Angst and Ballots
NEED TO KNOW
Angst and Ballots
GERMANY
For the past two years, German television has been featuring a comedy/drama TV series called Miss Merkel. In it, a bored Angela Merkel, in retirement after 16 years as chancellor, becomes an amateur sleuth and solves murders in her small town in the Uckermark district of northeastern Germany.
Played by an actress with a startling resemblance to the former chancellor of the country, it is charming, funny, and a little wacky.
Some say they aren’t surprised that a TV show is channeling her. Many Germans these days long for the stability under the steady hand of the pragmatic, often-bland politician often dubbed “Mutti” (mommy).
“Yes, she was pretty boring,” one voter told GlobalPost, explaining that he always votes for the center-left Social Democrats instead of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU). “But I miss her.”
That’s because many Germans feel like the country is spiraling out of control. For example, elections during Merkel’s reign were orderly and somewhat predictable. However, the run-up to snap elections on Feb. 23 has been anything but.
A Russian “sabotage spree” blamed on climate activists and also a disinformation campaign have been in full throttle for the first time during a major German election, according to a German government report obtained by Politico. At the same time, US advisor and entrepreneur Elon Musk’s influence campaign in favor of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has rattled the establishment and many voters. Recently, a court granted German plaintiffs access to Musk-owned X’s engagement data after two German civil society groups accused the platform of blocking their efforts to track potential election interference.
Also, high-profile attacks and murders committed by migrants and refugees over the past year – the latest just last week – have given the AfD party a surge in the polls to become the country’s second-largest party. Anti-immigrant sentiment has been continually rising as Germany has accepted almost a million migrants and refugees since 2015.
Meanwhile, the CDU’s candidate for chancellor and current frontrunner, Friedrich Merz, broke a taboo recently, crossing the “firewall” on working with the AfD to use their support to attempt to pass legislation tightening up migration controls.
Since the end of World War II, there has been a consensus among Germany’s main political parties to never work with neo-Nazi parties, explained Deutsche Welle. After the vote, the CDU’s support fell by two points. Even so, US officials criticized such a “firewall” as a blow to liberty and free speech while delivering a speech in Germany last week.
Regardless, the move by Merz infuriated many Germans, including Merkel, and ignited huge demonstrations.
All this has been a lot for a society that values stability and deliberateness over change and drama, say observers.
It’s also a distraction for a country that has huge issues to solve.
For years, Germany’s successful model of political and economic stability has been based on three pillars: a strong export-oriented economy that benefited from a stable international order, cheap gas from Russia, and a security regime that was largely dependent on NATO, wrote World Politics Review: “Now, virtually all the pillars on which this model was built are disappearing or have already dissolved.”
As a result, Germany has been experiencing its longest period of economic stagnation in its postwar history, with its economy shrinking for a second straight year in 2024. It saw the slowest growth of all the G7 economies. This situation is resurrecting a moniker from the late 1990s, with some wondering, “Is Germany Once Again the Sick Man of Europe?” Maybe, say experts.
“Germany is struggling,” the International Monetary Fund said.
Germany suffered more than its European counterparts when Western sanctions hit oil and gas exports from Russia – traditionally its main supplier, as well as a major trade partner. German officials say the dismal picture is due to multiple crises, including historically elevated levels of inflation, high interest rates, and weak domestic and foreign demand for German goods.
Others counter that the problems also stem from a huge surplus of private savings with little public investment at home, the country’s minuscule role in the digital economy, and an aging workforce atop a persistent shortage of skilled labor, wrote the Financial Times.
Other issues for the export-led economy are competition from China and an international system moving toward protectionism and tariffs instead of free trade. Analysts say Germany needs to fundamentally rethink its business model, namely its dependence on exports, adopt new technologies, and increase public investment. That’s a call for long-term restructuring. In the short term, if the US puts tariffs on German products, it will pummel the German economy. Of all the economies in the European Union, it’s Germany has the largest trade surplus with the US.
