This is John Batchelor, conversation with my colleague Judy Dempsey of the Carnegie Endowment

writing for Strategic Europe about the results from the Brandenburg election, state election

in Germany. Prominent is the alternative for Deutschland and

Sarah Wagner's parties, both Splinter parties that are anti-war, anti-EU,

anti-NATO, anti-immigrant, anti-about everything.

And pro-Russia.

What does this mean for Olaf Schultz, the Chancellor of Germany,

whose power base is the Brandenburg State that just tipped

its way towards the Splinter Parties.

Judy looks at the three issues that weigh on Germany now, the economy, immigration, and the war.

First is immigration, and Olav Schulz inadequate response to the downturn in German manufacturing and

German prospects. Here's Judy Dempsey on the economy and the

Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Schultz, due for a challenge to his coalition in 2025. More of this tonight.

Well, and let's take them one by one. It's certainly the economy. It's lagging behind, it's very slow, and there's a housing crisis, there's a school crisis, there's not enough teachers, the health system is floundering, and

Shorts, instead of investing seriously in this kind of infrastructure, is bailing out companies that simply won't innovate and deal with AI and deal with digitalization.

We're talking about a car industry, the powerful car industry, the powerful chemicals industry, but particularly

the car industry, which has so many connections with politics. So Schultz is looking backwards

instead of looking forwards and this is a liability for him.