When Muddling Through Makes Sense
The recent international agreement in Geneva does very little to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, but it has bought time for all parties involved. The Russians will likely try to …
The End of the Step-by-Step Approach
Germany’s hope that Russian president Vladimir Putin might tolerate a face saving opportunity for all parties involved in the Ukrainian crisis is fading fast. A nebulous solution at the negotiating …
AGI Insights on the West and Ukraine during Steinmeier’s Visit
Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s trip to Washington was intended to serve as a reset button in the close, but strained U.S.-German relationship. The German foreign minister largely succeeded in this task. However, …
The State of the (European) Union
According to some German media reports, old cracks between finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble and his boss Angela Merkel have reappeared. It’s a déjà vu moment all over again, as the …
ECB in a Holding Pattern
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has issued a stern warning about the growing dangers of deflation. In a speech in Washington on January 15, she …
The German Trade Surplus, Bane or Boon?
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew traveled to Germany this week to promote the Obama administration’s views on what the new government in Berlin should do in order to …
From the AGI Bookshelf: Holding the Shop Together
We have recently added a new valuable study to our bookshelf: Holding the Shop Together (Cornell University Press, 2013) is a study on German industrial relations in the postwar era …
Credit for Growth: The Future Role of Traditional Banking and Capital Markets – Comparing the United States to Europe
Introduction Six years after the worst financial crisis in more than fifty years, the banking sector is still undergoing profound changes. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic are tightening …
Waiting for Action: Euro Zone Challenges Continue During Long Coalition Negotiations
There is growing unease in Germany and abroad about the lengthy negotiations between the Christian Democrats of Chancellor Angela Merkel and their potential coalition partners, the Social Democrats. Some commentators …
Shaping Transatlantic Solutions: Challenges of the 2012 and 2013 Elections
The U.S. elections in 2012 and the German elections in 2013 demonstrate that, despite their geographic distance, the two countries are confronted by both similar and shared problems: debt crises, …
German-American Fault Lines
Austerity versus growth is back with a vengeance. German politicians were caught completely off guard by the latest U.S. Treasury report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies. …
Fighting over Backstops: Who Should Pay for Troubled Banks?
The European Central Bank (ECB) has published it’s criteria for a comprehensive assessment of banks’ balance sheets. This move represents the opening salvo in what should be the final round …