Germany’s summer is slowly coming to an end. After a period of record-setting heat, dry trees are shedding their brown leaves even earlier than normal and strong winds are picking up. A new season is beginning, including for the political realm.
This used to be the time of the sommerloch, a “silly season” during which nothing of import happened, leading to funny news stories getting way more attention than they deserved. But the sommerloch was for more innocent times. As climate change turns the heat up, the European summer has become a season of anxiety and chaotic international politics. From the twists and turns of an erratic U.S. presidency to the continuous hybrid attacks against Europe from Russia, there are too many important topics to discuss in an increasingly chaotic world.
Germany’s domestic politics are also in turmoil and will remain so throughout autumn. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under attack, beset by plummeting approval ratings and divisions within his ruling coalition, leading many to speculate that he won’t finish his four-year term. This is particularly striking considering that Merz has only been in the job since last May.