China and the United States both have a “grand strategy”: Beijing aspires to be the world’s leading power in 2049, while Washington plans to remain primus inter pares.

A foreign policy points to a united society that manages its relationships with its surroundings while defending its own interests. 

The grand coalition’s record on European policy is mixed. On budgetary issues, the CDU-CSU and SPD were able to implement the agreements in the coalition agreement, but on fundamental reforms of the European Union, only small steps were taken.

One cannot help but wonder about Germany’s future foreign policy when one considers both the weight of the Federal Republic and the many crises we face internationally.

The treaty signed by France and Germany in Aachen on January 22, 2019 highlights the role of civil society in bilateral cooperation and aims to contribute to "bringing societies [and citizens in both countries] closer together".

As the world’s center of gravity has shifted to Asia, the European Union must also be present in the region. In particular, it must develop its relations with Asian countries that have long been neglected to the sole benefit of China -- namely India, but above all the countries of Southeast Asia, where China has invested heavily and will continue to gain influence.

Mineral revenues are the driving force behind Namibia’s economic performance. Namibia is rich in mineral resources which include uranium, diamond, copper, gold, lead, lithium and zinc. However, these mineral riches are not always allocated and utilized in a transparent manner and seem to benefit disproportionately a small number of wealthy elites, many of them affiliated with the ruling party SWAPO.

Although it has largely gone unnoticed in France, the agreement signed on December 3, 2020 between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) is a major shift in the long-standing relations between the EU and countries in the Global South.