Dear colleagues, Today, the Transatlantic Community faces new threats. From the inside trends toward nationalism challenge the liberal-democratic institutions in Europe and the US. From the outside terrorism, migration and Russian revanchism put pressure on the alliance. The annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 questioned a core principle of post-war Europe: to respect each […]
Good Guys, Bad Guys: Changing the Narrative on Defense and Development
After the Second World War, Germany and the USA developed a close transatlantic alliance in the area of defense and security. From the start, the transatlantic security alliance was built on the narrative and the strategic necessity of defense against the Soviet Union and its communist block. The close cooperation between the USA and Germany […]
Russia – from a Divisive to a Uniting Force
In Russian newspapers “the West” is a term that is being used quite frequently. Even though it is applied in very different contexts and to describe various states or international organizations such as NATO or EU, the message it implies is always the same: “the West” is that hostile part of the world which is […]
Mind the Gap: Acknowledging and Repairing the Fracture in U.S.-German Relations
U.S.-German relations have been steadfast for decades. Trade, security and democratic values have played an integral part in solidifying political friendship between the two and creating a foundation that has endured to the present day. Germany is the strongest European member of NATO and a leader within the EU. Its role in supporting African and […]
Moving Beyond Rhetoric: The New US-German “Special Relationship”
It’s time to separate the rhetoric from reality. The awkward public exchanges between Angela Merkel and Donald Trump—despite the hyperbolic reactions on both sides of the Atlantic—should not change the strategic partnership between the US and Germany. On the contrary, a window of unique opportunity exists to redefine the US-German partnership as the “special relationship” […]
Don’t Blame Trump – German-American Relations Need a ‘Reset’
Not since the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq have transatlantic relations been as strained as they are today. While some may look to blame Donald Trump’s “America first” policy as the primary cause of renewed tensions, we should not forget that there were problems under his predecessor, Barack Obama, too. The hacking of German Chancellor […]
Reclaim the Transatlantic Legacy: Security, Economy and Values
Today’s transatlantic partnership often is reduced to security issues, institutionalized in NATO and bilateral cooperation. But it was the European Recovery Program – known as the Marshall plan – after World War II, which lay the cornerstone of this partnership. An economic program was the accelerator for the bond between North America and Europe and […]
Prosperity, Power and Partnership
Why the transatlantic relations are more important than ever Today, the west as a political vision of liberalism is in the grip of an identity crisis, which means an identity crisis within the civil society in general. For almost half a century the Europeans could assume that the U.S. would demonstrate the Western concept wherever […]
Ethnic Scapegoats as Shields of Defense for Transatlantic Security
International cooperation has been central to international peace. NATO provides frameworks for security and trade agreements all over the world. Today, nationalism has also contributed to hazing our ability to accurately attribute contributors to domestic terrorism within transatlantic nations. This paper provides recommendations on two levels: changing the narrative to one that stresses to the […]
5. Transatlantic Security: Improving Burden-Sharing
Despite the current trends toward nationalism and retrenchment in both the US and Europe, policymakers should continue to give transatlantic security cooperation the utmost priority. The security challenges the Alliance faces can only be successfully confronted if the US and Europe continue and deepen their cooperation. While NATO has inefficiencies and shortcomings in specific policy […]