Richard Grenell: An American Ambassador Leaves Berlin
In 1959, Eugene Burdick and William Lederer published a best-selling novel, The Ugly American. It was a searing critique of the American professional diplomatic corps and the lack of cultural …
Testing State Leaders in a Pandemic: The Rise of Andrew Cuomo and Markus Söder
“Never let a crisis go to waste.” So think many politicians when opportunities emerge to amplify their reputations. The truth is that crises do help politicians and voters to separate …
Choosing A Chancellor: from Bavaria to Berlin?
The abrupt departure of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) from the race to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor leaves several potential CDU candidates vying for the opportunity. The immediate focus has been …
The New German Math
The chaos in Thuringia is another sign that the German party system is fragmenting, with dangerous consequences both for Germany and for its role in Europe. The new German political …
Will There Be a German Trump?
Germany has been a model country for decades overcoming a dark past. Contemporary Germans have learned the lessons of their history and have resisted the temptations of a resurgent nationalism …
Great Expectations: Germany, America, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall Thirty Years Later
As Germany commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a look back to 1989 and the expectations that surrounded that momentous event reveals some that were …
Ohne Mich Once Again
The German government’s decision not to participate in a Western effort to respond to Iran’s actions in the Persian Gulf is not surprising but deeply disappointing nonetheless. It is not …
The End of a Not-So-Grand Coalition
The abrupt resignation of Andrea Nahles as chair of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is another sign that the Grand Coalition government is a zombie, still walking but otherwise quite …
The Past Shapes the Future: The German Constitution at 70
The Federal Republic of Germany celebrates its 70th birthday this year. Much has changed since 1949. Today, the FRG encompasses all of Germany and not just the West, as it …
Germany: Hegemon or Free Rider?
Germany has been the most pro-European of all the big players within the EU. Europe’s largest country in terms of population and economic weight, Germany has always been reluctant to …