The Secret of Strobe Talbott’s and Bill Clinton’s Friendship
New Insight from Strobe Talbott’s Diaries Senior staff turnovers within the White House or the executive branch are not uncommon. There are many reasons, including firing, exhaustion, overwork, political loyalty, …
A Zeitenwende in Germany’s Israel Policy?
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2008 speech in the Israeli Knesset set a lasting foreign policy precedent by declaring that Israel’s security was a matter of German Staatsräson—a fundamental German “reason …
Episode 130: Germany’s Transatlantic Coordinator on U.S.-German Relations
Germany’s defense commitments are beginning to match the ambitions of the Zeitenwende, and Germany’s increased investments in European security are being noted in Washington. In his first visit to the …
Strobe Talbott and the Rise of the Liberal Post-Cold War Order
Currently, we are witnessing enormous stress on the institutions established in the post-Cold War era. A new era of great power competition and a revival of authoritarianism threaten to undermine …
Germany is Back
Chancellor Merz, Defense Investment, and the NATO Summit Since Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine more than eleven years ago, German leaders have struggled to find a fitting response to the …
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Chancellor Merz and Germany’s ‘New Determination’
In a June 24 address to the German parliament, Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a Regierungserklärung (government declaration) that highlighted a profound shift in Germany’s strategic outlook, characterized by what he …
Merz Bridges G7 Disputes, Eyes NATO
The 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, opened under the weight of low expectations and closed under the shadow of deepening transatlantic fault lines. The headlines surrounding the summit were …
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s European Vision, and the Constraints of German Coalition Politics
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been having quite a run. His chancellorship stumbled briefly out of the gate, with a second round of voting necessary in the Bundestag on May …
The American Revolution and Transatlantic Relations
History reminds that there is risk in forcing your vassals to become militarily self-sufficient. A people enjoying the protection of an offshore great power bristles at being asked to pay …
Memo for Merz
Safeguarding German Security in a Turbulent World Dear Friedrich Merz, Congratulations on your election victory. Your party scored slightly lower than expected, but the CDU/CSU once again emerged as Germany’s …
Germany’s Zeitenwende 2.0: This Time for Real?
Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Change in Germany’s Foreign and Security Policy Amid Coalition Negotiations For years, European and transatlantic allies have urged Germany to take on greater responsibility for …
AGI at the Munich Security Conference
The American-German Institute hosted a series of events in Germany during the week of the Munich Security Conference. AGI President Jeff Rathke spoke to the media about the relationship between …
