Germans retain a vivid idea of what Total War actually means and the remnants of this occasionally re-appear. But are the country's conversations about Russia's war against Ukraine leading to a clarity absent in Ireland?
The threat of the red socks once scared voters in Germany, but that is unlikely to be the case in this election.
German political power is splintering as the country prepares for a post Angela Merkel world and, two weeks ahead of the federal election, the situation is volatile.
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