Jan Techau is a senior fellow and director of the Europe Program at The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). As a foreign policy analyst, his research focuses on European integration and the EU’s role in the world, German foreign policy, transatlantic relations, and security and defense issues. Techau is co-author of Führungsmacht Deutschland – Strategie ohne Angst und Anmaßung (2017) and a regular contributor to German and international news media. Before joining GMF, Techau was the director of the Richard C. Holbrooke Forum for the Study of Diplomacy and Governance at the American Academy in Berlin. From March 2011 to August 2016, Techau was the director of Carnegie Europe in Brussels. Techau also served in the NATO Defense College’s Research Division in Rome from February 2010 until February 2011. He was director of the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin between 2006 and 2010, and from 2001 to 2006 he served at the German Ministry of Defense’s Press and Information Department. Techau holds an MA in political science from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany. He is an associate scholar at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and an associate fellow at the American-German Institute (AGI) in Washington, DC. He lives with his family in Berlin.
A Promise Unfulfilled
When German reunification happened in 1990, this fortunate turn of events corresponded strongly with the way the United States viewed the world. The right side had won, history had taken a good turn, and freedom had prevailed after a long standoff with the forces of oppression.
A Few Fundamentals of EU Foreign Policy
As Catherine Ashton, the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, transitions out of her position, she is enabling her successor to create a comprehensive …
The Dirty Secret of the U.S.-European Relationship
Underneath the cloak of a never-ending list of foreign issues lies the heart of the transatlantic relationship: trade. According to the essay The Dirty Secret of U.S.-European Relations by Jan Techau, Director of Carnegie Europe and a frequent AICGS program participant, this makes for a “boring” partnership, despite the general goodwill between both sides. However, with the economic crisis continuing to weaken the global positions of the U.S. and Europe, both sides will have to begin to build a more meaningful relationship to stave off their respective declines.
Recapping Obama’s European Tour Part II
President Obama’s recent swing through Europe rekindled much of the positive energy that accompanied his election – despite some increasingly thorny issues that had to be discussed. Whether or not Obama can turn this goodwill into practical results on a range of issues, however, remains to be seen. This section features essays from Jan Techau, Kurt Volker, Daniel Fata, and Dr. Jackson Janes, all of whom focus on the long-term implications for transatlantic relations in the wake of the trip.
Looking Ahead: The United States, Germany, and Europe in 2020
Policy Report 40 What will the world look like in 2020? While this is ultimately unknown, in Policy Report 40, Jackson Janes asserts that over this time, the transatlantic community …
