As German political parties realign, environment will be a key issue - op-ed

German politics are undergoing a realignment, and the environment will be a key flashpoint in the future, argues Alexander Görlach of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in an op-ed for The New York Times. The traditional left-right divide on economic and social issues is breaking down, replaced by a new divide between highly-educated, socially liberal urban residents and more traditional rural voters. That’s in part because the major parties are not offering compelling answers to new challenges like technology and climate change, while the Green Party and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) do, according to Görlach. Those questions include major quandaries for Germany, Görlach argues, like “How should a country that has become an export powerhouse thanks in part to its fast cars position itself in a world being destroyed by the carbon-based economy?”