A Message to Brussels from the European Elections: We Accept the European Project but the Union Has to Change
European elections are a fundamentally democratic exercise, the second-largest (after India) democratic manifestation of the will of some 450 million eligible voters. There were attempts to interfere, manipulate, and even …
The 2019 State Elections in Bremen: A Mini-State of the Federal Republic of Germany with Maximum Political Impact on Germany’s Political Future
Bremen, with its 482,000 citizens, is the smallest state of the Federal Republic of Germany. Governed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as the strongest political force since 1946, last …
Keeping the “Evidence” in U.S. and German International Assistance
This past year saw a significant decline in development aid—a decrease of 3 percent to the world’s least developed countries, and of 4 percent in aid to Africa. Particularly in …
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 …
From Fear to Friendship: Franco-German Relations in 1949 and 2019
For the last seventy years, the Franco-German “couple” has constituted the center of European integration and peace in Europe. Reflection on the early stage of the relationship and on contemporary …
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The 70th Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany: Challenges and Opportunities for the German-American Future and the Atlantic Community
On May 23, 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany was established, a new state formed out of the zones of American, British, and French occupation. It was an incomplete step …
International Energy Policy at a Crossroads?
The Transatlantic Partners and the Future of Energy Energy policy is an area of international relations that has the potential to increase cooperation or spark conflict. When President Donald Trump …
Seventy Years as a Country of Immigrants: What’s Next for Germany?
In its seventy-year history, the Federal Republic of Germany has always been a highly desired destination for immigrants, not unlike some of its European neighbors and the United States. This …
From Bonn to Berlin: Seventy Years of the FRG
When I first visited Bonn in 1973, I had just read John le Carré’s “A Small Town in Germany.” Bonn was as he described it—a comfortable low-key atmosphere vastly different …
Sovereignty Regained, Economic Order Uncertain: Germany’s Social Market Economy at 70
The Federal Republic of Germany gained de jure sovereignty as a nation-state on May 23, 1949, but its road to de facto sovereignty—actual power to advance its interests in the …
Advancing the German-American Alliance
Updating the Transatlantic Partnership for the Next 70 Years AGI-ECFR Berlin Symposium, May 15, 2019 The year 2019 marks several major anniversaries that trace the arc of the transatlantic relationship: …
One Year GDPR: What Comes Next?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on May 25, 2018. Many EU and U.S. businesses rushed to take measures to comply with the new requirements. The GDPR …
