Broken Republik: The Inside Story of Germany’s Descent into Crisis

The compelling story of Germany's decline - where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.

For many years, the post-war recovery of Germany was an inspirational story. Companies like Mercedes-Benz and Siemens became global titans, while the country's political leaders earned respect around the world. Even when the Berlin Wall fell, it initially seemed to reunify effortlessly.

But even at its peak, there were signs of trouble. So, when events started to turn against Germany, everything started to crumble. Volkswagen's emissions scandal damaged its industrial reputation, abandoning nuclear power left it reliant on Russia, and growing inequality boosted the far-right AfD.

Now updated for this edition, Broken Republik tells the compelling story of Germany's decline - where it all went wrong and how it could bounce back.

Review

Although a new government has been installed since this book was released, the authors nonetheless provides a deeply insightful and fresh view of the challenges Chancellor Friedrich Merz will need to overcome if he is to correct Germany's trajectory ― Financial Times

A splendid book by authors who long ago detected Germany's fragility - and aimed at readers who take no pleasure in the sight of its precipitous decline -- Yanis Varoufakis

The best polemic yet . The book's charge sheet is long and unforgiving [and they] prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail. The book is especially good on the country's near-belle epoque levels of wealth inequality and social immobility -- Oliver Moody ― The Times Book of the Week

Reiter and Wilkes debunk several long-standing myths about Germany.the authors' in-depth analysis digs deep into the crisis without being defamatory. The analysis of the German mentality is sure to provoke some readers. But that's precisely where its strength lies: the authors avoid being easily categorised, which is often what stifles open-ended debates ― Die Welt

About the Author

After studying international relations and political philosophy in Washington and the U.K., Chris Reiter has worked as a journalist covering economics, politics and business news. For more thantwenty years, he has been based in Berlin where he has chronicled Germany's political and economic struggles. He is a senior editor for Bloomberg after previously reporting for Reuters and Dow Jones Newswire. While born and raised in the U.S., he learned to love Knödel, Leberkäse and Fußball from his German father.

Will Wilkes studied German and Italian in London and Rome. Now based in Frankfurt, he has spent his working life writing about Germany, travelling across the country to talk with politicians, executives, union leaders, and workers. From terrorism to economic crises to the resurgence of the far right, he has reported on the country's mounting challenges and fraying social cohesion. He currently writes for Bloomberg and has previously written for Market News International and The Wall Street Journal. He appreciates Germany's rich music culture - less so the national aversion to queuing.