{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/35669120-6056-4c38-8f33-80df7112e8df/6aa1a3dc156a52f8808e201c?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"How the AfD became a nightmare for Friedrich Merz","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/61ba0e441a8cbeb3393cf13c/1788978094626-6625331a-fbaf-4407-93f6-ba0ad7d0a7b3.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>The AfD’s thumping victory in the Saxony-Anhalt regional election has sent shockwaves across the German political landscape and left chancellor Friedrich Merz in a state of shock. With his popularity plummeting and further regional elections on the horizon, is Merz’s time almost up? And what does all of this tell us about the current state of German democracy?&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><em>This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: </em><a href=\"http://thetimes.com/thestory\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>http://thetimes.com/thestory</em></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Guest: </strong>Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Host: </strong>Manveen Rana.</p><p><strong>Producers: </strong>Jesse Fox, Leo Danczak.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>We want to hear from you - email:</strong> <a href=\"mailto:thestory@thetimes.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">thestory@thetimes.com</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Read more:</strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/germany-firewall-afd-friedrich-merz-5fbcz82dz\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Firewall to keep AfD out is crumbling — how will Friedrich Merz react?</a></p><p><strong>Further listening: </strong><a href=\"https://pod.fo/e/4bfccc\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Germany’s radical right is surging. Can they be stopped?&nbsp;</a></p><p><strong>Clips:</strong> BBC, CNN, Channel 4 News, T Online, CBC News, Phoenix, APT.</p><p><strong>Photo:</strong> Getty Images.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"The Times"}