Germany: Being European in a Renationalising Europe
The times when the German population met the EU with almost unconditional and passive support might be over, but it is still convinced that any step backwards would entrain even bigger damages for Germany’s stability, peace and wealth.
Germany remains committed to a high degree of European integration, but the overall arrangement has to adapt to a post-crises Europe, taking into consideration the lessons learned from the still ongoing economic crisis, the rise of populist parties, the refugee crisis, and the Ukraine crisis and the stand-off with Russia.
The EU’s legitimacy in Germany does not require specific new policies. First, it requires effective solutions to pressing problems – something the EU seems to be failing to do. Second, it requires national leaders, which identify challenges as challenges for the whole community and who accept a common approach to face them.
This publication is part of the "Building Bridges Paper Series". For more information about this project, click here.
Available in:
Regions and themes
Share
Download the full analysis
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
Germany: Being European in a Renationalising Europe
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programsFind out more
Discover all our analysesExpanding SPDMM as a pivotal institution in the Pacific – A French perspective
The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) is the only forum that brings together defense ministers from the wider South Pacific — including Chile, which is hosting it for the first time. This heterogeneous group of countries with varying resources, capacities, and interests — Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Tonga — are united by their shared determination to strengthen cooperation on maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) activities.
EU’s Derisking From China: A Daunting Task
With economic security as a major concern, the EU has recently turned to “derisking” from China. The EU strategy entails reducing critical dependencies and vulnerabilities, including in EU supply chains, and diversifying where necessary, while recognizing the importance and need to maintain open channels of communication.
Sri Lanka’s NPP Government. From System Change to Structural Compliance
In September 2024, a relative outsider to Sri Lanka’s two-party-dominated political system, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, won the presidential elections. The anti-establishment, populist movement he represented, the National People’s Power (NPP), went on to receive an overwhelming mandate in the November 2024 general elections, winning 159 seats in a 225-member parliament.
Japan Under Trump: Alliance Strains, the Push for Autonomy and Essential Partnerships
Japan is under pressure from the United States (US) on punitive tariffs and demands for increased defence spending. This has sparked deep concern over US credibility and triggered growing domestic calls for greater autonomy.