Looking for Germany’s Future in the Former East
A Week in Saxony On a warm Friday evening in late June, nearly 140 people gathered inside the former synagogue in Görlitz, Germany’s easternmost city. They had come from the …
Militant Democracy
The Party Banning Process in Germany The prospect of banning Germany’s premier right-wing populist party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), now classified as a suspected extremist party, is a topic …
Germany’s Changed View of Ukraine Driving Closer Military Cooperation
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and innovate on the battlefield, and U.S. unreliability if not outright hostility toward Germany have transformed Berlin’s view of Ukraine …
The Effects of Majoritarian vs. Non-Majoritarian Political Systems on the Queer Community
The United States and Germany have constructed their democratic political systems in distinct ways. These frameworks can pose particular challenges to achieving progress in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In …
The Fight over the Next EU Budget
Negotiations over the next European budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), have exposed deep divisions among member states. So-called ‘frugal countries,’ led by Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, …
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The Macroeconomy Strikes Back at France’s G7 Summit
The mantra of “manufacturing overcapacity”—in other words, China’s unfair competitive advantage in world markets owing to heavy state and provincial subsidies—has dominated the geoeconomic narrative on either side of the …
Activism and Storytelling in Germany’s Capital
From Weimar Berlin’s queer nightlife and groundbreaking research, to Cold War activism on both sides of the Berlin Wall, to today’s institutions and activists, Berlin has long been a center …
The AfD’s New Transatlantic Network
Tracking the AfD’s Engagement with the United States As the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained support domestically—exemplified by 20.8 percent of the vote in the 2025 Bundestag election—they have …
Merz’s Initiative on Ukraine’s EU Membership
Will He Follow Through? Chancellor Merz sees anchoring Ukraine in Europe as a security imperative for both sides and wants to move forward quickly to do so. He will try …
When Your Ally Is Not an Ally Anymore
Recently, the United States has seen immense turnover in policies and practices toward the LGBTQ+ community. One such reversal was the exclusion of transgender persons from the U.S. military. Alone, …
Germany and Foreign Military Intervention
With wars raging in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, Germany is responding with seriousness and urgency. Berlin has committed to spending 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense by …
Building on Legacy
Generational Differences Within the Queer Community In 1980s Berlin, queer life existed largely in the shadows. While reforms to Paragraph 175 in 1969 and 1973 partially decriminalized sex between men, …
In Search of Reforms
Why Merz is Struggling to Put Germany on a Growth Path Those who expected the Merz government to quickly fix Germany’s sluggish economy have good reasons to be disappointed. So …
The Bundeswehr as the Center of Europe’s Conventional Forces
Germany’s new military strategy unveiled in a paper of the Federal Ministry of Defense dated April 2026 is an answer to Trump’s challenge of NATO and America’s more fundamental cultural …
