What's German for Blob?

In the pilot episode of Out of Order, GMF Fellows Rachel Tausendfreund, Amy Studdart, Hans Kundani, and Peter Sparding take a look at the political situation in Germany. Following the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the U.S. presidential elections in 2016, many observers saw Germany as the last man/woman standing. Some even went as far as to anoint German chancellor Angela Merkel to be the new defender of the liberal international order. Yet, a year later and following the German federal elections in fall of 2017, the country is struggling to form a new government, right wing populists have entered the Bundestag, and a debate has ensued about the future of Germany’s relationship with the United States. Rachel, Amy, Hans, and Peter discuss recent developments in Germany, explain why Germany may be caught between a rock and a hard place in its relationship to the U.S., and look at the implications for Europe and Germany’s role in the world. In the “Think or Tank” segment, all discussants are asked to talk about something - an article, a book, a speech – that either made them think or that completely tanked.