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 46: Transatlantic Trade Policy for the Future: Climate, WTO, and China

Trade is one of the most important elements in the transatlantic relationship, and the values of open and fair competition have underpinned efforts by the United States and the European …

Episode 45: Democracy as the Victor in Germany’s Federal Election

The September 26 German federal election marked a notable decline of the traditional big-tent parties (Volksparteien) and significant gains by the Green Party and the liberal Free Democratic Party, who …

Episode 44: Climate Policy and International Economic and Financial Cooperation

Climate policy has become a major issue in German domestic politics and was a key topic for the recent German federal election. All major political parties in Germany included climate …

After the Vote

Political Dynamics as Coalition Negotiations Begin The result of Germany’s September 26 election is inconclusive in the sense that the composition of the next government remains unknown. But the situation …

Germany Buys Pipeline Peace with Washington at the Price of Owning Russian Misbehavior

The United States and Germany, seeking to lower the temperature in their six-year-old dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, issued a joint statement on July 21, 2021. The …

From “The Hub” at JHU: Angela Merkel receives Johns Hopkins honorary doctorate

On July 15, 2021, German Chancellor Angela Merkel received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa) from Johns Hopkins University. AGI President Jeff Rathke presented the closing remarks of …

AGI President Jeff Rathke Looks Back on Merkel’s Relationships with Four U.S. Presidents

AGI President Jeff Rathke spoke recently with the BBC about Angela Merkel’s relationships with presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden during her nearly sixteen-year tenure …

AGI President Jeff Rathke Joins CNAS Podcast “Brussels Sprouts”

President of AGI Jeff Rathke was recently a guest on the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) podcast, “Brussels Sprouts.” Along with Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, and Cathryn Clüver, …

AGI Experts Preview Merkel’s Visit to Washington

Securing a Transatlantic Legacy Jeff Rathke, President Chancellor Merkel makes her last official visit to Washington just weeks before the September 26 Bundestag election will punctuate her path-breaking career as …

Berlin and Washington Revive Their Defense Partnership

Will Germany’s Next Government Address its Defense Spending Dilemma? German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer visited Washington on June 30, developing Germany’s emerging role as one of the Biden administration’s most …