BROADCASTS.com

b'

Voters in Germany will go to the polls in September for elections that will be unusually consequential for the country\\u2019s foreign and defense policy. Chancellor Angela Merkel is retiring after almost 16 years in the position, and three major parties recently announced their candidates to replace her.

Much attention has focused on one of the candidates in particular: Annalena Baerbock of the Green party, which is surging in popularity and is likely to enter government as part of a coalition in the fall. This could allow the Greens to exercise influence over decision-making in Berlin. What would that mean for Germany\\u2019s approach to foreign policy and defense issues in the post-Merkel era? This week on Trend Lines, WPR\\u2019s Elliot Waldman digs into this question and more with Claudia Major, head of the international security research division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

\\xa0

If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you\\u2019ve read on WPR, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get our uncompromising analysis delivered straight to your inbox. The newsletter offers a free preview article every day of the week, plus three more complimentary articles in our weekly roundup every Friday. Sign up here. Then subscribe.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

• Germany\\u2019s Greens Are On the Rise. Can They Stay True to Their Roots?
• Can Armin Laschet Lead Germany\\u2019s CDU Into the Post-Merkel Era?
• A Generation of Germans Considers Life After Merkel
• How Germany Can Work With Biden to Rebuild Trans-Atlantic Ties

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter D\\xf6rrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.