Megan's Megacan

Megan's on holiday, which means Basti Knight, top chef at the Crazy Bastard Kitchen, has been drafted in to offer his unique take on the German news – on this week's show, Konrad is down as Germany's election campaign is sidetracked into inane bollocks. This prompts Basti to ask some existential questions. Cheers!

It's Megan's last podcast before her summer holiday, so what better send-off than an account of a new Nazi trial in Frankfurt, more stuff about Nazi prepper networks, and the Verfassungsschutz catching up to the concept of the New Right. So much fun. Still, there was some good news at the Euros. And it's the weekend!

Megan is in a good mood because three nice things happened to her on the same day, but Konrad is on hand to ruin the good vibes with some News. There's an election in Saxony-Anhalt to catch up on, some chat about why East German kids still feel East German, and Health Minister Jens Spahn does the cuntiest thing he's ever done.

The summer has slapped us in the face like a big sunflower of joy, the birds are singing, sensibly-tested Berliners have returned to their favourite dingy bars, and school children are doing wholesome teutonic end-of-term hikes in the forest. Meanwhile ministers can't remember if they copied their PhDs or not, and there's an election in Saxony-Anhalt to look forward to. Now all you have to do is get through the chemical fumes of that first sip of megacan. Stay Super Happy!

Dieselgate, Wirecard, Heckler & Koch - Germany has one of the weakest whistleblower protection laws in the developed world – but not for long, thanks to campaigners like Veronika Nad. Veronika comes on the show to explain why the German government is slowing everything down - again - and what it's like trying to get the European Union to listen to you.  PS: Also, there's a small correction on the story involving the date of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's death: Veronika says this didn't happen during the European Parliament's vote on the whistleblower protection law itself – as she said on the show - but on the European Parliament's vote on the initial report on the law, which happened a year earlier, in 2017. You'll figure it out.

For the first time in over a year, the megacanners have a guest! Fresh from a vaccine jab and a nasal swab, the Wandering Barman himself Chris Davis joins Megan and Konrad for a Gentleman Jack and Coke – truly, the Burger King of cocktails. Chris explains what it was like for performing artists facing an existential crisis during a pandemic, Megan explains why Merkel is wrong about vaccine waivers. Konrad mainly sort of chips in when he can think of something to say. Cheers!

This week, Germany's party of stability and continuity finally ends three years of in-fighting by picking a chancellor candidate no one likes, while the Greens keep cool and pick Annalena Baerbock. Plus Merkel has to defend lobbying in China for a bunch of criminal fraudsters. Megan and Konrad drink some Johnnie and Ginger. "Es geht alles schief!"

This week, finally some justice for Berlin's oppressed landlords, as the constitutional court reins in the unfettered greed of tenants who won't give them their last fucking tin of beans. Meanwhile, two leaders bash the hell out of each other as conservative politicians prove once again how mature they are, and Merkel takes over the country while everyone's distracted by the shit show in her party. And: Does Jack Daniels really count as whisky? Consider the conundrum solved.

Another week, another week of vaccine chaos and COVID dread. Only this time it's Easter week, so at least there's chocolate animals. So many questions: Why didn't Megan get inoculated after all? Is German society ready to accept Syrian refugees in the Bundestag? And is Horst Seehofer ready to grow up? It's Johnnie Walker Red all round! Drink up!

Another week of vaccine failure and lockdown fatigue? Not on this show! Not when there's a ship stuck in a canal. This week, the Megacanners veer off course thanks to the sudden gust of wind of more interesting and tangible news elsewhere. Konrad gets to talk about his cargo ship adventures, Megan gets to have a jab, Merkel does a u-turn, and we all get to appreciate Tempelhof Airport. Thanks for vodka, Fürst Uranov!