German Foreign Policy
Faced with a fragmentation of the established order and an increasing number of crises, Germany is tending to reassess its position in a changing world.
Merkel and Macron betray weakness with cautious Aachen treaty
When Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron sign a new Franco-German treaty in the historic city of Aachen on Tuesday, there will be much soaring rhetoric about the deepening ties between the two countries. To critics, though, the Treaty of Aachen is thin gruel. Anyone hoping for a new, tighter alliance between France and Germany, and for signs that the two countries might once again drive European integration, will be disappointed.
From Meseberg to Nowhere? A Franco-German Impetus for the Eurozone
This study analyses the joint efforts by France and Germany to bring about a comprehensive reform of the European currency union. These efforts culminated in the joint Meseberg Declaration adopted in June 2018. The article contextualises these efforts with respect to the reforms realised so far and the different reform options at hand. Besides questions of economic viability and institutional deficits, the article tackles issues of political feasibility.
The Wider Context: Germany's Baltic Engagement, the ‘Munich Consensus’ and the Future of European Security
The Three Dimensions of Europe's Defense Debate
In light of transatlantic tensions and a deteriorated security environment, European security affairs are at the crossroads.
Mind the Gap: How France and Germany Can Spearhead Joint Foreign Policy Initiatives Now
In light of the current instability on Europe’s borders and uncertainties about the international role of the US under the administration of President Donald Trump, it is high time for Franco-German foreign policy initiatives. With the formation of a new German government, a window of opportunity opens for new joint action by the two countries at the core of the EU. At the same time, differences between France and Germany, both on policy issues and in terms of their strategic cultures, could impede any such cooperation.
France, Germany, and the Quest for European Strategic Autonomy: Franco-German Defence Cooperation in A New Era
How can France and Germany contribute to reaching the goal of European strategic autonomy? This key question has been guiding the work with the present report. In the light of a more demanding security environment, but also a rare momentum for further European integration, Berlin and Paris have to take their security and defense cooperation to the next level, bilaterally as well as in the EU.
Humanitarian exploit or failure? The refugee crisis in Germany and Europe
The German Debate on Country’s Security: Different Discourse, Same Paradigm
Recent debates in Germany about the future of the country’s security and foreign policy have aroused interest abroad, especially in France.
The German OSCE Chairmanship in 2016: Towards a renewed dialogue with Russia?
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) represents the perfect framework for discussion of pan-European security issues thanks to its unique composition - fifty-seven member states of the Euro-Atlantic sphere, including the United States and Russia. The OSCE remains indeed one of the few forums of institutionalized dialogue between Western countries and Moscow and the only one to also include Washington.
Islam, Judaism and National German Identity: Challenges and New Prospects
The present analysis links the debate on German national identity to on the one hand the revival of Judaism which was a deliberate political choice and on the other to the expansion of Islam which conversely was not anticipated. The article explains how Judaism was able to revive in Germany after 1945 and how Islam has become the third largest religion in the country in number of believers.
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The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
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. 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.