Seeds of Hope in Bloom
There are many anniversaries in 2015 tied to the end of World War II, now seven decades ago. The capitulation of Germany and Japan ended a war in which many …
Elections and Expectations: Lessons for 2016
Fascination with the American presidency is a phenomenon around the world, and Germany is no exception. Indeed, it is particularly fixated on the process of choosing the next White House …
Channel Crossings: British Choices Ahead
As Chancellor Angela Merkel tries to hold the European Union together in dealing with the turmoil around Greece, Cyprus, and Hungary flirting with Moscow amid the myriad other centrifugal forces …
Broadening the Bandwidth of Transatlantic Relations
For those who make the rounds of conferences on the transatlantic circuit, there is often a tendency to find similar groups assembled around similar topics drawing similar conclusions about the …
A European Army: Who Speaks For Europe?
At a time when the challenge in Europe is holding together a common currency under enormous duress, the idea of creating a common European army might seem—at a minimum—a bit …
Scheitert Europa? Joschka Fischer
It’s been ten years since Joschka Fischer, together with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, piloted Germany’s foreign policy in the first national Red-Green government. His seven-year tenure was marked by military deployments …
Consulting a Compass in Dealing with Putin
The murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow has added another dimension to the German debate over relations with Russia. The stand-off between the opposition and Putin’s sympathizers …
Germany’s Policy Preoccupations: Taking Stock Ahead of the German Foreign Policy Review
Last year, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier requested a review of Germany’s foreign policy by a wide range of German and non-German foreign policy experts. The results of that review …
A Glimpse of 2016 in Hamburg?
The results of the February 15 elections in the city-state of Hamburg were a mix of forgone conclusions and some surprises. It was a given that the Social Democrats (SPD) …
The Struggle to Define a Leadership Agenda
Perhaps it was intentional for the White House to have Susan Rice present a new National Security Strategy in Washington on February 6—the first day of the world’s largest and …
Forging the Agenda of Transatlantic Relations in 2015
In advance of the upcoming Munich Security Conference, AICGS President Dr. Jackson Janes explores the challenges confronting transatlantic relations now and in the coming decade.
Remembering Richard von Weizsäcker
The recent death of Richard von Weizsäcker is an occasion to reflect on the role he played in shaping Germany’s ability to come to grips with its past and face …