Germany
In defence of first past the post
Here comes a new law in political science: Joe’s Law. As I write, the Republic of Ireland is still working…
Two forgotten men brought down the Berlin Wall
Here in Berlin, 35 years ago today, at a dull press conference in a dreary conference room a short walk…
Few rulers can have rejoiced in a less appropriate sobriquet than Augustus the Strong
The 17th-century Elector of Saxony was notoriously vain and incompetent, and his reckless bid for the Polish crown was disastrous for all concerned
Will AfD voters ever return to the mainstream?
For the second time in three weeks, the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has received a significant percentage of the…
Olaf Scholz has won a hollow victory in Brandenburg’s state elections
In what will surely come as a relief to the German chancellor Olaf Scholz, his SPD party has won this…
The wonder of wine from the Mosel
Conservatives used to be good at inspiring a mass membership, underpinned by organisations. Before the first world war, the Primrose…
How to manage migration like the Swedish
In the end, the German state of Thuringia did not fall into the hands of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland…
John Healey’s ‘joint declaration’ with Germany is pure waffle
The new cabinet cannot be accused of laziness. John Healey, secretary of state for defence, has just been on a…
I lost to Harry Kane at darts
Gareth Southgate has always been a man interested in life outside the football circus. When he played for England, I…
Agent Zo: the Polish blonde with nerves of steel
Clare Mulley celebrates the courage of Elzbieta Zawacka, who repeatedly risked her life in the second world war liaising between London and the Polish Resistance
Why were Germany’s Covid files redacted?
There are two kinds of long Covid. One is a medical syndrome, the other manifests as a healthy obsession –…
The circus provides perfect cover for espionage
As he flew his plane between circus acts across Germany in the 1930s, Cyril Bertram Mills gained vital aerial intelligence about the Nazis’ rearmament programme
The horrors of the Eastern Front
Nick Lloyd reinforces Churchill’s sentiment that the first world war in the East was ‘one of the most frightful misfortunes to befall mankind’
Fighting every inch of the way: the Italian Campaign of 1943
When Allied forces landed at Salerno on 9 September, they expected an easy run to Rome. But the intelligence proved dangerously faulty, as James Holland explains
How the British intelligentsia fell out of love with Germany
The love affair between Britain and Germany is over
You think British trains are bad? Try German ones
I found Jean-Pierre standing at a half-open window gulping down lungfuls of stale Dutch air as our night train chuntered,…
What does the European centre-right stand for?
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), dropped the bomb last weekend. In a TV interview, Merz…
The unlikely rise of Germany’s defence minister
An unlikely political star has risen in Germany. Boris Pistorius, a 63-year-old father of two is a career politician and,…
The Franco-Prussian war changed the map of Europe – so why are we so ignorant about it?
Rachel Chrastil describes how Bismarck, relying on Gallic pride to provoke the war he wanted, ensured that France would fight without a single ally
Germany’s missteps in Ukraine have left Scholz fighting for his political life
Difficult though it may be to believe, there is chaos at the top of the German government over its mishandling…
How the Queen helped to fix Germany
The Brandenburg Gate has often reflected the state of the German nation. Throughout the centuries, Berlin’s iconic landmark has been…
Green parties are facing a reality check
How pleasant it is to watch an idea fall apart. Especially when it is an idea held by people you…
Is Germany afraid of China?
The German air force has taken off for its first deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. It will take part in…
Germany’s energy crisis is a warning to Britain
During the eurozone crisis, southern European states had to go cap in hand to Germany to stave off national bankruptcy.…
Putin has Europe where he wants it
Have we reached the endgame of Vladimir Putin’s energy war against the West, the point at which he turns off…
