Germany in the EU

How do deficits in the rule of law in Hungary affect German companies and the European single market? The study defines 'illiberal economic policies' with which the Hungarian government wants to nationalize strategic sectors.

In this edition of the Berlin Perspectives, the authors call on the German government to intensify its efforts of strengthening European democracy through reforms at the very beginning of the new European legislative period.

What is needed for a new German strategy towards Poland in view of the change of government in Warsaw in late 2023? This includes the revival of the Weimar Triangle, a proactive rapprochement on an equal footing and the search for synergies at EU level.

The planned new economic governance framework of the EU is of utter importance not only in a pure economic sense: It will determine the place of the social dimension within the integration process.

Germany is expected to champion the EU’s green transition and fight against climate change. This Berlin Perspective policy brief explores how Germany has often failed to fulfil these expectations and how it can live up to them in the future.

A few months before the next European elections, the pressure on decision-makers to reach an agreement on the new migration and asylum package is high. The new Berlin Perspectives provides an assessment of how the new rules should be implemented.

Democracy and the rule of law have been eroding in Hungary since 2010. In view of Hungary's tendencies towards autocratization, the policy paper contains recommendations on how the German government should respond bilaterally, multilaterally, and at the EU level.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has provoked significant changes in German foreign policy. It highlights the need to act as a guarantor of European security. Dr Jana Puglierin outlines the challenges this poses in this Berlin Perspectives.

The Conference on the Future of Europe concluded that the EU needs a fundamental reform to face current challenges. The German government and a group of like-minded states should propose a comprehensive cross-sectoral reform package with the European Monetary Union at its centre.

The European Parliament proposes a reform of the European electoral law in order to strengthen EU-democracy. A core demand: EU-wide electoral lists. Germany should get off the side lines and support it proactively.

The reform of EU asylum and migration policy has been controversial for a long time. A values-based approach by some EU countries to circumvent vetoes by individual member states could counteract the dysfunctional structures in this area.

The results of the Berlin Futures 2020/2021 strategy group were summarised in a policy brief, which was published in early 2022 as part of the Berlin Perspectives publication series.

Strategic foresight enables policymakers to be better prepared and more proactive in emergency policy responses. The new German government should use its term of office to better integrate foresight analysis into decision-making processes.

The European project will remain sustainable as long as the EU is capable of change. During the 13th German-Nordic-Baltic Forum, experts discussed solutions for the EU in the world, its values and sustainability, and the Future Conference.

Provided successful negotiations, the Ampel-coalition is promising a progressive new start for Germany. Its level of ambition on EU policy will largely be determined by its actions on institutions and values, foreign and security policy as well as green economy and finance

The political crisis in Belarus has been ongoing since August 2020. Despite measures taken, the EU still has room of manoeuvre to increase political pressure on Lukashenko. Germany has a central role in resolving the crisis.

Despite numerous initiatives to promote gender equality, there are signs of an EU-wide decline. However, the German EU Council Presidency set the right priorities and achieved some successes.

Five years after the EU-Turkey-Statement, relations between the EU and Turkey remain tense. Germany should use its leadership potential within the EU in order to have a positive influence on the future development of EU-Turkey relations.

What does European resilience mean? How can the EU's green goals be implemented despite the pandemic? More than 40 experts discussed these and other questions. The focus of the discussion was on the prospects for cooperation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the German government´s programme for the EU Council Presidency. Given the abundance of challenges, Germany should follow a two-pronged approach that includes not only urgent problems but also fundamental questions.