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. …
Episode 145: Transatlantic Fractures and the Future of U.S. Relations with Europe
The United States is reevaluating its place in the world, not only because of President Trump. The metamorphosis in American politics is affecting U.S. foreign policy profoundly, as well as …
The With-Limits Partnership
The March 3 visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Washington was planned well before the launch of the American and Israeli war on Iran. While the U.S. military action …
Deterrence Under Uncertainty
Europe’s Long-Range Strike Dilemma A Familiar Dilemma in a New Strategic Era The American security umbrella has leaks, the chancellor says. At first glance, this line could easily be mistaken …
Recent Authors
AGI provides knowledge, insights, and networks as tools to solve the challenges ahead.
Support Our Work
Merz Aims to Improve Coordination, Shore up Party Support with Chancellery Shakeup
In office just eight months, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has replaced his once closest aide as part of an effort to demonstrate his focus on economic reform, improve coordination between …
Episode 139: The German-Polish Relationship amid Changing European Security Challenges
The European security landscape is shifting. The United States is pressuring Europe to manage the defense of its region, and many NATO allies have growing doubts about the long-term reliability …
A Disastrous Year in German-American Relations
2025 will surely go down as the worst in German-American relations since World War II. To be sure, there have been many deep disagreements since the formation of the German-American …
Deterrence by Self-Defense?
Ukraine, Security Guarantees, and Transatlantic Relations Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, seized Crimea, and occupied parts of the Donbas region, a major question confronting transatlantic policymakers has been …
Episode 138: The Trump Administration, the AfD, and German Foreign Policy
Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been known for its foreign policy embrace of Russia and China, but in recent months, the party has turned its sights on building ties …
The Minilateral Turn in Transatlantic Security Cooperation?
How Minilateralism Fits into Trump’s Deal-Making Foreign and Security Policy Only two weeks after the re-election of Donald J. Trump as the forty-seventh president of the United States, the defense …
Episode 137: Friedrich Merz: Foreign Policy Chancellor
Chancellor Merz has received praise internationally for many German foreign policy and defense initiatives in 2025: suspending the “debt brake” to allow for more security investments, expanding the Bundeswehr, committing …
Deterrence, Defense, and Resilience in Space
Germany’s First Space Safety and Security Strategy As announced in the 2025 coalition agreement, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defense and the Federal Foreign Office have unveiled the country’s first-ever Space …
The Far-Right Alternative for Germany Seeks Friends in Washington
How Compatible is the AfD’s Foreign Policy with American Interests? Before Friedrich Merz became the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), he articulated a number of goals, and one …
