Broken Republik

A compelling and comprehensive account on how Germany, so long the powerhouse of Europe, is crumbling from the inside out

For many years, the post-war recovery of Germany was an inspirational story; all of Europe looked on with admiration and envy as the nation rebuilt itself and set the standards for the rest to follow. Companies such as Mercedes Benz, Siemens and Bayer were global titans, while the nation''s political leaders were respected around the world. Such was its success that when the Berlin Wall fell, it was able to reunify almost seamlessly. Where Germany led, the rest of the EU followed, hoping to benefit merely from sharing the same space. But now the picture has become clouded. The scandalous revelations of Volkswagen''s emissions fraud tainted its industrial reputation; after a tsunami hit the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, Germany became dangerously reliant on Russia to fuel the nation; and the political consensus that had applied for decades began to break down with the rise of the far-right AfD party. In Broken Republik , Bloomberg writers Chris Reiter and Will Wilkes tell the compelling story of how it all went wrong. They reveal how the veneer of stability has begun to crack to lay bare deep-seated divisions. Having been embedded in the country for years, they highlight the reforms that are so necessary to improve everything from broadband speeds to social cohesion. The problem is, the more fractured the political system the harder it is to make fundamental changes, so the clamour for populist solutions only grows. As vital elections loom in 2025, Broken Republik is an essential snapshot of a nation at a crossroads that has huge implications for us all.

Autorentext
After studying international relations and political philosophy in Washington and the U.K., Chris Reiter has worked as a journalist covering economics, politics and business news. For more than twenty years, he has been based in Berlin where he has chronicled Germany's political and economic struggles. He is a senior editor for Bloomberg after previously reporting for Reuters and Dow Jones Newswire. While born and raised in the U.S., he learned to love Knödel, Leberkäse and Fußball from his German father. Will Wilkes studied German and Italian in London and Rome. Now based in Frankfurt, he has spent his working life writing about Germany, travelling across the country to talk with politicians, executives, union leaders, and workers. From terrorism to economic crises to the resurgence of the far right, he has reported on the country's mounting challenges and fraying social cohesion. He currently writes for Bloomberg and has previously written for Market News International and The Wall Street Journal. He appreciates Germany's rich music culture less so the national aversion to queuing.

Klappentext
'A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany's fragility - and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline' Yanis Varoufakis
'The best polemic yet ... the authors prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail' Oliver Moody, The Times Book of the Week

The compelling story of Germany's decline - where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.

For many years, the post-war recovery of Germany was an inspirational story. All of Europe looked on with admiration and envy as the nation rebuilt and set standards for the rest to follow. Companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and Bayer rose to become global titans, while the country's political leaders earned respect around the world - even their football teams were the best. Such was its success that when the Berlin Wall fell, it appeared to reunify almost seamlessly. Where Germany led, the rest followed.

But, even at its zenith, there were signs of trouble, with a worrying lack of national identity at its heart. So, when events started to turn against Germany, the whole edifice began to crumble. As political and business leaders benefited from the status quo, they couldn't see the problems heading their way. Volkswagen's emissions fraud tainted its industrial reputation; abandoning nuclear power left the country at the mercy of Russia for its energy needs; and a growing divide between rich and poor stoked international tensions that opened the door to the rise of the far-right AfD party.

Journalists Chris Reiter and Will Wilkes have been reporting for years on the problems the country faces. Germany is not alone in this, but it is singularly ill-equipped to deal with them. Broken Republik is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand Germany's slide towards the brink.