Helmut K. Anheier for PS On Point

Anheier analyzes the issues that will dominate Germany's 2021 elections and the choice of a new chancellor. [View this message in a web browser]( [PS On Point]( JANUARY 6, 2021 After 15 years as chancellor of the European Union's largest member state, Angela Merkel will finally leave the political stage this year. Five recent books on the issues dominating German political debates offer some answers about what lies ahead for Germany, writes the Hertie School's Helmut K. Anheier – but also more questions. [Read more](. On Point: Global Bookmark [Germany After Merkel]( [Germany After Merkel]( By Helmut K. Anheier In state, federal, and party leadership elections this year, German voters may or may not offer much clarity about where they stand on some of the most difficult policy challenges facing their country. But there is no question that whoever emerges to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel will have big shoes to fill. [Read more]( [PS. Holiday Sale, 50% off]( The Big Picture [The Legacy of 2020]( [The Legacy of 2020]( Featuring Yanis Varoufakis, Ngaire Woods, Joschka Fischer, and more Although there will be a temptation to forget this pandemic-ridden year as quickly as we can, the COVID-19 crisis holds useful lessons that must not be neglected. A major question for 2021 is which of the significant changes wrought in 2020 will prove to be temporary, and which deeper and longer-lasting. [Read more]( Say More [Say More: Michael Spence]( [An Interview with Michael Spence]( Spence – a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Professor of Economics Emeritus and former dean of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University – applies his Nobel Prize-winning research to governments’ trust problem, predicts the pandemic’s likely effect on climate action, and explains how digital data can boost inclusivity. [Read more]( The Year Ahead magazine [Learning to Live with COVID-19]( [Learning to Live with COVID-19]( By Erik Berglöf Someday, the world may have the full medical toolkit it needs to eradicate COVID-19. In the meantime, we should stop hoping a vaccine will soon restore life as we knew it, and start developing comprehensive, creative, and cooperative strategies for living with the pandemic. [Read more]( Previously in On Point [PS Commentators' Best Reads in 2020]( [PS Commentators' Best Reads in 2020]( Alongside histories of past plagues and timely treatises on race, this year's list of recommended books includes deep dives into the toxic world of social media and trenchant studies in development economics. Like memories of this year, all are topics that will continue to weigh on our collective consciousness. [Read more]( [PS. Give the gift of knowledge]( Project Syndicate publishes and provides, on a not-for-profit basis, original commentary by the world's leading thinkers to more than 500 media outlets in over 150 countries. This newsletter is a service of [Project Syndicate](. [Change your newsletter preferences](. Follow us on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [YouTube](. © Project Syndicate, all rights reserved. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](.