Centre punch: Germany’s state-election shocker

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<p>Two more state-election results reveal surging support for both the far-right AfD and the populist-left Die Linke parties. Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself described the outcome as <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/09/20/friedrich-merz-rues-disaster-as-populists-win-state-elections?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a disaster</a>; what will it mean for him? Our correspondent looks into why there is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/09/15/what-africas-biggest-ipo-can-do-for-its-stock-markets?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so much enthusiasm</a> for African stocks. And what the science says about <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/04/should-you-avoid-blue-light-before-bed?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blue-light exposure and sleep</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Nuttall, Berlin bureau chief</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent</li><li>Sam Wikeley, science correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>German politics, Friedrich Merz, AfD, Die Linke</li><li>African stockmarkets, Aliko Dangote</li><li>sleep science, blue light</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribe to The Economist</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>