An interview with Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany Party. The rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe. The development of a new range of reusable missiles called Roadrunner. Contrasting car preferences between Europe and America. Mixing drinks and a discount on gift subscriptions.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Alice Weidel's leadership has boosted the popularity of the Alternative for Germany Party (AFD), making it a major force in German politics.
Andoril's reusable missile system, Roadrunner, offers a cost-effective solution in the evolving defense landscape.
Deep dives
Rise of the Alternative for Germany Party
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany Party (AFD), has been instrumental in shaping German politics. Despite AFD's small presence in the German Parliament and being under scrutiny for extremist views, Weidel's leadership has boosted the party's popularity. Recent polls suggest that Weidel is even more popular than the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. With upcoming elections in Germany, including for the European Parliament, Weidel and the AFD are poised to become a major force in German politics.
Roadrunner: Reusable Missiles for Air Defense
Andoril, a startup in California, has developed a reusable missile system called Roadrunner. Unlike traditional missile defense systems, Roadrunner can be launched multiple times and retrieve unused interceptors, making it more cost-effective. While Roadrunner is not significantly cheaper than competing systems, its ability to cater to the growing blurring boundary between high-end drones and low-end cruise missiles makes it attractive in the evolving defense landscape.
The Intelligence's Quirky Stories
The Intelligence podcast featured several quirky stories throughout the year, including language learning and the cultural differences in pronouncing names, the contrast between big cars and small cars in different regions, unusual flavors of ice cream such as cheese-flavored, and mixing classic drinks with a twist. These segments provided light-hearted moments and a break from the intense news agenda.
Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties. How viable are her policy plans? The startup behind a reusable missile that could change American warfare (10:08). And, the quirkiest segments we have run in 2023 (18:31).
For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions
Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode