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After Merkel apologizes, she gets angry — and yes, she's looking at you, Armin Laschet. The head of Merkel's CDU party and Germany's most populous state, Laschet is keen to fill the seat in the chancellery after September's general elections. But his Bavarian counterpart, Markus Söder, might have the upper hand. Political correspondent Christina Lewinsky (WELT-Fernsehen and Sat1 Bayern) talks to us about Söder's chancellor chances — and if he wants to roll the dice at all. Find us on Instagram and Twitter: @Neuschlandpod. Music with thanks to Gunnar Olsen.

To AstraZeneca, or not to AstraZeneca: That was the question this week in Germany, when the government joined other European countries suspending its use over potentially fatal blood clotting fears. Jess Rohman, an epidemiologist and research associate at Charité's Institute of Public Health as well as the Center for Stroke Research Berlin, tells us what happened, how vaccine safety works and how we get back on track from here. Meanwhile, Merkel reaches for the emergency brake, as COVID-19 cases surge — yet again — across Germany. Find us on Instagram and Twitter: @Neuschlandpod. Music with thanks to Gunnar Olsen.

There's trouble at t'mill for Germany's conservative CDU/CSU ahead of the first two regional elections of the year. Faced with corruption scandals, corona parties, not to mention the slow vaccine rollout and lockdown fatigue, conservatives are starting to feel the heat in the polls. Ferdinand Otto, reporter at German daily Die Zeit helps us fathom where one problem starts and the other ends for the governing conservatives. Plus, the latset on the pandemic in Germany. German speakers can read Ferdinand's analysis of the CDU/CDU's woes here: https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2Fpolitik%2Fdeutschland%2F2021-03%2Funion-wahljahr-masken-affaere-impf-versagen-corona-hilfen-pandemie Find us on Instagram and Twitter: @Neuschlandpod. Music with thanks to Gunnar Olsen.

German officials are looking to move the country out of lockdown. The danger of a third wave is still looming, and the sluggish vaccine rollout is leaving a lot to be desired in Germany. But the show must go on. New York Times' German drama correspondent A.J. Goldmann brings some of the glitz and glamour of the Berlinale film festival to Neuschland and shines a light on what culture in Germany might look after the pandemic. Find us on Instagram and Twitter: @Neuschlandpod. Music with thanks to Gunnar Olsen.

Germany prepares for Christmas, as health officials and Merkel plead with the public to stay home. We wrap up a year most would happily forget with journalist and ICWA fellow Emily Schultheis in Vienna and communications specialist, Toby Brunt, in Warsaw.

The world is waiting, but the U.S. is still counting. John Emerson, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany during President Barack Obama's second term, joins us on Neuschland to give a transatlantic perspective on the U.S. election, and what it could mean for Germany. Spoiler: Some issues are going to be knocking on Berlin's door no matter who wins across the pond. Find us on Instagram and Twitter: @Neuschlandpod. Music with thanks to Gunnar Olsen.