Lage der Nation

Lage der Nation is a German politics podcast started in 2016 by journalist Philip Banse and judge Ulf Buermeyer. Each episode examines government legislation, judicial decisions, and foreign affairs through factual reporting and legal analysis. The hosts record conversations independently without ties to a media network or publishing house.

Banse worked in public radio reporting, while Buermeyer served as a judge at the regional court in Berlin and led the civil rights organization Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte. The project began in March 2016 after the two hosts decided to examine weekly federal policy debates in an extended discussion format. Standard episodes last between 90 and 120 minutes and conclude with a correction section that addresses factual critiques sent by listeners. In 2019, the show introduced a paid subscription plan called Lage Plus to distribute ad-free audio files.

Live stage appearances started in 2018 with ticketed public events in cities including Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. Special interview episodes feature discussions with government officials and political candidates, including German politician Robert Habeck in 2021 to examine coalition negotiations and energy transition plans. During the coronavirus crisis in 2020, discussions detailed the legal limits of curfews and emergency orders under the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. An episode in April 2021 analyzed the climate protection ruling delivered by the Federal Constitutional Court.

Apple named Lage der Nation podcast of the year in Germany in December 2016. In 2021, the Deutscher Podcast Preis awarded the show the audience prize in the news and politics category. Banse and Buermeyer authored the non-fiction book Baustellen der Nation, which Ullstein Verlag published in September 2023 to address civil administration and digital infrastructure. That volume reached number three on the Spiegel bestseller list for non-fiction hardcover books in September 2023. A live stage tour in 11 German cities accompanied the book release in October 2023.