GEPS No 02/17: Convergences and Divergences in Relations with Great Britain
In this second paper of the German European Policy Series (GEPS) by Almut Möller, a senior policy fellow and the head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), the relationship between London and Berlin, one that has become more pressing in light of the Brexit referendum, is analysed. Literature concerning each country’s perspective on European integration and their effect on the European political arena is rich; however, less emphasis has been placed on the role of the British-German relationship itself in shaping European politics. Here, this relationship is noted for its contrasting viewpoints with regard to politics, economics, and especially integration, yet also highlights points of convergence and cooperation between the two countries. Though they exhibit fundamentally different attitudes towards European institutions, Germany and Great Britain share strong ties and cooperation in the economic and security realms that will continue to remain important even as Great Britain withdraws from the EU.
