AGI
Jeffrey Rathke

Jeff Rathke

President of AGI

Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American-German Institute at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining AGI, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department’s engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany. His Washington assignments have included deputy director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs and duty officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center.

Mr. Rathke was a Weinberg Fellow at Princeton University (2003–2004), winning the Master’s in Public Policy Prize. He also served at U.S. Embassies in Dublin, Moscow, and Riga, which he helped open after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr. Rathke has been awarded national honors by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as several State Department awards. He holds an M.P.P. degree from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University. He speaks German, Russian, and Latvian.

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jrathke@aicgs.org

Recent Content

Reset

Episode 36: The Politics of Drones and the Future of Germany’s Defense Policy

Germany has dramatically increased its defense spending since the wake-up call of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine – the 2020 defense budget is 40% greater …

The CDU – Finally! – Will Choose Its New Leader

But Will the Winner Make Way for Markus Söder as Chancellor Candidate? The slow-motion departure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel enters a new phase this weekend, as her Christian Democratic …

Jeff Rathke Pens Op-Ed for The Hill on EU-China Deal

AGI President Jeff Rathke’s recent opinion piece, “How should Biden respond to the EU-China Deal?” was published on The Hill on Wednesday. He offers detailed analysis of the steps the …

Jeff Rathke Joins Deutsche Welle to Discuss U.S.-Germany Military Policy

AGI President Jeff Rathke joined Deutsche Welle’s The Day with Phil Gayle last Friday to comment on the National Defense Authorization Act as well as the bipartisan effort from Congress …

Episode 35: The Christian Democratic Union after Merkel: The Race for CDU Chairmanship and the 2021 Federal Election

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not stand for re-election when voters go to the polls on September 26, 2021. Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is one of the most successful …

Guido Goldman: Transatlantic Bridge-Builder

This week began sadly with the news that Guido Goldman passed away at age 83. Guido was known to so many in the transatlantic community as an institution-builder: at Harvard’s …

Jeff Rathke on Obama’s Views of Relationships with Key EU Partners

AGI President Jeff Rathke joined Deutsche Welle’s The Day with Brent Goff to discuss excerpts from President Barack Obama’s recently published memoir, in which Obama discusses the United States’ as …

Jeff Rathke on the Biden Administration’s Approach to Europe

Looking at how a new Biden administration will approach Europe, AGI President Jeff Rathke is cautious, telling Handelsblatt (in German) that domestic concerns will supersede foreign relations, especially when politically …

Episode 34: Berlin Wall: The View from the West

Images of the fall of the Berlin Wall dominate the public consciousness when thinking about the end of the Cold War. Photos of jubilant Germans standing atop the symbol of …

Episode 33: The German Approach to China and the Indo-Pacific

Germany’s relationship with China is one of Berlin’s top priorities. In the past few years, a crucial debate has taken place in Germany and has broadened the issues in the …

Jeff Rathke on Transatlantic Relations after the U.S. Election

Asked how transatlantic relations should look after the U.S. presidential election, AGI President Jeff Rathke tells Handelsblatt (in German) that Washington should prioritize shared interests where the U.S. and its …