The CEO

Summary

Podcast Summary: Autocracy in America – Episode: The CEO

Introduction

In the episode titled "The CEO" from Autocracy in America by The Atlantic, host Garry Kasparov engages in a profound dialogue with Matthias Doffner, the CEO of Axel Springer—a leading multinational media and technology company headquartered in Berlin. Released on August 15, 2025, this episode delves into the nuanced challenges facing democracy in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany's pivotal role amidst rising authoritarian tendencies globally.

Threats to Democracy in Europe

Matthias Doffner opens the conversation by contextualizing Axel Springer's headquarters, strategically located adjacent to the former Berlin Wall, symbolizing the historical divide between democracy and autocracy. He underscores the alarming trend of "freedom recession," citing analyses from Freedom House that reveal a significant decline in democratic freedoms worldwide. Doffner remarks, “[...] most of the centrist democracies are in relatively weak shape, whereas autocratic authoritarian systems pretty systematically achieve their goals and gain ground” (03:33). This sets the stage for discussing the internal and external threats undermining democratic institutions in Europe.

Germany’s Unfinished Reunification

Kasparov shifts the focus to Germany's reunification, a process still grappling with psychological and societal divides decades after 1990. Doffner reflects on the enduring disparities between East and West Germany, stating, “there is still quite a significant divide” (05:42). While acknowledging the economic successes post-reunification, he warns against complacency, highlighting it as “a degree of complacency that I find more and more dangerous” (07:22). Doffner emphasizes the need for bold leadership to address economic turnaround and migration, suggesting that without proactive measures, Germany's unity remains fragile.

Overcoming Historical Guilt to Lead Europe

Addressing Germany's historical baggage, particularly the legacy of the Third Reich, Doffner discusses the nation's struggle to embrace leadership without invoking past militarism. He asserts, “the term leadership and the idea of leadership [...] is almost something negative” (08:15). Nevertheless, he advocates for a leadership model grounded in defending the open society and collaborative partnership, rather than domination. This transformation is crucial for Germany to effectively lead Europe and navigate contemporary geopolitical challenges.

Energy Independence and Geopolitical Implications

The conversation shifts to Germany's energy policy, particularly the controversial decision to phase out nuclear energy in 2011. Doffner criticizes this move as “one of the most irresponsible decisions of German governments in post-war history” (12:09), highlighting its unintended consequence of increasing dependence on Russian energy. He elaborates, “it has basically strengthened and financed the Putin that we have to deal with since then” (12:21), linking energy policy intricacies to broader geopolitical stability and security.

Shifting Political Landscape: Rise of Extremes

Kasparov probes into Germany's evolving political landscape, noting the decline of the traditional two-party system and the rise of extremist parties like Alternative for Deutschland (AfD). Doffner attributes this shift to “failed and unsuccessful centrist policies” and a “lack of credibility of centrist political leaders” (14:39). He articulates that both the far-right and far-left factions pose significant threats to democracy, with the AfD particularly endangering European integration through its admiration for autocratic regimes.

The AfD’s Impact on German and European Democracy

Further dissecting the AfD's influence, Doffner explains, “the admiration for strongmen and autocratic countries like almost Russia, but also China and others reflect a totally different idea of society, a different idea of leadership” (16:15). He expresses concern over the party’s stronger presence in eastern Germany, which paradoxically contradicts the region's historical skepticism towards authoritarianism. Doffner stresses the AfD's detrimental impact on transatlantic relations, citing their anti-American stance and proposals like “No American weapons on German ground” (18:19), which inadvertently bolster adversarial powers like Russia.

Defense, NATO, and Germany's Strategic Role

The dialogue transitions to Germany's defense capabilities and its role within NATO. Doffner criticizes the insufficient military investment by NATO members, stating that “the percentage of budgets that NATO members and the west is basically investing [...] is so minor” (27:52). He advocates for increased military deterrence to prevent further Russian aggression, emphasizing that without robust defense measures, Europe remains vulnerable. However, he remains skeptical about Germany's readiness to lead a new defense alliance, highlighting historical apprehensions about German military leadership.

