Reopening Germany’s Surrogacy Debate
A recent public revelation about a member of the Christian Democratic Party’s (CDU) leadership having a child through surrogacy unleashed a political storm in the party and has dramatically illuminated …
Looking for Germany’s Future in the Former East
A Week in Saxony On a warm Friday evening in late June, nearly 140 people gathered inside the former synagogue in Görlitz, Germany’s easternmost city. They had come from the …
Militant Democracy
The Party Banning Process in Germany The prospect of banning Germany’s premier right-wing populist party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), now classified as a suspected extremist party, is a topic …
Germany’s Changed View of Ukraine Driving Closer Military Cooperation
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and innovate on the battlefield, and U.S. unreliability if not outright hostility toward Germany have transformed Berlin’s view of Ukraine …
Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United States: Past, Present, and Future
A Three-Year AGI Project – Final Conference Summary The American-German Institute held a final conference in Washington, DC, for the three-year project, “Building LGBTQ+ Communities in Germany and the United …
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The Effects of Majoritarian vs. Non-Majoritarian Political Systems on the Queer Community
The United States and Germany have constructed their democratic political systems in distinct ways. These frameworks can pose particular challenges to achieving progress in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. In …
Heated Relations
The Past, Present, and Future of the LGBTQ+ Community in Germany and the United States For over a century, LGBTQ+ communities in Germany and the United States have fought for …
Germany and Foreign Military Intervention
With wars raging in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, Germany is responding with seriousness and urgency. Berlin has committed to spending 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense by …
In Search of Reforms
Why Merz is Struggling to Put Germany on a Growth Path Those who expected the Merz government to quickly fix Germany’s sluggish economy have good reasons to be disappointed. So …
The Bundeswehr as the Center of Europe’s Conventional Forces
Germany’s new military strategy unveiled in a paper of the Federal Ministry of Defense dated April 2026 is an answer to Trump’s challenge of NATO and America’s more fundamental cultural …
AGI Asks: Assessing the First Year of the Merz Government
Friedrich Merz was sworn in as Germany’s chancellor on May 6, 2025. The country faces its biggest challenges in a generation: a sluggish economy, Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, a …
U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Europe: AGI Expert Analysis in the Media
On April 29, U.S. President Donald Trump said the administration was reviewing troop numbers in Europe, and on May 1, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. …
Tariffs, Germany, and South Carolina
Bavaria West German business loves South Carolina, and South Carolina loves German business. Currently, there are over 270 German companies employing over 44,000 people based in South Carolina. They have …
Whither the Greens?
Özdemir’s unexpected triumph and the future of the party The Green Party, led by talismanic candidate Cem Özdemir, finished first on March 8 in the Baden-Württemberg state elections with 30.2 …
