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A landmark election this weekend could produce the best ever result for the far-right Alternative for Germany. Obviously, given Germany’s history, this is a troubling development. But with polling suggesting that the AfD could take 20% of the vote, mainstream parties will have to find a way to navigate a new reality.
While the most likely chancellor will be the centre-right CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the AfD could be in second place. As our guide to the election reveals, coalitions are the norm in Germany, and the second largest party would usually be an obvious candidate for government. Yet all the other parties have refused to collaborate with the anti-immigrant AfD. This look at the party and its history helps explain why.
Europe’s week could then get even worse as both French president Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Keir Starmer make emergency visits to Washington to try to convince US president Donald Trump to cool his rhetoric on the Russia-Ukraine war. Starmer has said he is prepared to send troops to Ukraine if the transatlantic alliance cannot be salvaged. Given that foreign wars have a tendency to tarnish the legacy of Labour prime ministers, we looked at what such a move might mean for Starmer domestically.
If you’ve not yet signed up to our new email course, Glow Up, there’s still time. In two new articles this week, experts examine the secret to getting out of a funk and to resisting the urge to compare
ourselves to others. This weekend could be a great time to join the many other readers subscribing to the free programme.
Psychologists, meanwhile, have been training research subjects to see if absolute pitch is something innate or if it can be learnt. After an intense, eight-week course of exercises, 12 musicians were asked to identify a musical note without any reference point. You can find out how they did here.
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