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 …
The State of Tension
A Necessary Tool or a Step Too Far? “Germany is not at war, but it is not at peace either.” Statements like this have become increasingly common in recent months. …
Germany’s Accession to the United Nations Command and Why It Matters
The Korean Peninsula has once again become the focus of global attention. This is not only due to an attempt by South Korean President Yoon to impose martial law, which …
The Ukraine War and the German Election
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in the Bundestag on December 16, setting the stage for an early election expected on February 23, 2025. This was the culmination …
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Germany’s Military Deployment to Lithuania
Rough Terrain Ahead for the Bundeswehr The Eurasian lynx is the largest wild cat native to Lithuania. Soon, this cat will be joined in its forested habitat by much larger, …
AGI Profiles: Jens Plötner
Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to Chancellor Olaf Scholz Jens Plötner was appointed Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to Olaf Scholz in December 2021. His official title is Ministerial Director, …
The Transatlantic Community and the Global South in the Age of Great Power Rivalry
In 1980, the Independent Commission for International Development Issues, chaired by former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, published a landmark report entitled “North-South: A Program for Survival.” In the midst of …
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius Delivers Address at Johns Hopkins University
On Thursday, May 9, the American-German Institute and the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies co-hosted German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in …
A Zeitenwende for Science and Technology Research?
In March 2024, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research published its “Position Paper on Research Security in Light of Zeitenwende.” The document asserts that Germany’s approach to science …
Small Carrots, Hypothetical Sticks, and Phantom Hopes
Scholz’s Visit to China Showcases Parallel Practice to Germany’s China Strategy Nine months after the release of Germany’s first China Strategy, Chancellor Olaf Scholz returned to China at the head …
Revising Germany’s Playbook
For More European Unity When faced with criticism about his commitment to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz usually reminds audiences of numbers—German military support to Kyiv is the highest in Europe—and …
One Year in: How Is Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy Doing?
A year ago, the German foreign ministry launched “Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy,” guidelines committing to a feminist foreign policy by strengthening the rights, resources, and representation of women and girls …
German Strategic Culture
Small Steps or Side-Stepping? Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German chancellor Olaf Scholz is still in search of the right balance between courage and prudence in addressing the …
