VISITORS to Germany’s capital may mistake the Berliner Schnauze (literally “snout”), an earthy form of local wit, for grumpiness. But there is no misreading the mood in Germany today. A deep malaise has settled on the country. Four-fifths of Germans tell pollsters they are unhappy with their rulers. And a series of upcoming political and electoral trials could test the government to breaking-point.

In December 2021 the Social Democrats (spd), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (fdp) yoked themselves together in Germany’s first three-party coalition for more than 60 years. After 16 stable but uninspired years under Angela Merkel, the parties in the Ampel (“traffic-light”, after their party colours) coalition were able to produce a plausible story for their awkward throupling. Climate change would make awesome demands of Germany’s industrial economy, and the country’s creaking bureaucracy needed yanking into the 21st century. The needs of the moment required a clean-out of the political stables. The three parties might not agree on every policy, but they shared a commitment to modernising the country.