Optimism for a Reawakening Europe

Despite the challenges, Doffner maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook. He envisions a “healthy wake-up call for democracy” that could spur Europe into action, transforming it from a “sleeping beauty” into a “beautiful giant” on the global stage (24:36). He anticipates that rising global threats might catalyze a strategic realignment, fostering stronger transatlantic partnerships and enhancing Europe's role in international affairs.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

In concluding the episode, both Kasparov and Doffner reflect on the imperative for Germany and Europe to overcome internal complacency and external threats. Doffner outlines an ideal future where Germany leads Europe in military strength and strategic partnerships with the United States, resulting in a fortified democratic bloc capable of countering authoritarian powers. He advocates for mutual strategies in trade and defense, envisioning a collaborative approach that reinforces the open society model and ensures global stability (34:26).

Kasparov reinforces the necessity of a clear vision and unwavering commitment to democratic values, expressing hope that Europe can awaken from its metaphorical slumber to fulfill its potential as a geopolitical powerhouse.

Notable Quotes

• “Most of the centrist democracies are in relatively weak shape, whereas autocratic authoritarian systems pretty systematically achieve their goals and gain ground.” – Matthias Doffner (03:33)

• “Germany has developed, for many various reasons, a degree of complacency that I find more and more dangerous.” – Matthias Doffner (07:22)

• “The admiration for strongmen and autocratic countries like almost Russia, but also China and others reflect a totally different idea of society, a different idea of leadership.” – Matthias Doffner (16:15)

• “The decision to drop out of nuclear energy is way, way bigger than just a topic in the context of coalition scenarios or energy policies. It goes Way beyond it.” – Matthias Doffner (12:12)

• “It is history. It is a bit this fear of taking military leadership.” – Matthias Doffner (29:01)

• “Europe is a sleeping beauty. It’s just a great continent with wonderful countries and a beautiful, probably the most attractive lifestyle in the world. But it’s also sleeping.” – Matthias Doffner (22:23)

Final Thoughts

This episode of Autocracy in America provides a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted challenges facing Germany and Europe in safeguarding democracy against rising authoritarianism. Through incisive analysis and candid reflections, Garry Kasparov and Matthias Doffner illuminate the critical intersections of history, politics, and geopolitics, offering both cautionary insights and hopeful projections for the future of democratic societies.

Transcript

[Garry Kasparov]

I was born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. When I visited Ronald Reagan's rent center in Santa Barbara, California in 2016, and a big piece of the wall Reagan helped tear down on display, I joked that I didn't recognize it because I had only seen the other side. Back in 1987, I was speaking at an event in West Germany and I told people that I was sure that the collapse of the Berlin Wall was inevitable and would happen very soon. They looked at me like, okay, that's crazy, but he's young, 24, and he's just a chess player. What does he know? And they stopped listening. This was before Ronald Reagan's famous tear down the swole speech in Berlin, which was around a month later. Another famous forward from US President also concerned Berlin. President Harry Truman said we stay in Berlin to promise that US forces would protect and supply West Berlin during Stalin's siege of the city in 1948, the famous Berlin airlift. Not to put myself in the company of US Presidents, but I was inspired by Reagan and Truman. In my own Berlin speech at the Aspen Institute on October 14, 2015, I titled it Four Words to Change History. I said we must remember that societies do not have values. People have values. If we want our values to succeed, we must protect the people who hold them wherever they are, whoever they are. And if I may finish with my own four words here today, fight for our values from the Atlantic. This is Autocracy in America. I'm Garry Kasparov. My guest is Matthias Doffner joining me from Berlin. He's a journalist who is now the CEO of the multinational media and technology company Axel Springer. He leads dozens of publications in many countries, including Political and Business Insider in the United States and built and Developed in Germany, among many others. He is German and it is the German perspective I was after from him. Many around Europe and the world are waiting for Germany to lead. So will it. Hello Matthias, thank you very much for joining our program. Hello Gary, quick question. Are you at your office now?

[Matthias Doffner]

Absolutely at my office in Berlin.

[Garry Kasparov]

So I want to let the listeners know that this office that was built by the founder of Combat Axle Springer, if I'm correct, in 1966, it's literally next to the former Burley Wall that divided, physically divided the free and unfree world back during the Cold War. So it was standing on edge of democracy and autocracy. Not anymore. Now, but not to put too fine a point on it, it is precisely what this show is about. So from this perch, tell me, what do you see as a principal threat to democracy in Europe. And what is European or Europe's place in this ever changing world today?

