Broken Republik

'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 authors prosecute their case with vigour and a terrific eye for detail' Oliver Moody, The Times Book of the Week

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.

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 than twenty 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.