Germany and European Security: Ready to Leave the Comfort Zone Yet?
2019 will be a pivotal year for European security. NATO, the central pillar of Europe’s security architecture to date, turns 70, while the gap between the United States and European …
The German Strategic Debate Gets Serious
As the annual Munich Security conference convenes this weekend, the debate on how Germany and Europe should respond to the Trump administration’s positions on NATO and the European Union (EU) …
Does Germany Need a Plan B?
Thomas Bagger is one of the most thoughtful diplomats of his generation. Currently the Director of Foreign Policy in the Office of the Federal President, he has previously served as …
Jeff Rathke on Voice of America’s “Encounter”
Jeff Rathke, AICGS President, and Thomas Wright, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, join host Carol Castiel on VOA’s “Encounter” program to …
Milestones with Mixed Messages: German-American Relations at 70
In 2019, we will mark a number of meaningful milestones in German-American relations: seventy years since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany and NATO and thirty years since …
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Getting Over the Cold War. Why German-American Relations Need a New Narrative
According to the planners of Germany’s current year-long public diplomacy campaign, Deutschlandjahr USA, Germany and the United States are “Wunderbar Together.” Under this—some would say catchy, some would say naïve—slogan, …
How a Public Relations Framework Can Help Us Rethink Transatlanticism
PR is often discounted as salesmanship or deception. But PR at its essence is about explaining something—an idea, a product, or a policy—in compelling terms. Drafting a public relations strategy …
Will Merkel’s Retreat Spark German Foreign Policy Renewal?
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has ruled Germany since 2005 and for 49 of the past 69 years—its election of a new party leader December 7 will have far-reaching impact …
Remembering George H. W. Bush and Germany: A True Partner in Leadership
The death of former president George H. W. Bush will be mourned in Germany as well as in his home country. He was, along with Harry Truman, the most consequential …
Episode 03: Burdensharing within NATO: Do more, spend more?
No relationship is without its difficulties and disagreements, not even between societies as close as the U.S. and Europe. For almost as long as NATO has existed, Washington has wanted …
Building a European Germany: Next Steps?
In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall—and subsequent German unity—was a dream come true for Germans. Over the next few years the dream of a larger Europe, whole and …
The Fate of Multilateralism: Can Civil Society Come to the Rescue?
Since the end of World War II, international cooperation has led to decades of unprecedented progress. From interconnected markets to the exchange of ideas and innovation, multilateral collaboration has set …
A New Approach to Europe?
Jeff Rathke Speaks at Helsinki Commission Briefing November 1, 2018 European countries and institutions like NATO and the European Union are our partners of first resort. And it is clear …
Merkel’s political exit is a kind of vindication for Trump
On what Chancellor Merkel’s decision to step down as CDU party leader could mean for President Trump and the transatlantic alliance, AICGS President Emeritus Jack Janes tells The Washington Post, …