[Matthias Doffner]

Yeah. Thank you, Gary. So sitting here in our kind of historic headquarter building, it's a golden skyscraper right at the edge of the former wall and death stripe. Just to illustrate that when we literally cross the street in order to get to the new part of our headquarters, we cross a row of cobblestones. And these cobblestones are marking exactly the spot where the wall used to be. So this building literally was built as a lighthouse of freedom, as the founder called it. It turned out to be the new center of a reunified Berlin and a reunified Germany. With a lot of euphoria around the idea that freedom prevails, the open society model prevails. And at the moment, it looks quite different. And it looks different from a factual base. If you check the results of Freedom House analysis and other comparable analysis of the state of freedom, then you see a freedom recession. Globally, for many years, there's never been such a significant downgrading of formerly free countries to partly free and formally partly free countries to unfree. But also most of the centrist democracies are in relatively weak shape, whereas autocratic authoritarian systems pretty systematically achieve their goals and gain ground. So it's quite a challenging time for the open society model. And on top of that, we have internal issues. I think we should not only look at the external threats and the autocrats and dictators, we should also look at ourselves and what we need to do differently in order to succeed.

[Garry Kasparov]

Agreed. So let's look deep inside. Let's start with Germany. So 35 years ago, there was a reunification. Many believed, you know, it would be beyond, you know, our wildest dreams and it would never happen. It did happen. Has unification happened in mines as well as geographically and politically?

[Matthias Doffner]

Well, Gary, I'm not a diplomat, so I speak very openly. Also if it's about my own country. I remember very well when the war came. A prominent publisher here in Berlin, Wolf Jorp Seedler, said, it's going to take at least a generation until we will see real integration of mindset and until we see real unification psychologically and mentally. I thought this is totally exaggerated. It's going to be a question of two, three, five years. It's now more than a quarter of a century and still there is quite a significant divide. There is still an east and a West Germany. And you see that on many levels. Also politically, at the same time, we also have to realistically see that all Together with regard to management and the economy, the reunification was a success and went well, and there is a lot of prosperity. And if you go to the East German cities and compare them how they looked like 30 years ago, uncomparable, and there is so much progress and wealth and positive development that we should also not be too negative about it. We should be also a bit thankful on the third level. And that, I think is the most important one. Germany has developed, for many various reasons, a degree of complacency that I find more and more dangerous. And I think we have to really take that as a warning call to do things differently. And here, of course, there is a lot of hope with regard to the new government that is in place and that could, with strong leadership, solve the problems, most importantly, the problem of an economic turnaround. And with regard to migration, we also need a very significant shift conceptually. And with regard to execution, I think those are the two most important topics. But that requires really bold decisions and leadership.

[Garry Kasparov]

After unification, Germany has become the largest country in Europe. And it's a driving engine of European Union. But considering the historical, call it liabilities or historical baggage. So is Germany ready now, after so many years, eight years since the end of the World War II, is Germany ready to overcome this sense of historical guilt and to become a positive force to take a lead?

[Matthias Doffner]

That's a very interesting question, Gary, because truly, I think this phase of German history during the Third Reich, the Holocaust and everything that led to this unparalleled horrors have deeply traumatized the country and in a way discredited the term leadership and the idea of leadership and even the idea of excellence to a certain degree. The unfortunate misunderstanding of this chapter of German history is that not only you should never be involved in any form of military conflict, pacifism as a naive idea. The second horrible misunderstanding is that leadership and excellence is almost something negative it associates with Germany needs to lead the world and needs to dominate the world. And the irony is that almost everybody in Europe and in the entire world is waiting for German leadership and thinks Germany need to lead. It needs to lead Europe together with other countries. And that leads me to the second element of your question. Are we able to overcome the traumas? Hopefully not in the sense that we forget about it. I think what happens should never be forgotten, and we should learn from that. But we should learn the right lessons. And the right lessons are always do everything to defend the free and open society model. And if we lead with good intentions and in a spirit of partnership together with others, then I think that is the most credible and the most successful mindset. I think apart from a right value set and system of coordinates, the most important thing that the new German Chancellor needs to prove and needs to have is courage to move fast, to act and not only speak and to really tackle the two biggest priorities, economy and migration.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yeah, I think of one of Winston Churchill's famous phrases that no success is final, no failure is fatal. What counts is the courage to continue because he has challenges both domestically and internationally. So you mentioned economy and migration. Now, do you consider energy independence as a part of economy?

