Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany, with its 16 states, has a federal structure. The states possess extensive powers, especially in the area of education. State parliaments make important decisions affecting the lives of young people in Germany. On November 8, 2024, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom participated in an expert hearing in the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, invited by the liberal FDP parliamentary group.

The German housing market is in deep crisis. Building permits are declining, cancellations are increasing, and consequently, fewer and fewer projects are being completed. This shrinking supply meets persistently high or even rising demand. The effects of this imbalance are immediately evident in rent price developments. Recently, significant rent increases have been observed, especially for new leases in Germany’s major cities.

How is Italy positioning itself in the struggle for leadership in Europe? Will the surge of far-right movements determine the EU agenda? And will the European Union finally become a global player in its own right?

In 2035, the ban on combustion engines is set to become a reality at the EU level. From that point onwards, only pure gasoline or diesel vehicles should no longer be allowed to be sold. But what does this decision entail? To understand: The combustion engine ban pursued by Ursula von der Leyen does not entail a complete prohibition on driving conventional combustion engine vehicles starting in 2035.

The debt brake repeatedly sparks discussions and as the next budget negotiations in Germany draw nearer, voices calling for a relaxation of the rules on debt limitation grow louder. There were good reasons for its introduction, including the ever-increasing public debt burdens. The public debate in Germany is primarily conducted with unproven theses, assumptions, and assertions, as there has been no comprehensive study on the impact of the debt brake.

What does the political situation in Germany look like before the European elections? What is Germany\'s attitude to the Russian war in Ukraine? And how are the green and liberal parties faring?

In this episode, we talk about German strategy towards the war in Ukraine, a shift in the defense policy, the future of EU enlargement and strategic autonomy, and how Germans perceive Zeitenwende.

A study by the Pestel Institute and the Construction Research Institute ARGE caused a stir at the beginning of the year. According to calculations, a housing shortage of over 700,000 units could occur in Germany during this year. This would be the largest housing deficit in over twenty years.

In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Leszek Jażdżewski (Fundacja Liberté!) welcomes Dr. Thomas Bagger, Germany’s Ambassador to the Republic of Poland. They talk about the EU Energy crisis, German eastern policy, EU response to the war in Ukraine, and Polish-German relations.

Hundreds of tones of dead fish have recovered from the Oder river. First dead fish were spotted already in late July. In early August, some anglers and local politicians from Lower Silesia alarmed regional authorities. There was no reaction. The mass die-off was detected when locals came across thousands of fish corpses near the village of Widuchowa on 11 August.