FEATURED COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

The Importance of Being Angela Merkel

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

The Importance of Being Angela Merkel

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

The Importance of Being Angela Merkel

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

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

What to expect from Germany’s next government

Elections
Europe & Eurasia
European Union
Germany

Online Event
Tue, February 25, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

Debriefing Germany’s federal elections

Elections
European Union
Germany
Politics & Diplomacy

Program

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Content

New Atlanticist

Nov 20, 2017

The Importance of Being Angela Merkel

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Chancellor is vital for European solidarity on Russia sanctions, says Atlantic Council’s Fran Burwell If German Chancellor Angela Merkel were to step down from her role it would create uncertainty over the fate of sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine, according to Fran Burwell, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic […]

European Union Germany

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2017

Building Transatlantic Common Ground in Combating Global Warming

By Sonja Thielges

As the world gathered in Bonn for its twenty-third Conference of the Parties (COP23), the newly published Emissions Gap Report 2017 by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) helped to underline the mantra of the conference: all countries need to raise their climate protection efforts quickly and substantially. The report shows that even if fully […]

Germany United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2017

Bonn and Berlin: COP23 and Coalition Negotiations Face Climate Challenges

By Ellen Scholl

Both the international climate talks this week in the former West German capital of Bonn, and the negotiations over the future composition of the German government continuing this week in Berlin, will focus on the country’s approach to climate policy. While all eyes may be on Bonn, the discussions in Berlin provide a preview, and […]

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment
Hawk missile system fired during Saber Guardian exercise in Romania, July 19, 2017

NATOSource

Oct 25, 2017

NATO Faces Serious Shortcomings in Command Revamp

By Matthias Gebauer, Konstantin von Hammerstein, Peter Müller, and Christoph Schult, Spiegel

Since the end of June, a report marked “NATO SECRET” has been circulating in headquarters in Brussels that unsparingly lists the alliance’s weaknesses.

Germany NATO

In the News

Oct 25, 2017

Braw in WSJ: How Much Can Germany’s Military Expand?

By Elizabeth Braw

Read the full article here.

Germany

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2017

AfD’s Rise Puts Xenophobia Front and Center in Germany

By Adham Sahloul

The rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is unwelcome news for Germany’s minorities, particularly its four-million-plus Muslim community. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s re-election to a fourth term in office on September 24 was marred by the fact that the AfD made history by becoming the first nationalist political party to win seats in […]

Germany

UkraineAlert

Oct 2, 2017

Merkel’s Next Challenge: Defeating Putin in Central Eastern Europe

By Péter Krekó

Now that the German elections are over and the victorious Chancellor Angela Merkel is preparing for coalition talks with potential partners, two important questions arise: how will the political changes in Germany affect German-Russian relations, which have become embittered in the last few years? And what impact could the election have on Germany’s influence in […]

Germany Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2017

Merkel’s Re-Election Seen as Good News for Transatlantic Ties

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Germany’s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Wittig, cites ‘stability’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s re-election to a fourth term on September 24 is good news for the United States, which can continue to rely on Germany to be a “great transatlantic partner,” Germany’s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Wittig, said in an interview. “It […]

Germany

Trade in Action

Sep 28, 2017

TRADE IN ACTION September 28, 2017

By Global Business & Economics Program

THIS WEEK IN TRADEThis week saw the reelection of Angela Merkel as German Chancellor, with the introduction of the right wing AfD (Alternative for Germany) to the Bundestag as the most radical change. 

Economy & Business Germany

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2017

An Economic Roadmap for Germany

By Daniel Andrich

On September 24, Germany held an election for its federal parliament, the Bundestag, and as many forecasters had predicted, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as the strongest party.  For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, six political groups consisting of seven parties sit in the Bundestag. With new […]

Germany
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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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