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Donald Trump – Aggravator or Catalyzer of the European Crises?

This text was originally presented at a public lecture at the  University of Pretoria, South Africa, on February 15, 2017. Introduction One might reasonably ask what is actually special about …

Germany Cannot Replace the U.S., But Europe Can Live with Trump

There is ample evidence that there has been a major shift toward a greater international role for Germany and that the public is gradually accepting such a bigger role. Germany …

The New Parameters of German Foreign Policy

The election of Donald Trump threatens to radically change the parameters of German foreign policy that go back to the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949. Germany has benefited …

Uncertainty Surrounds the Putin-Trump Relationship

Few issues stir more concerns—and confusion—about where the Trump administration is heading than relations with Russia. Several Cabinet secretaries, during their confirmation hearings and subsequent statements, voiced strong support for …

Expectations for the Munich Security Conference

The Munich Security Conference convenes at a time of the great unraveling of the world order.   The world is less stable and more uncertain than it has been for years. …

Berlin’s New Pragmatism in an Era of Radical Uncertainty

Germany has emerged as the EU’s central economic and political power in today’s crisis-ridden Europe. The U.K., after the Brexit vote, has probably dropped out of global crisis management for …

From the AGI Bookshelf: A World in Disarray

Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, has to have a broad horizon when looking at the world, as he shows in his latest book, A World in …

Looking to Germany: What Berlin Can and Can’t Do for the Liberal Order

With U.S. President Donald Trump poised to pull the United States back from global leadership and with the United Kingdom mired in a messy withdrawal from the European Union, Germany …

Standing United: The Women’s March on Washington

President Donald Trump’s sexist remarks made during the 2016 campaign, such as calling a former Miss Universe winner “Miss Piggy” or alluding to a female reporter’s menstrual cycle, have caused …

How to Kill an Idea: An American’s Observations on the NPD Party-Ban Proceedings

How should a democracy protect itself from forces that seem intent on destroying freedom and open discourse?  The German constitution (Basic Law) establishes a “militant democracy” that is prepared to …

Despite Trump, Germany Should Not Fall for “Equidistance”

The election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States has sent shockwaves through Berlin. Among others, Trump’s sympathetic gestures toward Russia put Germany in an awkward …

History Does Not Repeat Itself. People Do.

It is said that Mark Twain once commented, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Maybe a more accurate version is that history doesn’t repeat itself, but people often …