«During the long 2005-2021 rule of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany’s prosperity rested on three pillars: exports to China, cheap gas from Russia and U.S. protection through NATO. They have all crumbled….

…

The result is a country forced to reinvent itself — but the fear of fringe parties is keeping mainstream politicians frozen, said Sabine Kropp, a political science professor at the Freie Universität Berlin.

“A truly poor approach at the moment is the constant fear of the AfD,” she said. `”Everything is viewed through the lens of whether it benefits or harms the AfD, and that reduces the ability to solve problems.”»

https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-fragile-coalition-pressure-reform-germany/