In Search of Reforms
Why Merz is Struggling to Put Germany on a Growth Path Those who expected the Merz government to quickly fix Germany’s sluggish economy have good reasons to be disappointed. So …
The Bundeswehr as the Center of Europe’s Conventional Forces
Germany’s new military strategy unveiled in a paper of the Federal Ministry of Defense dated April 2026 is an answer to Trump’s challenge of NATO and America’s more fundamental cultural …
Zsuzsanna Végh, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow
AGI is pleased to welcome Zsuzsanna Végh as a DAAD/AGI Research Fellow in Spring/Summer 2026. Zsuzsanna Végh is a program officer with the European Resilience program of the German Marshall …
Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
Helga Silberberg and Shanghai’s Life Lesson Under the watchful eye of the policeman, the Meyer family packed their belongings into the wooden container.[1] This intrusion into the Meyer residence was …
AGI Asks: Assessing the First Year of the Merz Government
Friedrich Merz was sworn in as Germany’s chancellor on May 6, 2025. The country faces its biggest challenges in a generation: a sluggish economy, Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, a …
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U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Europe: AGI Expert Analysis in the Media
On April 29, U.S. President Donald Trump said the administration was reviewing troop numbers in Europe, and on May 1, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. …
Can a Critical Minerals Pact Compartmentalize Transatlantic Trade?
On April 24, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Šefčovič agreed to an Action Plan for Critical Minerals Supply Chain Resilience, committing the …
Public Debt: From a Stopgap to a Threat?
Public debt is in the spotlight. According to the IMF, global public debt stands at 93 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP). By the end of the decade, IMF …
Far Beyond a Name
Peter Arthur Gray’s Search for Identity and Trust Peter Arthur Gray has gone by many names over the years. When asked to identify himself at the beginning of an interview …
Tariffs, Germany, and South Carolina
Bavaria West German business loves South Carolina, and South Carolina loves German business. Currently, there are over 270 German companies employing over 44,000 people based in South Carolina. They have …
The AfD’s New Transatlantic Network
Tracking the AfD’s Engagement with the United States As the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained support domestically—exemplified by 20.8 percent of the vote in the 2025 Bundestag election—they have …
Whither the Greens?
Özdemir’s unexpected triumph and the future of the party The Green Party, led by talismanic candidate Cem Özdemir, finished first on March 8 in the Baden-Württemberg state elections with 30.2 …
AGI Profiles: Leif-Erik Holm
Member of the Bundestag; AfD State Chairman in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Leif-Erik Holm is a father, politician, loyal party member, local celebrity, and a “nice guy.” A founder of the Alternative …
Time for a Change?
Thoughts on the National Anthem of Germany The story of the Deutschlandlied (song of Germany) is one of turbulence and shifting perceptions. It was written in 1841 by August Heinrich …
