The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Committee for the Study of Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
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Secretary General of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
Publications
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Research Areas
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Domestic Politics – Elections
The Domestic Politics – Elections research axis within the Committee on Franco-German Relations at Ifri provides an analysis of the German domestic politics, its dynamics, the evolution of the party systems, and the electoral geography of the German Federal Republic. It tackles the relations between the political sphere and society and economic structures. A particular attention is payed to the electoral process in the different “Länder” because of the specificities of the German federal system. The recent political evolutions, with the emergence of new forms of coalitions in the different “Länder” and at the federal level, as well as the persistent differences in the political behaviors between East and West Germany, 30 years after the reunification, will influence political evolutions at the federal level (“Bund”).
The Cerfa at Ifri analyzes these topics along numerous “Notes du Cerfa” and public events which will help understand electoral campaigns, but also the overarching consequences of the election results on the Franco German cooperation at the regional and national level and on the role, Germany embodies on the European and international stage.
Titre Axe de recherche
Germany on the world stage
In a changing world, Germany is more than ever seen as a factor of stability in the face of increasingly numerous and frequent crises. The longevity of its political staff, the power of its economic model and the appeal of its code of values and principles are certainly not unrelated. It embodies stability but can it also serve as a bulwark against the phenomenon of deconstruction of the multipolar order from 1945? The Islamist terrorist threat, the war in the Middle East, Russian expansionism, the unpredictability of the Trump administration, the rise of populism, the question of opening markets and the uncertainty about the future of the European Union constitute the various elements of a poly-crisis which undermines the foundations of German foreign policy. None of these challenges can be met alone or independently of others. Not to mention the dangers that lie ahead in the longer term.
In 2017, the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) published the collective work "Germany on the International Stage - In Search of Stability in a Changing World" (available in French), edited by Barbara Kunz, Hans Stark and Stephan Martens.
Publications
The European Union Industrial Strategy: Reconciling Competition and Geoeconomic Challenges
The EU’s basic assumptions, on which it grounds its economic and trade power, are being steadily cast into doubt. The EU’s main trade partners, the US and China, increasingly set their sights on securing their supply chains, which may further a potential decoupling.
Modernization of the Bundeswehr: Back to basics?
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the Bundeswehr has been led to refocus on territorial defense and collective security, which constituted the core of its activity for decades. This evolution break with the long period of efforts during which the Bundeswehr painfully tried to transform itself into an intervention army.
Germany, the “Zeitenwende” and the Future of NATO
Franco-German Civil Society: Object and Actor of Bilateral Relations. Balance and Perspectives after the Signing of the Treaty of Aachen
The treaty signed by France and Germany in Aachen on January 22, 2019 highlights the role of civil society in bilateral cooperation and aims to contribute to "bringing societies [and citizens in both countries] closer together".
The Karlsruhe Court Judgment: A Thunderclap from a Clear Sky?
In its judgment of 5 May 2020, the German Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe questioned the conditions under which the European Central Bank (ECB) had adopted a Public Sector Purchase Programme (PSPP), thus contradicting the position taken by the Court of Justice of the European Union in the same case.
German Economic Policy during the Corona-crisis. How Germany Intends to Support its Economy
Compared with other European countries, Germany’s management of the COVID-19 crisis has been efficient. Its health system has successfully coped with the challenge of the fight against the pandemic, the impact on employees has been mitigated thanks to allowances dedicated to furlough leave, business aids were important and quickly available, the government has been responsive.
Captain in the Storm: Challenges and Opportunities for the German EU Council Presidency
The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins on July 1, 2020 at a time of acute crisis. It is facing unprecedented challenges and organizational constraints in a context marked by high expectations from its European partners.
Breakthrough for Decentralized Franco-German cooperation? Perspectives after the Aachen Treaty
The development of Franco-German cooperation can be described as an intergovernmental process. Depending on the perspective, the capacity for innovation of the relationship lies either with central decision-makers at the state level or with decentralized actors at the local level.
French Foreign Policy in the Age of Polycrisis
Under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, France has set itself the goal of strengthening its international presence, being more proactive and defining the European reform agenda. However, the French room for manoeuver is limited.
Sustaining Multilateralism in a Multipolar World. What France and Germany Can Do to Preserve the Multilateral Order
While international multilateralism is under strain, it is vital for France and Germany to defend it, since it is the most appropriate system for preserving their interests – particularly in terms of welfare, security, prosperity and environmental protection. Against this backdrop, three political fields offer opportunities for joint initiatives: trade, conventional arms control and climate change.
The Team
Our research fellows: The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
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