On 8 December, there was a momentous transfer of power in Europe. Angela Merkel stepped down as Chancellor of Germany after 16 years, handing power to Olaf Scholz.
This peaceful transfer is taking place in a nation that – after the turmoil of Brexit, Trump and populist uprisings across Europe – has become the liberal democratic bastion of the free world.
It is a remarkable feat for modern Germany.
From the evil of Nazism, the ashes of conflict and the divisions of the Cold War – to this: a nation that embraces coalitions, embraces millions of refugees and embraces a united Europe.
How did we get here?
In today’s episode, John Kampfner, the author of “Why the Germans Do it Better”, explains how Germany became great again.
Sources: DW News, CBS, BBC News, British Pathe
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