Germany’s leadership race

German Economy Minister is a surprise frontrunner [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. After spending two years in a quarrelsome coalition and seeing their poll ratings plummet, the heavyweights in Germany’s ruling alliance are already brawling ahead of the next election due in 2025. In the early skirmishes, there’s a surprise frontrunner: Robert Habeck, the Greens economy minister, has seized the initiative in recent weeks, putting Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the liberal Free Democrats and even his Greens party colleague, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on the defensive. Habeck, who is also the vice chancellor, got the ball rolling late last month. Without the blessing of his coalition partners, he called a news conference at short notice and unveiled a blueprint to help Germany’s manufacturers navigate the climate and technological transition. What turned out to be the real masterstroke arrived this week. In a video posted on the platform X on Wednesday evening, Habeck’s considerable communication skills were on full display in what he called an attempt to put the Israel-Hamas war into context amid a “heated and confused” public debate. The post went viral and earned effusive praise across the political spectrum. Even Germany’s Bild tabloid — the nation’s biggest selling newspaper and one of Habeck’s most vociferous critics — was impressed. Habeck, it said, had spoken “Klartext” with his unequivocal condemnation of Hamas. Baerbock’s stance in a television interview the same day was labelled “Wischiwaschi,” as she attempted to justify Germany’s decision not to join Israel and the US in voting against a United Nations resolution calling for an urgent humanitarian truce in Gaza. Habeck made way for Baerbock to run as the Greens’ chancellor candidate at the last election in 2021, in which they ultimately underperformed. Judging by his latest exploits, he’s unlikely to do so next time around.—[ Iain Rogers]( Habeck presenting Germany’s autumn economic projection in Berlin on Oct. 11. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg Global Must Reads Israel has stepped up strikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria that have moved close to its border and it’s no longer always warning Damascus’s patron Russia in advance of attacks on Syrian territory. That has heightened the [danger of Syria emerging as a new front]( in the Israel-Hamas war, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel today and US and regional allies seek to contain the conflict. US House Republicans triggered a clash with Democrats by passing a $14.3 billion Israel aid package tied to cuts in funding for the Internal Revenue Service. While lawmakers from both parties largely support assistance for Israel, [approval is now wrapped up in fights]( over Ukraine aid, conservative demands to cut domestic spending and disagreements over taxation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the upper chamber won’t vote on the bill and the White House vowed to veto it. Most Britons think politicians exploit “culture wars” as an electoral tactic, according to a poll published today, showing that a trait that is already embedded in US politics is [increasingly spreading across the Atlantic](. More than six in 10 respondents to a survey by Ipsos UK agreed that politicians invent or exaggerate divisions in social attitudes, while one in 10 disagreed. The US is going full steam ahead in its effort to catch up with China in a part of the world that’s become [central to the green transition](: Africa’s “Copperbelt.” Loaded with minerals critical to the production of batteries and other renewable energy components, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have become the latest venues in the struggle for advantage between Washington and Beijing. WATCH this mini-documentary about US and European Union plans to link mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean with the Lobito Corridor. Source: Bloomberg Elon Musk renewed calls for regulation on artificial intelligence during an on-stage conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as part of a two-day UK AI Safety Summit. The billionaire’s appearance capped off [a gathering marked by tensions]( between those focused on supposed existential risks from AI and others who worry about near-term concerns. Russia launched its biggest drone attack on Ukraine in a month, with as many as 40 UAVs [sent in several waves]( across a wide swath of the country, the Ukrainian air force said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is scaling back his nation’s embassies, likely betting he can earn a larger payout in arms deals with the Kremlin than [through missions suspected]( of sending him a cut from their alleged crimes. The US wants to ensure its preferential trade pact with Africa is [replaced without interruption]( when it expires in two years’ time, while also bringing it up to date, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in an interview. Washington Dispatch Joe Biden today will take part in two events, one reflecting his administration’s ambitions in the Americas, the other underscoring domestic traumas that occur so frequently they seem like an agonizing reprise: mass shootings. The president will welcome to the White House a dozen leaders of countries taking part in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, a new forum intended to bolster regional competitiveness, address migration and offer the US as a strategic alternative to China. In the afternoon, [he will travel to Lewiston, Maine](, where a man with a military-style rifle killed 18 people at a bowling alley and bar last week. The shooting led Biden to reiterate his call for an assault-weapons ban and other limits on firearms. Yet new restrictions have virtually no chance of passage with Republicans in control of the House and a slim Democratic majority in the Senate. Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for gun-safety measures, is backed by Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. One thing to watch today: The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the nation’s unemployment rate for October. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 5pm ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day The global packaged food and beverage industry is [on the hunt for its next frontier]( as regulatory scrutiny and greater public health awareness are hampering business in core Western markets. Executives see a lifeline in countries like India — populous emerging economies where ultra-processed and packaged foods are still relative novelties. And Finally Climate change is upending the once-reliable seasons that [underpin the tourism industry]( in the French Alps, with the region warming by about 0.5°C each decade since the 1980s, according to the Research Centre for Alpine Ecosystems. As Oscar Boyd explains, that’s made some of the most used mountaineering routes more dangerous — and at times unclimbable — during the summer, as rockfalls increase and glaciers melt. Things are set to get worse as temperature records continue to be broken. The lower portion of the Mer de Glace in summer. Photographer: Ben Tibbets Pop quiz (no cheating!) Which world leader was tricked by a pair of notorious Russian pranksters into commenting about the war in Ukraine? Send your answers to balancepower@bloomberg.net. More from Bloomberg - [Middle East Briefing](, a weekly look at what’s happening in the region and where it’s heading. - [Bloomberg Opinion]( for a roundup of our most vital opinions on business, politics, economics, tech and more - [Next Africa](, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed - [Economics Daily]( for what the changing landscape means for policy makers, investors and you - Explore more newsletters at [Bloomberg.com](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](