Germany and Europe in the time of crisis: which convergence?

Practical information
Luncheon debatte dedicated to Ifri's corporate members, by invitation only.
With Hans Stark, Researcher, Secretary General of the Study Committee for Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
The last European summits, devoted to the eurozone rescue, saw Germany take a leadsership that Angela Merkel has long hesitated to accept. Is this leadership reliable? Does the European policy of Berlin lay on an internal consensus, or do the German eurosceptics risk to impose themselves accross the Rhine? The pro-European commitment of the federal government arouse few enthousiasm in the neighbour states, where some voix s'élèvent, reprochant à la chancelière de confondre leadership et hégémonie. Berlin se voit en outre accusé d'empêcher la BCE de prendre les mesures qui s'imposent.
La "question allemande" est-elle de retour ?
Other events

Assessing the Balance of Power between Europe and Russia
The evolving U.S. strategic posture and the intensification of the war in Ukraine are reshaping the security landscape in Europe. This context calls for a clear assessment of the balance of power between Europe and Russia.

Europe in turbulence: navigating a new world order without the United States?
The foundations of the post-1945 international order, long anchored by U.S. leadership, are shifting. Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, and strategic fatigue in Washington, the question arises: what if the United States no longer plays its pivotal role in international security? Simultaneously, the Global South is asserting new political and economic agency, complicating the old binaries of West vs. Rest. For Europe, this landscape is both a challenge and an inflection point.

The future of space cooperation in the new strategic context
The policy orientations of the Trump II administration profoundly challenge the foundations of international cooperation in space science and exploration. This shift reflects a broader trend of strategic disengagement and weakening of multilateral mechanisms in the space domain.