Meanwhile, solving Germany’s issues is harder because of its coalition governments. The government of Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz fell last fall because its three-party coalition could not agree on how to move forward. That’s also going to be a problem for Merz, should he become the next chancellor.
To date, it’s unclear if the CDU will win the most votes. It is clear, polls show, that it won’t win enough to govern without a coalition. However, the “firewall” won’t allow it to work with the likely second-largest vote-getter, the AfD, so Germany may end up where it was last year, with an awkward coalition that can’t agree on how to move the country forward.
To some extent, even the competent, underestimated former chancellor, Merkel, with her knack for getting everyone in line and taking out her opponents, couldn’t figure out how to do that either, even though most commentators and even her opponents have noted how masterful a tactician she was when it came to politics.
Author David Safier, who wrote the bestselling Miss Merkel books that spun off into the TV series, told NPR that Merkel was a cut above German politicians today, with qualities that make her a perfect detective. “Merkel is highly intelligent, much more intelligent than other politicians,” he said. “She is strongheaded. And, after 30 years in politics, she’s used to dealing with sociopaths and psychopaths.”
Still, in the most recent installment of the series, Merkel, who stepped down in 2021, goes to a therapist after feeling down. She was in despair that she neglected to solve a number of issues in the country during her time in office.
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
A ‘Dark’ Day
INDONESIA
Thousands of students across Indonesia took to the streets this week in a three-day “Dark Indonesia” demonstration, protesting against President Prabowo Subianto’s budget cuts, which they say will weaken social support systems and jeopardize their futures, Reuters reported.
More than 1,000 students dressed in black marched in the city of Yogyakarta on Thursday carrying signs and demanding change just four months after Prabowo took office following a landslide election victory.
Protesters say Indonesia is heading toward “darkness” or “Dark Indonesia,” instead of prosperity and development per the vision of “Golden Indonesia,” the Jakarta Post reported.
Some on social media are advocating leaving the country in a plan known locally as “Just Escape First.”
Prabowo wants to cut spending by $19 billion and use those savings for other programs, such as free lunches in schools.
One student leader said many of the president’s policies are vague and that the budget cuts could undermine education and disrupt government services.
The president’s office said education and teacher welfare would not be affected.
Demonstrators are also concerned over the increasing involvement of the military in civilian affairs.
Despite maintaining an approval rate of almost 80 percent, analysts said Prabowo’s popularity could dip as he introduces more budget-cutting policies.
A Toothy Boycott
IRELAND
Ireland is advancing legislation that would make it the first Western nation to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move that has sparked concerns about economic and diplomatic repercussions, NPR reported.
The Occupied Territories Bill – initially introduced in 2018 – has gained renewed momentum in recent months after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion in July 2024, which said that Israel’s continued presence in the Palestinian territories is illegal and urged countries to prevent trade to sustain that presence.
Under the Irish bill, the importation or sale of goods from Israeli settlements would be a criminal offense, punishable by fines of around $260,000 and five years in prison.
While Irish lawmakers broadly support the bill, delays and amendments have raised fears among proponents that the measure is being watered down, RTE Ireland wrote.
The government recently confirmed that services, including financial and tech sectors, would not be covered – effectively excluding companies such as Airbnb, which hosts rental listings in the West Bank.
Critics worry that this exclusion undermines the bill’s impact, as services account for an estimated 70 percent of trade with Israeli settlements.
The bill has drawn strong criticism from Israel and its allies, including the United States.
The Israeli Ambassador in Ireland, Dana Erlich, condemned it as “anti-Israeli,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it part of a broader campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state.
US lawmakers have previously pressured Ireland, warning that passing the bill could harm trade relations. The bill’s critics fear potential economic repercussions, especially for American businesses operating in Ireland. Numerous American companies have over the years made Ireland the base for their European operations because of its low tax regime.
But supporters insisted that the measure aligns with international law, adding that the ICJ ruling strengthened the bill’s legal foundation. Others described the draft legislation as a precedent for other countries in the European Union.
