This is John Batchel, a conversation with colleague Anato Levin of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft,

about the quandary. The recently promoted Friedrich Emeritus, soon-be Chancellor of Germany, finds himself

because of polling and strength in the AFD, the alternative for Deutschland,

that is very clearly against the EU, NATO, immigration,

United States, Ukraine, war fighting,

and is for at least appearances on accommodation with Russia.

The rise of the populist's right, Anatole underlines it and said Germany's got a particular

problem and no easy way forward, maybe not even a hard way forward.

Is Anatol even much more of this tonight?

It's a problem for all of Europe because, of course, it's replicated to a considerable

extent across all of Europe, you know, this rise of the populist right.

And yes, I mean, the key thing is that Mertz had to water down his restrictions on immigration for the sake of the coalition

with the social democrats. And that is very unpopular with much of his own CDU base, parts of which clearly, well, as they have been, but even more now, are moving towards AFD.