Benedict’s Benediction
In the week’s At Issue, executive director Jack Janes examines the debates surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s first state visit to his native Germany as he seeks to rebuild the bridge between moral, religious beliefs and modern-day western society.
Pirates’ Strong Showing in Berlin Elections Surprises Even Them
In his piece “Pirates’ Strong Showing in Berlin Elections Surprises Even Them” from the New York Times, frequent AICGS contributor Nicholas Kulish examines the rise of the Pirate Party to their first ever seats in a state Parliament and asks whether they should be taken seriously.
“Ich bin ein Berliner”- The Immigrant vote in the Berlin elections of 2011
In her essay entitled “‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ – The immigrant vote in the Berlin elections of 2011,” current DAAD/AICGS Fellow Henriette Rytz examines the role, or lack thereof, that immigrants play in Berlin’s elections. While the parties may focus on the issue of integration for immigrant voters, this may not be in line with their real concerns as citizens of both Berlin and Germany.
Losses, Legacies, Lessons
In this week’s At Issue, Executive Director Jack Janes examines where we stand a decade beyond September 11, 2001 and how Germany and the United States can confront the losses and legacies of 9/11, while building on lessons learned in shaping a shared agenda for the future.
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Support Our WorkKommunale Integrationspolitik
Former DAAD/AICGS Fellow Dr. Scott Stock Gissendanner writes that a paradigm shift has occurred in the national framework for local integration policies, resulting in a higher level of policy standardization at the local level. In an essay that was supported by research completed during his stay at AICGS, Dr. Stock Gissendanner argues that as communities try to integrate immigrant populations, the goal is for full integration with permanent residence, a goal which comes from centralized planning at the federal level. This essay originally appeared in the February 14, 2011, edition of Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte and is available in German only.
Women Nudged Out of German Workforce
As Europe’s economic powerhouse, Germany has rebounded from the global crisis in an amazing fashion. Yet, this success has not applied to women in the workplace, writes former Zeit Stiftung/AICGS Fellow Katrin Bennhold. Even with one of the world’s most powerful political figures in Angela Merkel, Germany has yet to break through many of the cultural taboos that have limited the ascension of women in leadership. This article originally appeared in the June 29, 2011, edition of The International Herald Tribune.
Turkey After the Elections – Where is it Heading?
While prevailing opinion delivered by most of Germany’s newspapers labeled the Turkish election results as a major setback for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party, looking at the numbers will quickly make it clear that the AKP is far from legitimately being considered the election’s loser writes DAAD/AICGS Fellow Rana Deep Islam. Mr. Islam examines the election results and argues that the outcome will have a significant impact on Turkey’s foreign policy strategies in dealing with the greater Middle East.
Germany’s Exit from History?
Buffeted by European and global headwinds, many in Germany wish for their country to “exit from history” and chart a more peaceful and insular course. But as Ludger Kühnhardt, Director at the Center for European Integration Studies at Universität Bonn and a regular contributor to the Advisor, argues, Germany can only engineer a good future for its people as an engine of further European integration, as a partner of the United States and as a defender of universal human rights. This essay originally appeared in the June 14, 2011, edition of The Globalist.
The May 22 Election in Bremen – AGI Coverage
Another Land election, another historical result for the Greens: For the first time ever, the Greens bested the CDU, coming in a strong second in the May 22 elections. The SPD will retain power in coalition with the Greens, but the headline remains the Greens’ success and the failure of the CDU and FDP in the smallest of the Bundesländer. Pundits have labeled Bremen as the ‘final warning’ for Chancellor Merkel’s federal coalition ahead of the 2013 federal election, further showing the CDU’s weakness in large cities and the lasting impact of Fukushima on German voters.
Germany, Israel, and the “Special Relationship”
In a new AICGS Podcast, AICGS Fellows Dr. Lily Gardner Feldman and Prof. Dr. Michael Brenner discuss with Dr. Jackson Janes the status of Germany’s “special relationship” with Israel after Chancellor Merkel’s visit and bilateral cabinet meetings, focusing on Germany’s role in the greater Middle East and the importance of interaction at all levels of society.
A Green Future? Implications of the 2011 Land Elections in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg
In the case of the recent Land elections in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, the use of the word ‘sensational,’ for once, seems justified, writes Dr. Simon Green, Professor of Politics at Aston University, UK, and a frequent contributor to the Advisor. The results show that the Greens are the party of the moment, Dr. Green contends, but the realities of governing in Baden-Württemberg will present a challenge and at the federal level, Chancellor Merkel’s position continues to look somewhere between safe and unassailable.