Both Ireland and Spain have pushed for the EU to review its trade relationship with Israel in response to alleged human rights violations in Gaza.
Still, the bill’s potential impact remains uncertain: Ireland does more than $6 billion in annual trade with Israel, but trade with settlements is minimal – making the measure largely symbolic.
Bring in the Cavalry
ECUADOR
Ecuador will seek foreign military aid to combat drug cartels and organized crime groups in the South American country, officials said this week, as authorities continue to grapple with rising violent crime, the Associated Press reported.
On Wednesday, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the foreign ministry to create cooperation agreements with “allied nations” that would allow “the incorporation of special forces” to aid Ecuador’s security forces.
The arrangement did not specify which countries Ecuador is asking for security assistance.
The proposal comes weeks after Noboa won the first round of presidential elections, with the second vote scheduled in April.
It also comes as Ecuador struggles with a spike in violence tied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Mexican, Colombian, and Balkan cartels operate in the country with help from local gangs.
Noboa’s administration has managed to reduce the homicide rate from 46.18 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 38.76 per 100,000 people last year. Despite the dip, it remained far higher than the rate of 6.85 killings per 100,000 people recorded in 2019.
Security analysts said the request is a temporary measure that would see foreign troops help in gathering intelligence, and local security officials stop trafficking via the country’s ports.
Wednesday’s announcements came months after Ecuador’s constitutional court ruled in favor of an amendment to the constitution that would allow foreign military bases in the country.
For a decade, the United States military operated a base in Ecuador primarily dedicated to anti-narcotic operations. However, this ended in 2009 when then-President Rafael Correa terminated the agreement with the US, citing concerns over sovereignty.
The constitutional court’s decision will now be debated in the legislature and, if approved, ratified through a referendum.
DISCOVERIES
Cave Hijackers
In the dark caves of Northern Ireland, scientists recently discovered mind-controlling fungi that can turn cave-dwelling spiders into zombies.
The Gibellula attenboroughii – named after biologist and TV presenter Sir David Attenborough – was first spotted in 2021 when a BBC Winterwatch film crew noticed dead orb-weaving spiders covered in white filaments on the ceiling of an abandoned gunpowder store in Northern Ireland.
Samples of the infected arachnids were then sent to labs for analysis, which found that the specimens belonged to a previously unknown species of Gibellula – a genus of fungi that exclusively targets spiders, a new study showed.
Co-author and mycologist João Araújo told Science News that the poor spiders had become infected after fungal spores landed on them. Afterward, the G. attenboroughii infiltrates the spider’s body and consumes it from the inside out.
“If we cut through the infected spider, we don’t see any spider anymore,” he said. “It’s just the fungal mass inside, which is the shape of the spider.”
But the horror doesn’t stop there.
Instead of dying in their webs, the infected spiders exhibit bizarre behavior: They move away from their hidden, dark crevices and climb up cave walls and ceilings before their deaths.
The researchers suggest that this is a strategy by the fungus to spread its spores as widely as possible.
“We don’t know the mechanisms behind it,” Araújo admitted. “This species was just discovered, there is a lot to investigate about it yet.”
Similar zombifying fungi exist in nature, most famously the Ophiocordyceps species that infect ants – a real-world inspiration for video game series, now TV series, “The Last of Us.”
While the idea of mind-controlling fungi is the stuff of nightmares, these pose no threat to humans.
Instead, they serve an important role in the natural world – helping to keep spider and insect populations in check.
“They’re a predator of sorts,” forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, who was not involved in the study, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “They don’t prowl around on four legs and chase the insects, but they are performing the same function in the ecosystem.”
The findings could also translate into practical applications of the fungus, for example such fungi could be used to protect crops from ravishing insects.
At the same time, parasitic fungi have led to medical discoveries, such as cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant used in organ transplants.
“Hopefully, there’s something in these amazing fungi that will help humans in the future medically,” cave explorer and co-author Tim Fogg told CBC.