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The German government has straightjacketed itself by a return to the “debt brake,” pursuing a stringent fiscal policy at a time when the country is trying to fight its way of out a recession. Two of three ruling parties think the approach is wrongheaded.

Despite much goodwill on both sides, trade and economic relations between the United States and Europe have remained strained. Working together to collectively improve transatlantic geoeconomic security would offer a way forward.

Germany has a long—and flawed—history of debating whether values or interests should take precedence in foreign policy decision-making. Feminist foreign policy could provide an impetus to leave this behind.

For Poland to seriously consider becoming a nuclear power, its security environment would have to change dramatically. But it’s worth contemplating what the impact of such a scenario would be for Europe. 

With another Trump presidency in the offing, Berlin should accelerate efforts to reduce Europe's economic dependencies on China.

Marine Le Pen has a real chance of winning the French presidential elections in 2027. That would pose risks for the whole Europe and suspend the Franco-German engine.

NATO must develop a credible deterrent in order to prevent attacks from Russia. In this, Germany has particular responsibility.

If Emmanuel Macron’s party botches the European elections in June, the French president will lose control of his three remaining years in office. Thus, he is doing what he does best: putting on a big show.

With Lai Ching-te, the Taiwanese have elected another DPP president, to the ire of Beijing. For the EU, the election outcome offers a chance to forge closer relations with Taipei.

German leaders have long been reluctant to discuss, let alone set, grand strategy. Now, with the world in flux and the old ways no longer working, Berlin needs to step up and clearly lay out what it wants—and how it plans to get it.

Stubborn stasis. Huge unilateral change. Stubborn stasis. Germany has repeated this pattern for decades, causing gridlock in Europe. Now it is in danger of repeating it yet again.

For the first time, the EU has made a nexus between trade policy, which is the European Commission’s domain, and security policy, which still largely rests with the member states. Its Anti-Coercion Instrument is a deterrence tool.