down Merz’s plan
08:35 Two-thirds majority rule in the German Bundestag
11:03 Will the Green Party support Merz’s plans?
13:18 Bob Dylan and German Politics
18:34 Merz’s plan and Ukraine
28:34 Frozen Russian assets in Europe
29:50 Outlook: Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump

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