The fall of the SBD in particular, the Social Democratic Party, has been quite spectacular in recent years.

You will see exactly what you see in France and in Britain and in the US as well, that people are turning towards right-wing populist parties.

It was interesting to hear the response to Vance's speech.

I believe the dismissing people, dismissing their concerns, is the most surefire way

to destroy democracy.

There was outrage amongst kind of journalists and then other intellectuals and then

more ordinary people said, well, he was right.

You know, I feel he spoke for me.

Thank you. right, you know, I feel he spoke for me. Hello, I'm Fraser Myers, deputy editor of Spiked.

I'm delighted to be joined today by German historian and journalist Katsha Hoyer.

Welcome, Kachar.

Hello.

You've written several books about Germany.

You're a historian of Germany most recently beyond the wall and blood and iron, but I wanted to talk to you mostly about the upcoming federal elections this week.

It looks as if the ruling Social Democratic Party is going to have suffer from historic losses.

Judging by the polls, every partner in the coalition is polling below the conservative CDU and also the right populist AFD.

I mean, how has it gone so wrong so quickly for this government, do you think?

I'm not sure it was that quick, to be honest.

I mean, Olaf Schultz, the current German Chancellor,

sort of ran on a post-Mercl ticket, if you will.

So, you know, he even did the famous sort of Merkel diamond-shaped

sort of gesture that was her trademark in in the buildup to the election.

...