[Matthias Doffner]

Very big issue here. The elephant in the room is nuclear energy. Will this government go back to, to nuclear power plants? That is the big question that everybody is asking at the moment in Germany, because energy policy that is based on windmills or only solar is not going to solve the problems and is not going to provide the energy that you need. Also with regard to excellence in artificial intelligence.

[Garry Kasparov]

But let us again remind our audience that Germany made a decision to walk away from nuclear energy back in 2011.

[Matthias Doffner]

Yes, I can share an anecdote with you. I remember very well. I was invited to the Russian embassy by the Russian ambassador with a group of editors of Axel Spinger for lunch. And it was a coincidence that the lunch took place on that very day and each person had a glass of vodka at the table. And before we started, the ambassador was raising the vodka glasses and said, let me cheer to the German chancellor. The decision to drop out of nuclear energy will be very for Russian energy and for the Russian economy. And people looked a little bit irritated and basically thought it's a joke. But then they realized it was, it.

[Garry Kasparov]

Was the greatest gift to Putin.

[Matthias Doffner]

Right, exactly.

[Garry Kasparov]

Because that made Russia the sole supplier or this major supplier of energy to Germany and via Germany to many other European countries.

[Matthias Doffner]

I personally think it was one of the most irresponsible decisions of German governments in post war history because not only did it create the biggest damage to the German economy and the German energy sector, but more importantly, it has basically strengthened and financed the Putin that we have to deal with since then and the Putin who then invaded Crimea and who then invaded Ukraine. And the money is one of the main resources that has funded that war. It's quite a sad. And it shows again why trade policy, economic policy is so directly intertwined with geopolitics and security politics. And that's why this whole decision to drop out of nuclear energy is way, way bigger than just a topic in the context of coalition scenarios or energy policies. It goes Way beyond it.

[Garry Kasparov]

Now, the German political map today, again I'm old enough. Remember when Germany was in a classic two party system, you know, Social Democrats on the central left and Christian Democrats on the right. Now it's a mess. But the danger is that we could see in Germany, as everywhere, both in America and in Europe, the growing strength of the radicals on the far left and far right. So the German political map today has a Greater number of MPs and growing strengths of both AFD Alternative for Deutschland, far right and also two far left groups. So how do you describe this new political realignment and how dangerous is the threat of these combined attacks on democracy from the far right and far left? Obviously the, the far right group is much bigger. They won more than 20% in the last elections and I think their popularity level stands at nearly 25%. So just give us just a little bit of a sense of this very dispersed political field. So political map is quite messy for the traditional two party system.

[Matthias Doffner]

This phenomenon, I think it is simply the result of, of failed and unsuccessful centrist policies and the lack of credibility of centrist political leaders. So if we tackle that problem, we should first look at what did the centrist parties, what did the older parties, the political establishment do wrong and why feel people the need to look for alternatives and shift more to the extremes? Why are they seduced by the easy? And I think that is also a pretty global phenomenon where the extremes are getting stronger. The center has made mistakes and should start with self criticism. Now concretely to Germany, both extremes are very dangerous and have some ideas that are very anti constitutional and particularly dangerous with regard to geopolitics and the future of open societies.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yeah, I want to just talk a bit more about AFD Alternative for Deutschland because the other far right groups and parties like in France, the Marine Le Pence or Nigel Farage Reform Party in Great Britain, they refuse to deal with AfD. They believe it's too far right and it has an open nostalgia for Nazi Germany. So can you tell us more about the nature of this party and its threat it can represent to German democracy and to European integration because it's of course it's against united Europe.

[Matthias Doffner]

Well, I think indeed the foreign policy concept, the geopolitical consequences of that are by far the biggest threat that this party provides. The admiration for strongmen and autocratic countries like almost Russia, but also China and others reflect a totally different idea of society, a different idea of leadership. And also the consequences geopolitically would be horrific. I think for the open society model. And the world order that we are discussing today. That's why I find it particularly hard to understand why this movement is so much more popular in the eastern states of Germany than in the western part of Germany. And that is actually counterintuitive because you should think like other Eastern European countries who basically experienced Soviet communism and the ruthlessness of that system. That should lead to a lot of realistic and skeptical expectations with regard to future relationships with Russia and the future influence of Russia or dealing with China. But the opposite seems to be true. And that is for me, very hard to explain. And honestly, Gary, I have no very convincing explanation for that.

[Garry Kasparov]

Now, let's talk about a symbolism to AfD, not from east, but from the West. Actually far, Far west in D.C. so it seems there are quite a few fans of AFD in Trump's administration. Definitely it's JD Vance, who openly supported not just afd, but almost every far right political group in Europe that was fighting in the elections to get into power. So how do you explain that?

