Elon Musk's endorsement of Alternative for Germany less than two months before the general election has generated a lot of noise and uproar among the country's elites. Thorsten Benner, the director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin, points to a political system “with increasingly messy coalition governments making strange bedfellows in an increasingly fragmented party system” as one of the reasons that prevents “better governing and to win back voters.”

Europe enters 2025 with a vital question to answer: who will lead the continent in the face of a second Trump era? Jeremy Cliffe, Editorial Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, argues the solution must come from the E5+1, a coalition of Germany, France, Poland, Italy and Spain, with external support from the UK on key issues such as security.

Wolfgang Schmidt is the German Minister for Special Affairs and head of Olaf Scholz's Chancellery. He is the key figure in his government. In the midst of the serious crisis in the country, Marc López Plana, Agenda Pública's Director, had a conversation with him in Berlin. In this context, Minister Schmidt is clear: "The European People's Party should know that flirting with the far right is the wrong way to go, and it can backfire".

A few days shy of her first year as president of the European Investment Bank, Nadia Calviño talks to Marc López Plana, director of Agenda Pública, to reflect on the EIB's strategy for the coming years. The main objective of the bank and its president is "to ensure that Europe maintains a strong and competitive voice in the framework of the new world order."

The French Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, faces the National Assembly on Wednesday. The vote is likely to end in a no confidence motion against his government. Miguel Ortiz, an economist who developed his research in Sciences Po Paris, analyses the French political situation and the dilemma facing Emmanuel Macron as he tries to save his political legacy: give the government to the left or allow a conservative government that would include Marine Le Pen's ministers.

Despite the urgency, the European Union remains paralysed and Ursula von der Leyen should understand Angela Merkel's legacy: strong leadership can stabilise institutions in turbulent times, but without transformation, it leaves a very fragile foundation. Agenda Pública brings together experts Ángel Saz-Carranza (EsadeGeo), Judith Arnal (Real Instituto Elcano) and Alberto Alemanno (HEC Paris) to learn from Germany's mistakes and what the European Union must overcome in this new stage.

"For Europe, Spain presents a unique opportunity. Under the progressive leadership of Pedro Sánchez, it can play a pivotal role in the fight against illiberalism on the global stage." Agenda Pública conversations with Robert Benson, Senior Analyst for National and International Security Policy at the Center for American Progress, a key think tank for the Democratic Party. The expert analyses the situation of the global left after the reelection of Donald Trump.

J. P. Carroll, senior fellow in National Security and Inclusive Governance at the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, and Juan Luis Manfredi, professor at Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, explain the five key issues to understand the 2024 US election results.

Pedro Sánchez begins his international agenda this week with a key visit to India, where he will seek to strengthen Spain's presence in the Asia-Pacific region and diversify its diplomatic relations. However, tensions over the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza could complicate his goal of gaining influence and generating strategic alliances in an increasingly complex global scenario.

Jesús M. de Miguel responds to the article 'Pedro Sánchez clings to office at a cost to Spain's democracy'. The first Prince of Asturias professor, in the United States, argues that the weekly magazine assumes the ideas of the Spanish right and far-right, failing in its obligation to provide complete and contrasted information. For him, the danger to democracy does not come from Sánchez remaining in power, but from the fierce struggle between the government coalition and the opposition.

In the coming years, European railway systems will have to manage the coexistence of at least three major gauge systems —the international, the Russian, and the Spanish— while working towards harmonising standards by adopting the highest and most efficient ones. Talgo faces huge growth opportunities, but significant investment is needed to ensure the company’s survival and its ability to deliver quality service and products. Talgo needs a strong and reliable international partner. This is a matter of national interest —not just for Spain and Germany, but, given current geopolitics, for the broader interests of the European Union.

Following the announcement of the EU's College of Commissioners, Spain's Teresa Ribera appears to be in a position of great importance for the development of two areas that will be key to the future of our continent: competitiveness and the ecological transition.

Housing, tourism and the power of cities take centre stage in this interview with the mayor of Barcelona. Jaume Collboni argues that cities are the new power centres of the 21st century. He also highlights the need for the Spanish state to support Barcelona as the other great global city, based on the principle of neutrality. This conversation goes beyond the immediate issues that occupy our political and economic news cycle, because Agenda Pública wants to contribute to focusing on the fundamental issues that will affect us most in the long term.

On the positive side, however, is that liberal-democratic leaders recognize the high stakes in combating illiberal forces, and are willing to take extraordinary measures. Unlike in interwar Italy and Germany, they do not sleepwalk towards democratic demise.

A robust economy is no longer enough; defenders of liberal democracy must actively counter attacks on its institutions and values. How pro-democracy forces in the US mobilize in the coming months will be crucial for America and its allies worldwide.

Agenda Pública and United Ukraine Think Tank present Focus Ukraine, a weekly article series analysing how the military conflict in Ukraine and the political and economic situation in the country will evolve. Spain should look at the war in Ukraine with its southern challenges in mind.