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 …
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 …
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 …
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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 …
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 …
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: …
Pompeo’s No-Show in Berlin: An Occasion for Less Outrage and Considering More Options
When U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo suddenly canceled his visit to Berlin citing “pressing issues,” many Germans felt insulted. It was taken as another slap in the face from …
The Changing Political Party Landscape in Germany
At first blush, Germany’s political party system appears surprisingly stable, at least when compared with dramatically shifting systems in other European countries. For example, Germany is certainly not France, where …
Axel Heck, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow
AGI is pleased to welcome Axel Heck as a DAAD/AGI Research Fellow from May to mid-July 2019. Dr. Axel Heck is a senior lecturer in International Relations at Kiel University …
