The Case for a German Grand Strategy
The early morning hours of February 24, 2022, shocked many German citizens and politicians. War on the European continent had been perceived as a relic of the past; the notion …
Episode 133: The SPD and Its Foreign Policy Challenges
The center-left Social Democrats are the junior coalition partner in Friedrich Merz’s government, but they hold two of the most important portfolios for implementing Germany’s security policy revolution known as …
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Foreign Policy Approach
This is the first of a three-part series addressing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s approach to foreign and security policy, initial achievements, the key issues Merz faces through the end of …
The Secret of Strobe Talbott’s and Bill Clinton’s Friendship
New Insight from Strobe Talbott’s Diaries Senior staff turnovers within the White House or the executive branch are not uncommon. There are many reasons, including firing, exhaustion, overwork, political loyalty, …
A Zeitenwende in Germany’s Israel Policy?
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2008 speech in the Israeli Knesset set a lasting foreign policy precedent by declaring that Israel’s security was a matter of German Staatsräson—a fundamental German “reason …
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Support Our WorkEpisode 130: Germany’s Transatlantic Coordinator on U.S.-German Relations
Germany’s defense commitments are beginning to match the ambitions of the Zeitenwende, and Germany’s increased investments in European security are being noted in Washington. In his first visit to the …
Strobe Talbott and the Rise of the Liberal Post-Cold War Order
Currently, we are witnessing enormous stress on the institutions established in the post-Cold War era. A new era of great power competition and a revival of authoritarianism threaten to undermine …
Germany is Back
Chancellor Merz, Defense Investment, and the NATO Summit Since Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine more than eleven years ago, German leaders have struggled to find a fitting response to the …
Chancellor Merz and Germany’s ‘New Determination’
In a June 24 address to the German parliament, Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a Regierungserklärung (government declaration) that highlighted a profound shift in Germany’s strategic outlook, characterized by what he …
Merz Bridges G7 Disputes, Eyes NATO
The 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, opened under the weight of low expectations and closed under the shadow of deepening transatlantic fault lines. The headlines surrounding the summit were …
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s European Vision, and the Constraints of German Coalition Politics
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been having quite a run. His chancellorship stumbled briefly out of the gate, with a second round of voting necessary in the Bundestag on May …
Operation Plan Germany
Defense Is More Than Tanks and Drones Roughly a year ago, the German government took a significant step in the realm of homeland defense by adopting the classified “Operationsplan Deutschland” …
The American Revolution and Transatlantic Relations
History reminds that there is risk in forcing your vassals to become militarily self-sufficient. A people enjoying the protection of an offshore great power bristles at being asked to pay …
Episode 125: The Future of the U.S. Security Relationship with Europe
In his second term, President Trump has continued his criticism of NATO and European allies’ defense efforts while the United States pursues a reset with Russia—the main threat to European …
