The Oh, Hello and

I'm welcome to Behind the News. My name is Doug Henwood.

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Two interviews today both on European politics, one gloomy, Germany and one not,

Britain.

In a minute we'll hear from the Brooklyn-based journalist Lucas Horms-Meyer about the politics of Germany after Sunday's election.

And at the bottom of the hour, a return appearance by the writer and activist Margaret Corvid, who's been at the Labor Party's annual conference.

First, Germany.

On Sunday, September 24, Germany held nationwide elections,

continuing a global theme, the establishment parties lost a lot of their vote share.

The ruling party, the Christian

Democrats, which has a sister party, the Christian Social Union, which runs

candidates only in Bavaria, won with 33% of the vote, down nine points in the last election.

Number two were the Social Democrats.

The SPD in his German initials with 21% of the vote down five points.

The surprise gainer, the right-wing alternative for Germany,

AFD in German, up eight points from the last election. It will be the first far right party to have seats in the

Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, in 80 years.

Of course that party 80 years ago was the Nazis.

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