DGAP

Climate Politics: The Motor Sputters Germany’s Foreign Policy Needs a New Major Project

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There is little left of the leadership that Germany once held in international climate politics. However, climate policy could become the next major project of Germany’s foreign policy. A committed climate policy would not only strengthen Germany’s economy and the security of its energy supply. Berlin would, as a leader in climate politics, also gain a greater international reputation and scope within initiatives in other sectors.

Democratization and Security in Central and Eastern Europe and the Post-Soviet States

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Although Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia share the common experience of the demise of the Warsaw Pact and the fall of the former Soviet Union, the political situation in those countries today is markedly diverse. 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall and the iron curtain, most states in Central and Eastern Europe are considered consolidated democracies and the states of ex-Yugoslavia, albeit to a different extent, have also made significant progress towards democracy in the wake of the civil wars of the 1990s.

Russian Foreign Policy between Security and Economics

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A key question for international policy-makers is whether it is primarily security or economic concerns that drive Russia’s foreign policy, especially in strategic economic sectors. The author of this study provides an answer by analysing two cases – Russian gas exports to Belarus and Russian arms exports to China. He draws the conclusion that, in contradiction to an alleged “securitisation” of Russian foreign policy, it is economic rationales of relevant sub-state actors, rather than the state’s security rationales, that have determined Russian foreign policy on exports in strategic branches.

Germany's Grace Period is Over

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The US will no longer give Germany a free-pass on sharing “the burden of global responsibility.” As skepticism of American foreign commitments broadens at home, and with Chancellor Merkel’s address before a joint session of Congress, Germany is no longer in a position to drag its heels on issues that the US finds most important. Furthermore, if Germany hopes to have any future sway in US politics, fulfilling expectations now is necessary.

Anticipating the Future - Scenarios and Strategic Options for a New Global Order

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How can global climate change be mitigated and what roles do international negotiations, businesses, cities and consumers play? In what ways could the EU and its member states constructively engage with China, India and Russia? Will organizations such as the UN, NATO and the EU succeed in adapting their strategies to the changing nature of crises? How can global energy security be achieved? Will the G8 soon be a G20? Or, summing it up differently: what will our globe look like in 2020?

Canada's Foreign and Security Policy. Soft and Hard Strategies of a Middle Power

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Canada's Foreign and Security Policy: Soft and Hard Strategies of a Middle Power re-examines Canada's political place and international influence in the contemporary world. As half of the contributors are non-Canadians, this 'outside-in' character of the book offers a unique perspective on internal versus external role perception, recognizing the disparity between Canada's national self-image and interpretations from outside the country's boundaries.

Canada as a Middle, Model, or Civilian Power: What's in a Name?

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This article presents a critical investigation of the freedom-from-fear doctrine which shaped Canada’s foreign policy in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The authors argue that the narrowing of the human security concept by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) was due to wider transformations in the country’s political economy rather than considerations of making the human security agenda more consistent.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership—a Misunderstood Offer of Cooperation

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The European Union’s Eastern Partnership, initiated by Poland and Sweden, may fall through without ever having really gotten off the ground. Sweden, the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, has failed to give the deserved priority and attention to its own initiative. In Russia, the fear is that the EU is seeking to strengthen its influence in the East. Meanwhile, the leadership of Ukraine, one of the strategically most important target countries of the Partnership, opposes the initiative. As such, EU members, the target countries, and Russia misunderstand the purpose of the proposed partnership. It is important to use the Eastern Partnership as a basis for developing a essentially new policy towards EU’s neighbors in the East. The Eastern Partnership is of fundamental importance for European energy supplies and the future viability of the EU. Therefore, the EU countries finally must commit themselves to a strategic development of this region and conduct an interests-oriented neighborhood policy that integrates or, if necessary, pressures Russia.

Five Years after the Orange Revolution in Ukraine: Back to the Future?

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The interest of the European public will soon turn again to Ukraine, where presidential elections are scheduled to take place in January 2010. The International Monetary Fund supported Ukraine during the global financial crisis, averting a state bankruptcy with billions in credit. The IMF also effectively paid Ukraine’s debt to Russia for natural gas. This defused the conflict with Russia, but came at the cost of deep Ukrainian financial dependence on the West. Will Russia and the EU continue to compete for Ukraine?

Reconsidering Democratization and Security: Linkages, Lessons Learned and Prospects for the Future

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One of the major controversial debates of our time concentrates on the question if and how democratization can contribute to maintaining or strengthening security and stability. While the democratic peace thesis, holding that democratic countries do not enter into violent conflict with one another, suggests a positive correlation between democracy and security, countries in democratic transition are often prone to conflict and instability. A booming concept in the 1990s, the idea of external democracy promotion today is widely contested. Measures range from supporting civil society actors and democratic thinking elites to military regime change.

Spring Edition 2009: A new Transatlantic Partnership

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If Europeans could have voted in the 2008 US presidential election, they would have voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. It is no secret that Europeans are greatly relieved to see the end of the George W. Bush administration and are thrilled to have Barack Obama as the new leader of the United States and the Western alliance.

But now that the initial euphoria has worn off and the hard work is beginning, the Europeans and their old ally across the Atlantic have plenty of lost ground to make up and a raft of burning crises to address. For all of the bruises that the transatlantic partnership suffered during the Bush years, the foundation of a solid alliance still exists and there are an array of common interests that demand multilateral solutions.

„We need European engagement in Belarus“

www.dgap.org — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

On February 3, 2010 Belarusian opposition representative and former presidential candidate Dr. Aliaksandr Milinkevich spoke to more than 130 guests in the DGAP about the political situation in Belarus and the prospects of his country.