[Matthias Doffner]

Well, I think it would be particularly negative for the United States because in large parts of the party there is a deeply rooted anti Americanist approach, a deeply rooted anti capitalist approach. And I would be curious how that would play out with regard to the transatlantic relationship. I mean, just take the very concrete request or proposal. No American weapons on German ground. That's funny. Putin will like that. But it's not good for Germany. Now, maybe some people in America may say, well, it's nice for America because we have lower expenses in that context. But I think the price that the United States would pay in the long term for that would be enormous, would go up, definitely. Because a Putin that is encouraged by such a move would not stop in Ukraine. He would go further.

[Garry Kasparov]

So am I hearing you saying that without America, without American leadership, the global democracy will be in peril and may collapse?

[Matthias Doffner]

Yes, I think it's a very nice but slightly naive idea that now the big historic opportunity is since America is sending a lot of disturbing and surprising signals, Europe could do it alone or could do it better. It's not going to work. The challenges of China, the challenges of Russia, and the challenges of Islamist dictatorships are much too big in order to be solved by Europe alone. And I would even go that far. They are also way too big than being solvable by the United States alone.

[Garry Kasparov]

Worldwide. Beck.

[C]

Hey there. I'm Claudia Baid and I lead the audio team here at the Atlantic. I think a lot about what makes great audio journalism. It commands your attention, but isn't noisy. It brings you closer to the subject but leaves room for you to make up your own mind. And when you hear someone tell their story in their own voice, you understand it in a deeper way. When you subscribe to the Atlantic, you'll be supporting this kind of journalism. You'll also enjoy new benefits just for Atlantic subscribers on Apple Podcasts Think ad free episodes of our shows and subscriber only audio articles. To join us, go to theatlantic.com listener that's theatlantic.com listener. If you're already a subscriber, thanks. You can head to the Atlantic's channel page on Apple Podcasts and start listening right now.

[Garry Kasparov]

But let's look at this geopolitical chessboard. The United States, China and of course Russia is still there. So it's a relatively small economy. But you have nukes, you have army, you have crazy dictator who made war as an engine of his power. And where is Europe here? Because I think one of the problems between Europe and America now, the way I think Trump administration is viewing Europe is Europe is divided, it's too weak. And Germany is not ready to play the leading role to unite Europe and to make it speak with one voice. That could put Europe at this negotiating table and make, you know, European opinion, European power to be counted. Do we believe that, you know, Europe still has its potential, again led by Germany to make herself relevant?

[Matthias Doffner]

The short answer is yes. Europe is a sleeping beauty. It's just a great continent with wonderful countries and a beautiful, probably the most attractive lifestyle in the world. But it's also sleeping. It's sleeping because it developed a very dangerous degree of complacency. Now the question is, can that be changed? And here my take is more optimistic. I think what is happening at the moment in the world is very disturbing. And it can be the beginning of the end. It can be the beginning of the end of the open society model, of the idea of free rules based society, of democracy, of the rule of law, of human rights. And we will have a very different world order. Now being at the verge of that and seeing the dangers and facing a lot of volatility in the United States and a lot of rigor and aggression in non democratic superpowers like China. I think it has the potential to really be the healthy wake up call, the healthy wake up call for democracy in the open society model and the healthy wake up call for Europe. And then I think that would be a reawakening of Europe. And suddenly in 10 years the world can look completely different. People May say, wow, what a shift of labor, excellence, know how value creation to European countries. What a different world where these open societies stick together and build strategic alliances in the economy, but also in the field of defense and security. So I truly think we are at a pivotal moment where both is possible. The beginning of the end or the healthy wake up call that starts a new decade, a new century where Europe plays a more important and a better role.

[Garry Kasparov]

You said I think Sleeping Beauty, that's for me, that doesn't constitute any strength. So it's basically waiting for a courageous prince to wake her up with a magic kiss. Is it Sleeping Beauty or Sleeping Giant?

[Matthias Doffner]

That's a very good point. It's a beautiful giant.

[Garry Kasparov]

That's an interesting mixture.

[Matthias Doffner]

Yes. In any case, I mean, we definitely agree that it's sleeping at the moment. But. But I also agree with your criticism. The beauty is not enough. And I think with the right injection of energy and ambition and aspiration, it can be a new player, a new giant.

