James Angelos

Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, offers geopolitical warnings and economic concerns. James Angelos, Berlin correspondent, explains Germany’s SPD troubles. Clea Caulcutt, Paris correspondent, analyzes French municipal results and left fragmentation. Aitor Hernández-Morales, Iberian correspondent, contrasts Spain’s coalition strategy. They debate the center-left’s identity crisis, migration divides, and whether recovery is possible amid rising right-wing pressure.

James Angelos, Germany news editor at POLITICO, and Jeff Rathke, president of the American-German Institute, dive into the seismic shifts from Germany's recent parliamentary elections. They discuss the far-right Alternative for Germany's rise and the impact of the previous U.S. administration on transatlantic ties. The conversation explores Germany's evolving foreign policy, increased military support for Ukraine, and the challenge of balancing relations with Russia and China amid changing geopolitics. Insightful perspectives on the future of centrist coalitions are also shared.

In this engaging discussion, James Angelos, POLITICO's news editor in Berlin, Jana Puglierin, Senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Nick Vinocur, POLITICO's editor-at-large, analyze the implications of Friedrich Merz's election as Germany's chancellor-in-waiting. They explore the challenges of coalition-building amid a rise in extremist parties, the shifting dynamics of transatlantic relations, and Europe's urgent need for leadership in response to geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding Ukraine and energy independence.