The Intelligence from The Economist
First not past the post: Germany’s chancellor shocker
May 6, 2025
Tom Nuttall, Berlin bureau chief at The Economist, and Su Lin Wong, presenter of the Scam Inc. series, dive into Germany's surprising political turmoil, where Friedrich Merz's coalition crumbled just short of victory. They discuss the implications of internal party dissent and the rise of the hard right. Nuttall and Wong also highlight recent raids on scam operations in Myanmar, shedding light on the plight of thousands still trapped in a dangerous cycle. Interestingly, they explore a positive trend: a slight increase in happiness among young Americans, suggesting a potential shift in mental health.
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Quick takeaways
- Friedrich Merz's unexpected failure to secure enough votes for chancellorship showcases internal dissent and challenges in German politics.
- Despite ongoing mental health challenges, recent data indicates a slight improvement in the well-being of American youth post-pandemic.
Deep dives
The Scamming Industry's Resilience
Despite coordinated raids aimed at dismantling online scam operations in Myanmar, many trafficking victims remain stranded in dire conditions. Approximately 2,000 individuals, primarily from Africa, continue to wait for repatriation due to bureaucratic challenges and limited resources from their home governments. Complicating the situation, many of these individuals are kept in temporary camps with substandard living conditions, where they face threats from their former captors to return to scamming. This illustrates the persistent issue of human trafficking and the inadequacy of recent efforts to eliminate this global problem, as the scamming workforce reportedly numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
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