[Garry Kasparov]

3 1/2 years of war in Ukraine can hear them from Berlin. Wasn't it not enough to wake Europe up? So how come that in three and a half years, Europe. Europe has provided less help for Ukraine than North Korea for Russia. You are still contemplating your next moves. You don't want to see that Putin is at war with Europe. It's a kind of hybrid war. He has been openly interfering in elections in Germany, in Romania, in France, in Britain. So everywhere. What else do you need to wake up and let's go back to Germany. So can Germany just Take a lead? 3 1/2 years have been lost. So what does come next?

[Matthias Doffner]

First of all, Gary, I totally agree with your analysis. Secondly, I don't have a very good answer why it's still sleeping. I wrote a text a few days after the invasion in Ukraine and said this is now a moment where the west has to act, where NATO members have to act, whether it's under Article 5 or not. But this is the moment where we have to show strength because only strength and military deterrence is avoiding an escalation and is avoiding a bigger and long lasting conflict. And if we don't do that, the price is going to be higher. I was criticized as a warmonger, I was criticized to risk a nuclear escalation and so on. So from today's perspective, it feels quite sad because I still think, and I'm still deeply convinced had we acted faster and more determinedly, we could have avoided a large degree of what has happened since then. And now we're in a much worse place. Nevertheless, I think it is not too late. And if you just take also the percentage of budgets that NATO members and the west is basically investing in order to stop Putin, it is so minor, it is so minimal compared to what Putin is investing. And that leads me to the very simple result. If we would want to stop that, we could stop it. And there is, I don't know, it's a mix of opportunism and naivety and also a wrong narrative that only if we are nice to Putin and if we are not focusing too much on military force, only then we can calm him down, which is so wrong, it is misreading so much the mind of almost all totalitarian leaders, and particularly of Putin, who is basically testing the west and always seeing how far can he go. And the further we let him go, the more he will do and the higher the price is going to be. So it is already late. It's not too late, but we wasted.

[Garry Kasparov]

A lot of time again, realistically. So whatever we say about NATO and its historical role, the role has played over 75 years. I mean, it's dead now, it's not functioning. And definitely the next three plus years while Trump is in the office. Nobody expects NATO to be what it used to be, or just that's the organization that we relied upon for decades. I share your optimism that eventually there will be some kind of new alignment or realignment in the European American relations. The global democracies will get together, but that's in the future. But currently we have the war. So can Germany, in your opinion, lead this new defense alliance as the prototype for the future version of NATO to make sure that this war can be won, or at least Ukraine can survive the Russian onslaught? And what are the limits for Germany in building such alliance? How realistic is to envision the German role as an engine for this defense coalition?

[Matthias Doffner]

Can Germany do that? Yes, Germany can do that. Will Germany do that? Is more complex. And here I think there is one psychological reason why there is a risk that it's not happening. And I mentioned that already, it is history. It is a bit this fear of taking military leadership. I mean, the world was fearing for decades for good reasons for German military initiatives, for military ambitions, in a way for military leadership. And I think that is also a very, very kind of poisoned ground. And that may lead to more reluctance than we need. And that could be a reason why it's not happening or why it's not happening fast enough. But if I may, let us also not forget the possibility that something happens that may be surprising from today's perspective, but psychologically not unlikely. And that is, the more Putin plays with Trump, the more he publicly embarrasses Trump, gaining time, not making real concessions, not sticking to agreements, the more Donald Trump could feel provoked. And if Putin continues to do that, then I think Trump could surprise everybody by really changing his mind completely. And then we could have a totally different situation, not only psychologically, but also militarily.

[Garry Kasparov]

I'm afraid you're a dreamer, Matthias.

[Matthias Doffner]

Maybe I am a dreamer, but do you really think that it's realistic that Trump leaves the field as the loser, having been kind of outsmarted by Putin and basically saying, okay, I resign, you won, Vladimir, I just leave the battlefield as a loser. For me, it's also hard to imagine simply psychologically.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yeah, but Trump's psychology, it's always to turn any failure into a victory. Okay, now just going to the end of our conversation, so let's. Let's concentrate on what Germany could, should, and hopefully will do. So will Germany move on with the rearmament plans, so investing heavily in its military industrial complex, building new weapons, and becoming a military powerhouse again?