Junge DGAP: Privatissimum with ex-Chancellor Dr. Gerhard Schroeder

www.dgap.org — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

For the first event for 2010 the YOUNG DGAP were delighted to host a Privatissimum for a person whose calibre speaks for itself, ex-Chancellor Dr. Gerhard Schröder. When entering, Dr. Schröder was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout of young participants. Sawsan Chebli, the moderator for the evening replied, "Dr. Schröder, this is exactly what the YOUNG DGAP is about!"

Stichwahl in der Ukraine: Janukowitsch versus Timoschenko

www.dgap.org — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:30:00 +0000

The EU-Russia Forum today hosted an Early Bird Breakfast dedicated to analysis of the second round of the Ukrainian presidential elections. Commentary of the past days’ events and predictions for Viktor Yanukovych’s presidency were provided by Professor Rainer Lindner, head of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, Dr Alexander Rahr, head of the Russia/Eurasia program at the DGAP and her Excellency, Dr Natalia Zarudna, Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany.

“It pays to be family-friendly” - 5th programme day of the Diplomatenkolleg in Berlin

www.dgap.org — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Population development in Germany and Europe, compatibility of professional and family life, self-organization of migrants in Germany and the recent decision of the Federal Constitutional Court concerning the calculation of the unemployment benefit II – these were the issues discussed by participants at the 5th programme day.

14th EU-Russia Forum: “New Impulses for an EU-Russia Strategic Partnership”

www.dgap.org — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:30:00 +0000

The current challenges in the EU-Russia relations in the framework of the Spanish EU-presidency was the topic of the 14th EU-Russia Forum organized by the Centre Russia/Eurasia of the DGAP in cooperation with the Institute for Modern Development INSOR (Moscow) and the Real Instituto Elcano (Madrid) on the 16th of February in Madrid. Leading experts and politicians from Spain, Russia, the EU-countries and –institutions discussed on three panels issues of the modernization partnership, energy cooperation and security challenges between Russia and the EU. As an outcome the discussion showed, that after the Georgian war in 2008 and the gas crisis in 2009 especially as a consequence of the global financial crisis it could come to a rapprochement in the relations between Russia and the EU also on critical aspects.

Geo-Engineering – an effective solution to climate change?

www.dgap.org — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The Copenhagen Conference did not propose an appropriate plan of action to the economic, social and environmental threats posed by climate change. Therefore it is legitimate to discuss alternative options to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas and to minimize solar radiation. “Geo-Engineering” is a concept that refers to scientists’ efforts to find such possibilities. Although this seems to infer a solution that is easy, effective and fast, there are quite a few concerns. What are the political and ethical implications of Geo-Engineering? Does this new technology eventually constitute a problem for foreign policy? Lee Lane, Resident Fellow and Co director of the Geo-Engineering Project at the American Enterprise Institute, Professor Dr. Konrad Ott, Professor for environmental ethics at the University of Greifswald, Dr. Ralph Bodle LL.M., Senior Fellow/ Coordinator Legal Studies at the Ecologic Institute were debating about the implications of Geo-Engineering, moderated by Dr. Sylke Tempel, Chief Editor of INTERNATIONALE POLITIK. This event took place in cooperation with the Ecologic Institute Berlin.

Report on the Early Bird Breakfast with president Medvedev’s advisor Igor Juergens

www.dgap.org — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The Director of the Institute of Contemporary Development and president Medvedev’s „spin doctor“, Igor Juergens reported on the current conflict over modernization policy in Russia’s elite in a small round in the framework of an informal Early Bird Breakfast at the Hotel Esplanade on 2 March in Berlin. According to Juergens, 25% of Russian population support Medvedev’s liberal modernization policy. Russia is moving towards free economy, multiple party system, legal security and integration with the EU and the NATO, even though in very small steps, Juergens said. Medvedev would need a second election period in order to implement the goals he aims for. If Russia stays on this way one could imagine the abolition of the visa regime between EU and Russia.

Round Table Poland: The current agenda of the German-Polish Relations

www.dgap.org — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:30:00 +0000

The coalition agreement between FDP and CDS/CSU underlines the intensification of the German-Polish cooperation. What agreements have to be made to reach this aim? Which topics will affect the german-polish agenda within the next years? What will be the key aspects of the activities? Participants of the Round Table Poland debated these questions among others at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).

Oman Foreign Policy

www.dgap.org — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000

The cultural values of Oman significantly influence the country’s foreign policy. In its centre is diplomacy and thus the will to better understand other cultures and to use dialogue and cooperation in order to find peaceful conflict solutions. The Western world should continue to follow such an approach in its relationship with Iran. These were the main statements made by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Bu Saidi, secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, during his speech in the DGAP on the 3rd of March.

Ukraine in a new European Architecture

www.dgap.org — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:30:00 +0000

Against the background of the Ukrainian Presidential elections and the election of Viktor Janukovich as the new President of the Ukraine the Centre Russia/Eurasia in collaboration with the Ukrainian foundation “United World” organized a conference on the topic “The New European Architecture. The Role of Ukraine” on the 9th of March 2010 in Berlin. Leading political representatives and experts from Ukraine and Germany discussed on three panels about new security challenges in fields like politics, economy and energy, about international terrorism and the role of civil society for Europe and the Ukraine. It became visible, that Ukraine under the new president will itself establish stronger as a bridge between East and West and will contribute to increase the security of Europe. Connected with the new President is the hope, that Ukraine will resolve its domestic problems more consequent.