In the latest episode of our special series on the German election, Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin is joined by Michaela Kuefner, Chief Political Editor at Deutsche Welle and host of the podcast Merkel’s Last Dance, and Dr. Alex Clarkson of King's College, London. They discuss Angela Merkel’s legacy, how the “Merkel factor” has shaped the election and why Armin Laschet's Christian Democrats are struggling to win voters over with their campaign.Jeremy also speaks to the New Statesman's election data expert, Ben Walker, for an update on the latest polls.Hear more podcasts from the New Statesman at www.newstatesman.com/podcasts, and read more of our German election coverage on www.newstatesman.com/germanyFURTHER READING:The fateful chancellor: what the end of the Merkel era means for the world, by Jeremy Cliffehttps://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2021/09/the-fateful-chancellor-what-the-end-of-the-merkel-era-means-for-the-worldThe Merkel paradox: how the chancellor’s strengths weakened Germany, by Dr. Alex Clarksonhttps://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2021/09/the-merkel-paradox-how-the-chancellors-strengths-weakened-germanyHow Olaf Scholz and the SPD could lead Germany’s next government, by Jeremy Cliffehttps://www.newstatesman.com/german-election-2021/2021/09/how-olaf-scholz-and-the-spd-could-lead-germanys-next-government**This episode is sponsored by Hexaware Technologies, who have joined the New Statesman as launch partners for our print and digital transformation. They've also sponsored the Tech Leader's Agenda - an exclusive survey into the future of technology leadership. Find out more at www.newstatesman.com/techleadersagenda. Visit the new New Statesman website at www.newstatesman.com today.** Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.