AGI News
Martin Thunert, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow
Martin Thunert
Heidelberg University
Dr. Martin Thunert is a DAAD/AGI Research Fellow in fall 2026. He is Senior Research Fellow in Political Science and American Studies at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) at Heidelberg University (Germany). Between 2007 and 2024, he held the position of Senior Lecturer at the HCA. His research focuses on American and Canadian politics as well as on lobbying and policy advice, and certain aspects of transatlantic relations. Mr. Thunert studied in Germany, the UK, and Canada; has held academic positions in Germany and the United States (University of Michigan); was a John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies; and has worked as a staff assistant for the late U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He is the co-editor of Handbuch Politikberatung (Handbook on Policy Advice). Since 2007, he has served first as Coordinator and now as a Board Member of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s project Sustainable Governance Indicators (https://www.sgi-network.org/).
Dr. Thunert’s research at AGI examines whether the emergence of Canada as a strategic partner for Germany and the European Union represents a “Zeitenwende“ within the North Atlantic alliance—and, from an American perspective, does this emerging Canada–Germany–EU axis strengthen transatlantic burden-sharing or accelerate Europe’s strategic emancipation from the United States? His research will focus on four related questions: How and why have Germany and Canada expanded their strategic cooperation since the German “Zeitenwende” in 2022, and in which policy areas is this cooperation becoming most consequential? Could Canada develop a form of privileged or “associate” membership with the EU, and what institutional models could accommodate such a relationship? Would deeper Canada–EU defense and security cooperation complement NATO and U.S. security commitments or create parallel structures that weaken alliance cohesion? And finally—and most importantly: Under what conditions would Washington perceive a stronger Canada–Germany–EU relationship as burden-sharing, strategic hedging, or European autonomy at the expense of U.S. influence?
AGI is pleased to welcome Dr. Martin Thunert as a DAAD/AGI Research Fellow in fall 2026.
He is Senior Research Fellow in Political Science and American Studies at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) at Heidelberg University (Germany). Between 2007 and 2024, he held the position of Senior Lecturer at the HCA. His research focuses on American and Canadian politics as well as on lobbying and policy advice, and certain aspects of transatlantic relations. Mr. Thunert studied in Germany, the UK, and Canada; has held academic positions in Germany and the United States (University of Michigan); was a John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies; and has worked as a staff assistant for the late U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He is the co-editor of Handbuch Politikberatung (Handbook on Policy Advice). Since 2007, he has served first as Coordinator and now as a Board Member of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s project Sustainable Governance Indicators (https://www.sgi-network.org/).
Dr. Thunert’s research at AGI examines whether the emergence of Canada as a strategic partner for Germany and the European Union represents a “Zeitenwende“ within the North Atlantic alliance—and, from an American perspective, does this emerging Canada–Germany–EU axis strengthen transatlantic burden-sharing or accelerate Europe’s strategic emancipation from the United States? His research will focus on four related questions: How and why have Germany and Canada expanded their strategic cooperation since the German “Zeitenwende” in 2022, and in which policy areas is this cooperation becoming most consequential? Could Canada develop a form of privileged or “associate” membership with the EU, and what institutional models could accommodate such a relationship? Would deeper Canada–EU defense and security cooperation complement NATO and U.S. security commitments or create parallel structures that weaken alliance cohesion? And finally—and most importantly: Under what conditions would Washington perceive a stronger Canada–Germany–EU relationship as burden-sharing, strategic hedging, or European autonomy at the expense of U.S. influence?
