FEATURED COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

New Atlanticist
May 6, 2025

Is Merz’s double-take chancellor vote a sign of things to come in Germany?

By
Jörn Fleck and Jurek Wille

It took two rounds of voting in the Bundestag to elect Friedrich Merz chancellor, a sign of division unprecedented in modern German history.

Defense Policy
Elections

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Germany’s economy has gone from engine to anchor. Here’s what the next chancellor faces.

By
Piotr Arak

Revitalizing growth in Germany’s economy, which appears increasingly mired in stagnation, will demand urgent action from the next chancellor.

Economy & Business
Elections

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

New Atlanticist
Feb 4, 2025

The next German chancellor must lead from the front, not the middle, on European security

By
Rachel Rizzo, James Batchik

From support for Ukraine to defense spending, German leaders would be wise to take the phrase Führung aus der Mitte permanently out of their vocabulary.

Elections
Germany

Events

Public Event
Thu, July 24, 2025 • 8:45 am ET

Germany’s digital minister on Europe’s digital competitiveness

Digital Policy
Economy & Business
Germany

Online Event
Tue, May 6, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

What to expect from Germany’s next government

Elections
Europe & Eurasia
European Union
Germany

Program

The Europe Center promotes the transatlantic leadership and strategies required to ensure a strong Europe.

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Content

IranSource

Aug 7, 2019

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

By Gert Hilgers

On July 31, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced Germany’s refusal to join a US-led military mission to safeguard the international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian aggression and criticized what he called America’s “maximum tension” approach.

European Union Germany

EconoGraphics

Jul 23, 2019

My Way or the Huawei: 5G at the Center of US-China Strategic Competition

By OLE MOEHR | GRAPHICS BY MARIANNA ASLUND, NICK BROWN, ANDREW LASCALEIA

On July 22, President Trump met with a group of major tech CEOs to discuss the easing of some restrictions on US companies supplying high-tech parts to Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. In May, the US Commerce Department banned US companies from selling any products to Huawei. The Chinese company’s position as the world’s leading provider of 5G technology has made it a focal point of the escalating great power competition between China and the United States. This edition of the EconoGraphic explains the US government’s move to blacklist Huawei, outlines the ban’s potential costs, and describes why US allies are conflicted about banning Huawei.

China Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Jun 17, 2019

What Zelenskyy should say in Berlin

By Diane Francis

Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union broke up the empire and its people have paid a monstrous price for generations. It’s time that Europe finally recognized its responsibility to this worthy nation, yearning to be free from Russian tyranny.

Energy Markets & Governance Eurozone

UkraineAlert

May 17, 2019

Nazi-Soviet Pact anniversary can help Zelenskiy heal Ukraine’s totalitarian trauma

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine’s President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy waded into the bloodstained waters of the country’s memory wars during WWII memorial events in early May, posting a picture of himself alongside a Soviet veteran and a former member of Ukraine’s Insurgent Army with the message: “The key to peace today is unity among all Ukrainians.” This was something of […]

Civil Society Conflict

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2019

Here’s what to expect from Germany’s European vote

By Jörn Fleck

The outcome of the election in the European Union’s largest economy and most populous member state will not impact Germany’s broadly pro-European Union (EU) positions and strategy in significant ways.

Elections European Union

NATOat70

Apr 3, 2019

Germany, NATO, and Transatlantic Security

NATO Engages 2019 “Statement and Conversation: Germany, NATO, and Transatlantic Security”    Speaker: Heiko Maas, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany   Moderator: Karen Donfried, President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States   Location:  Washington, D.C.   Time:  4:25 p.m. EDT Date:  Wednesday, April 3, 2019  

Germany NATO

NATOat70

Apr 3, 2019

Germany will meet its NATO commitments, foreign minister says

By David A. Wemer

NATO gave Germany a “second chance,” according to Maas. “We Germans won’t forget that.”

Defense Policy Germany

New Atlanticist

Apr 3, 2019

Pence takes Germany to task over defense spending

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US vice president also warns Turkey against purchase of Russian missile defense system.

Germany NATO

Inflection Points

Mar 9, 2019

Dear Europe: Renaissance or unraveling?

By Frederick Kempe

Across Europe, Macron has been unable to personally integrate other pro-EU forces and sometimes appears aloof from what other Europeans think.

European Union France

SyriaSource

Feb 26, 2019

Syrian refugees’ struggle with temporary status in Germany

By Hosam al-Jablawi

Just a few months separated the arrival of Syrian refugees Ahmad al-’Awda and his friend Mahmud al-Agha to Germany. Both of them fled from the war in their country that started in 2011. Al-’Awda arrived in Germany in January 2016 and al-Agha arrived in May 2015. This short eight month difference separating their arrivals was enough to guarantee that al-’Awda would not be able to apply to bring his family, who are still in Syria, because he did not get permanent residency in Germany. Rather, due to a series of laws, the German authorities have been granting only temporary residence papers to Syrian refugees.

Germany Syria
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Experts

Fellow

Nik Foster

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Energy & Environment

Fellow

Samuel Denney

Nonresident Fellow

Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Tyson Barker

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Staff

James Batchik

Associate Director

Europe Center

Central Europe Digital Policy

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Noel Coenraad

Strategy Advisor, Vattenfall AB

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy Transitions Germany

Fellow

Hanna Dohmen

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Chinese
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