Germany's new parliament sits for the first time with a reduced headcount, fewer women and a record number of lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). — AFP
TWO days after a coalition of conservatives won Germany’s federal election last month, the governor of Bavaria took to Instagram to say the parties were “ready for political change” and posted a group picture of the likely future chancellor, Friedrich Merz, with five other leaders.
But the photo seemed to suggest that a changed Germany will look remarkably like the country of old: It shows six middle-aged white men sitting around a table of snacks. The only apparent concession to modern sensibilities was that half of the men are not wearing neckties.