[Matthias Doffner]

I think the likelihood is very high if you just look to the kind of changes in social behavior. Just a few years ago, people from the defense industry were not even invited to dinner parties. Today, they are stars of dinner parties. Everybody talks to them. They are perceived as heroes. They are perceived as guards of freedom and democracy. So the mindset has really fundamentally changed. And also the number of startups that is dealing with drones and is dealing with new technologies of defense is skyrocketing. People are preparing for that, and everybody sees the need for that. So the likelihood that that mindset changes is pretty high.

[Garry Kasparov]

So do you think that it's realistic that Germany will also build its strong army that will become the core of this military barrier against potential Russian aggression?

[Matthias Doffner]

That's a long shot. I don't know how developed the willingness of German people is to defend their country. I think it's already tough to defend our country and even tougher to defend Europe. But maybe I have a slightly. Maybe my take is too negative here.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yeah, no, no, but it's very important to hear, because I'm afraid I share your pessimism here. But all these guns, all these shells, all these drones, they are not too effective without the willpower behind it, without manpower behind it. And it seems to me that Germany is yet to cross this road. So it's like from West Berlin to East Berlin, from this historical guilt, from this peace mongering to war reality, can you imagine just that as a part of this coalition, Germany may develop nuclear weapons to deter Russia?

[Matthias Doffner]

Unlikely.

[Garry Kasparov]

Unlikely. So that means that Germany will always depend on other countries because the successful deterrence is not against Russia will not work without nuclear umbrella. So who will provide nuclear umbrella during Trump's years? France, Britain? How do you think Germany will manage it?

[Matthias Doffner]

Maybe France and Britain will play a bigger role. That's a possibility. But again, I think without America, it's going to be very tough. That's why it is in our very vital interest to keep a healthy relationship with America, regardless whether we like the government or not. It's an overarching paradigm, I think for Europe and for Germany.

[Garry Kasparov]

So just very final question. So you just give us the next three years, just for the next three years of Trump administration, what will be the ideal outcome for us to dream about 2028 from the German perspective, strong.

[Matthias Doffner]

German leadership leads to conceptual priorities. One is to lead Europe in military strength and support in Ukrainian defense in order to limit Putin's aggression. That will impress the United States because a stronger Europe will be taken more seriously. And Europe that does more for its own defense will be more credible as a partner to negotiate deals on other levels. And the second thing will be changed in Germany and in Europe and that is that we reach out to America agreeing on a mutual strategy, trade strategy towards China, defend that strategy together at the negotiation table, achieve a much, much better deal with China. That strengthens Europe and America, that weakens Putin, that limits China, that strengthens the democratic world. That will be the beginning of a new prosperous era for America. America first from an American perspective and a stronger Europe. Europe first from a European perspective, but based on mutual values, excelling together. That would be the most optimistic outcome. That would strengthen the open society model and freedom and democracy. But Gary, honestly, that is the ultimate degree of optimism that I can develop at this stage. Let's work on that. Let's hope for it, but let's not count on it. Prepare for the worst in order to get positively surprised.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yes, we can prepare for the worst, but it's very important to have a vision. And thank you very much for laying down this positive vision, Matthias. And I hope that at least part of this vision will be realized soon.

[Matthias Doffner]

That would be something.

[Garry Kasparov]

And first of all is of course, you know, for Ukraine A, to survive, B, to win and eventually Putin's regime to collapse and Europe to become a real geopolitical player, to wake up from its sleep and to become a as you said beautiful giant on the world stage.

[Matthias Doffner]

Wonderful. I totally agree.

[Garry Kasparov]

Yes. Thank you very much, Matthias. Thank you.

[Matthias Doffner]

Thank you, Gary.

[Garry Kasparov]

This episode of Photography in America was produced by Arlene Aurello. Our editor is Dave Shaw. Original music and mix by Rob Smerciak. Fact checking by Anna Alvarado. Special thanks to Paulina Kasparov and Meg Gringold. Claudina Bay is the executive producer of Atlantic Audio. Andre Valdes is our managing editor. Next time on Autocracy in America.

[Matthias Doffner]

We are an example that a country can live, can have a great standard, can have free speech, can have human rights in quite a short time. And I think that is the painful thing for Kremlin. They do not want to see see successful countries from the former empire because it might lead their people to think that there is another way, there is another track for their country as well. And that is definitely very scary for the regime.

[Garry Kasparov]

I'm Garry Kasparov. See you back here next week.

[Matthias Doffner]

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