According to Derek Scally, 2023 was an eventful year in German politics with almost constant infighting between the parties in the incumbent coalition government, the introduction of the country's first National Security Strategy against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, several important state elections, the rapid rise of the Alternative für Deutschland, the official exit of Sahra Wagenknecht from Die Linke to form a new party, and a bombshell constitutional court ruling that has endangered the coalition’s fiscal and political foundations. In his address to the IIEA, Derek Scally breaks down the major events that took place in Berlin this past year as well as what to expect in 2024.
About the Speaker:
Derek Scally is a native Dubliner, who studied at Dublin City University and Humboldt University in Berlin. He has been Irish Times correspondent in Berlin since 2001. Covering politics, business and culture, he is a regular contributor to German news outlets, including Die Zeit weekly and Deutschlandfunk/WDR radio. He reports regularly from northern and central Europe and is also author of “The Best Catholics in the World”, published by Penguin.