This is CBSI on the world to Berlin, to Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

She's a senior scholar, helping me understand the German elections.

And I never did understand the conflagration of parties.

They changed their names, but everyone is very skilled at maneuvering

the votes in the Reichstag. And we're coming to an election that's set now for the middle

of February. And there are leading candidates, and there are candidates who cannot hope to have

a majority, but could be critical in forming a majority

government. I start with Frederick Merz, the leader of the CDU as it approaches the election.

We met him before the holidays. He's a practice politician, but was frustrated by Anglomerical success in the CDU for many years.

He's now back in strong position to be the next chancellor.

Has he changed any, Judy?

Has he perceived differently than he used to be?

Yes. received differently than he used to be. He hasn't changed in one respect that he wants

the German's top job, which is the chance of Germany.

He hasn't changed one bit.

And now it's put in his grasp.

He has a more radical view of what to do about Germany,

reducing bureaucracy, reducing the social welfare system, trying to make Germany more competitive.

He's ambiguous about how to deal with de-industrialization because he doesn't want to alien voters.

He's careful about migration, but clearly he wants new steps to slow down migration.

But in terms of creative ideas, of education, of the younger generation, he's quite careful on this, because the constituencies facing these parties is generally the older generation.

And actually, if the CDU, the Conservative, the Christian Democratic Union Party under Merce, really wanted to get more votes

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