The News Agents

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Monday, 24 February 2025 - 36 minutes

It didn't take long for Germany's new Chancellor in waiting, Friedrich Merz, to make his presence felt across the Atlantic. Before the final ballots had even been counted in the German elections, Merz took to a television debate to warn that "after Donald Trump's remarks last week...it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe". He called for the EU to work together at pace to "really achieve independence from the USA", even questioning whether NATO in its current form would continue to exist come the summer. Remarkable words from a politician until now known as a staunch atlanticist - but is he just reflecting the new political era Europe finds itself in? And what does that mean for Keir Starmer and the British government?

Later, Elon Musk instructs millions of federal workers to compile a list of their achievements in the past week or risk the sack, and a podcaster becomes deputy chief of the FBI. What on earth is going on in America's civil service - and is it just becoming an enforcement arm for Donald Trump?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

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The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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