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Paul
MAURICE

Research Interests:

  • German domestic politics, political parties and electoral geography in Germany
  • Germany on the world stage
  • Foreign and Security Policy of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • French-German relations and of European Integration
The Pariser Platz (Paris Square) on the east side of the Brandenburg Gate at Berlin, Germany
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
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Paul Maurice has been Secretary General of The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) since September 2024. He was Head of the Unit for Germany, Alpine and Adriatic Europe at the European Union Direction of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs from September 2022 to August 2024. He was previously a Research Fellow at Cerfa at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) from March 2020 to August 2022, where he worked particularly on issues of German domestic policy and Franco-German relations within the framework of European integration.

Paul Maurice holds a PhD in Contemporary History and German Studies from Sorbonne University, conducted under a Franco-German joint supervision agreement with Saarland University (Germany) and within the framework of the research unit UMR Sirice (Sorbonne, Identities, International Relations and Civilizations of Europe). He studied contemporary history and international relations at Paris-Sorbonne University and Freie Universität Berlin.

He also teaches at Sciences Po as part of the Master of the School of Public Affairs. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Allemagne d'aujourd'hui.

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Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2025, Ifri supports more than 80 French and foreign companies and organizations.

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Analysis from Paul MAURICE
Publications
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Studies

Europe-Russia: Balance of Power Review

04 November 2025

European countries can no longer avoid the "Russian question," as Russia has chosen war. They have the necessary potential—that is, the economic means, military capabilities, and technological expertise—to face Russia by 2030, provided they demonstrate the political will to do so.

Marc-Antoine EYL-MAZZEGA Tatiana KASTOUÉVA-JEAN Paul MAURICE Dimitri MINIC Élie TENENBAUM

Taking the Pulse: Does France's Political Crisis Weaken Europe's Geopolitical Hand?

09 October 2025

While the EU tries to navigate a myriad international challenges, France is experiencing historic political disarray. What impact will instability in Paris have on Europe's geostrategic capacity?

Paul MAURICE
Editorials

A Franco-German “Reset”? The Ambitions of the Franco-German Council of Ministers. Challenges of Joint Leadership in Europe

27 August 2025

As a Catholic from the Rhineland, Friedrich Merz is heir to the CDU’s Franco-German policy, from Konrad Adenauer to Helmut Kohl and Wolfgang Schäuble. While Franco-German rhetoric and reflexes are deeply ingrained in him, their results must nevertheless be put into perspective.

Paul MAURICE

Taking the Pulse: Has Political Deadlock in Member States Become a Strategic Problem for the EU?

06 February 2025

At a pivotal moment for the EU, several of its member states are experiencing domestic political and economic crises. Is this hindering collective EU action in response to the challenges posed by Russia, China, and Trump’s administration?

Paul MAURICE
Editorials

Germany in the Electoral Campaign to the Early Elections on February 23 - The Challenges of a high-risk Voting

23 January 2025

One month before the early Federal Elections in Germany, which will take place on February 23, 2025, after the "Traffic light coalition" imploded on November 6, 2024, the political landscape in Germany appears to be relatively stable despite the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Paul MAURICE
Papers

70th Anniversary of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa). Genesis, History and Visions for Franco-German relations

17 December 2024

The Study Committee on 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.

Paul MAURICE Hans STARK
Memos

Thirty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall: what’s new in the East?

07 November 2024

As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 2024, let’s start from the premise that the Berlin Wall did not “fall” on the night of November 9, 1989. 

Paul MAURICE
Allemagne d'aujourd'hui 2023/2 (N° 244)

DOSSIER - 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty (1963) and implementation of the Treaty of Aachen (2019): where do Franco-German relations stand?

29 June 2023

On January 23, 2023, France and Germany celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty. This is an opportunity for us to analyze the state of relations between the two countries, and the contribution made by the Treaty of Aachen, which was added in 2019.

Paul MAURICE Hans STARK Claire DEMESMAY, Director of Institut français de Bonn Jérôme VAILLANT
Papers

After Mali, what Commitment from Germany in the Sahel?

23 June 2022

Germany, despite the reluctance of its public opinion, is committed to supporting security in the Sahel, notably through its participation in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) and recently in Niger, and in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Alain ANTIL Paul MAURICE

The Weimar Triangle Three Decades After Its Foundation: Review and Prospects

14 March 2022

When it was founded in August 1991, the Weimar Triangle was intended as a forum for trilateral consultations between the foreign ministers of France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Poland on the future of Europe after the end of the Cold War.

Paul MAURICE
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