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E3 – Bricks and Bureaucracy

Andreas Becker | Nicolas Martin
December 4, 2025

Big construction projects take surprisingly long to complete in Germany. It can take a decade or longer to build an airport, a train station, or a concert hall — skyrocketing costs included. What happened to the country’s love of planning and efficiency? Now, a neighboring country that's not famous for timely execution is showing Germany how it’s done. Write to: Delayland@dw.com

https://p.dw.com/p/54hMP

Listen and subscribe to Delayland on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

 

Delayland is a DW-production, researched, written and produced by Andreas Becker and Nicolas Martin


Editor: Zulfikar Abbany
Audio editing and mixing: Simon Berkhahn 
Sound design: Warner Poland 
Cover Art: Nora Charlotte Tomm and Anke Jordan 

 

Feedback? Get in touch at delayland@dw.com

Becker Andreas Kommentarbild App
Andreas Becker Business editor with a focus on world trade, monetary policy and globalization.
Nicolas Martin
Nicolas Martin Editor with a focus on the global economy, globalization and organized crime.
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Skip next section About the show

About the show

Delayland Podcast Teaser

Delayland – Germany and the missing magic

Why don’t things run like they used to anymore in Germany, once dubbed an "economic miracle”? And how are other places getting things right? From the makers of Cannabis Cowboys, Delayland launched on November 27.

Go to show Delayland – Germany and the missing magic