
Does Germany Need a National Security Council?
In an op-ed for Tagesspiegel Causa, AICGS Trustee Julianne Smith calls on Germany to engage a National Security Council, a stance recently reiterated by German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who …

Episode 14: Adapting to a New Foreign Policy Approach
Following the Bonn International Security Forum, AICGS President Jeff Rathke sat down with the hosts of the popular German-language podcast Sicherheitshalber to discuss the evolving dynamics of foreign and security …

The United States and Europe: The Need for Adaptation
The American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) and the German Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) convened a joint workshop on The U.S.-German Relationship: Partnership Under Stress? on June 25-26, …

Ohne Mich Once Again
The German government’s decision not to participate in a Western effort to respond to Iran’s actions in the Persian Gulf is not surprising but deeply disappointing nonetheless. It is not …

Episode 12: Memorializing Afghanistan: German and American Experiences
The United States, along with Germany and many U.S. allies, have been at war in Afghanistan for 18 years. It is the longest-running military operation in either country’s history and …
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Kramp-Karrenbauer’s Gamble, and Washington’s Opportunity
Ursula von der Leyen left the German defense ministry behind this week when she was confirmed as President of the European Commission by a narrow vote of the European Parliament. …

Sitting in a Schleudersitz
If Ursula von der Leyen and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer soon meet for a drink to discuss their respective new job prospects, one wonders which woman thinks she faces the greater challenge. …
Felix Berenskötter, Visiting Fellow
AICGS is pleased to welcome Felix Berenskötter as a Visiting Fellow in June 2019. Felix Berenskötter is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in International Relations at SOAS, University of London. He …

German Moralism Irritates Allies: Defense Spending and Export Controls
At a 2015 rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump considered the freedom of the press, assuring the crowd that while he hated some reporters, he wouldn’t kill …

Advancing the German-American Alliance
Updating the Transatlantic Partnership for the Next 70 Years AICGS-ECFR Berlin Symposium, May 15, 2019 The year 2019 marks several major anniversaries that trace the arc of the transatlantic relationship: …
Axel Heck, DAAD/AICGS Research Fellow
AICGS is pleased to welcome Axel Heck as a DAAD/AICGS Research Fellow from May to mid-July 2019. Dr. Axel Heck is a senior lecturer in International Relations at Kiel University …