Earlier this year, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party was poised to hold onto power even after its leader stepped down. But now, the uncharismatic head of the rival Social Democrats is on track to win an upcoming national election. POLITICO’s Chief Europe Correspondent Matt Karnitschnig reports. Plus, manufacturers urge the Biden administration to drop its push to waive intellectual property protections for Covid vaccines. And the White House buys at least 60 million over-the-counter Covid-19 test kits.

Matt Karnitschnig is POLITICO's Chief Europe Correspondent.
Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.

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