German Foreign and Security Policy: Trends and Transatlantic Implications
Abstract
German Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in November 2005 promising a foreign policy anchored in a revitalized transatlantic partnership. Most observers agree that since reaching a low-point in the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003, relations between the United States and Germany have improved. U.S. officials and many Members of Congress view Germany as a key U.S. ally, have welcomed German leadership in Europe, and voiced expectations for increased U.S.-German cooperation on the international stage. German unification in 1990 and the end of the Cold War represented monumental shifts in the geopolitical realities that had defined German foreign policy. Since the early 1990s, German leaders have been challenged to exercise a foreign policy grounded in a long-standing commitment to multilateralism and an aversion to military force while simultaneously seeking to assume the more proactive global role many argue is necessary to confront emerging security threats. Until 1994, Germany was constitutionally barred from deploying its armed forces abroad. Today, approximately 7,400 German troops are deployed in peacekeeping, stabilization, and reconstruction missions worldwide. However, as Germany's foreign and security policy continues to evolve, some experts perceive a widening gap between the global ambitions of Germany's political class, and a consistently skeptical German public. Since the end of the Cold War, Germany's relations with the United States have been shaped by several key factors, including Germany's growing support for a stronger European Union, and its continued allegiance to NATO as the primary guarantor of European security. President Obama's popularity in Germany suggests that many Germans expect the new U.S. Administration to distance itself from the perceived unilateralism of the Bush Administration. However, some observers caution that policy differences between the two countries remain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 20, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA501187
Entities
People
- Paul Belkin
Organizations
- Library of Congress