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Armin Laschet, CDU Chairman
First Victory Opens Steeplechase to Federal Election Under normal circumstances, the election of a CDU chairman shortly before a federal election would be like the sounding of a starting gun …
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Jeff Rathke Appears in ARD Short Docu-Film, “Angriff auf Amerika”
AGI President Jeff Rathke was recently interviewed as part of a short docu-film by German television network ARD. Titled “Angriff auf Amerika” (“Attack on America”), the piece explains the consequences …
Episode 36: The Politics of Drones and the Future of Germany’s Defense Policy
Germany has dramatically increased its defense spending since the wake-up call of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine – the 2020 defense budget is 40% greater …
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The CDU – Finally! – Will Choose Its New Leader
But Will the Winner Make Way for Markus Söder as Chancellor Candidate? The slow-motion departure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel enters a new phase this weekend, as her Christian Democratic …
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Jeff Rathke Pens Op-Ed for The Hill on EU-China Deal
AGI President Jeff Rathke’s recent opinion piece, “How should Biden respond to the EU-China Deal?” was published on The Hill on Wednesday. He offers detailed analysis of the steps the …
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Jeff Rathke Joins Deutsche Welle to Discuss U.S.-Germany Military Policy
AGI President Jeff Rathke joined Deutsche Welle’s The Day with Phil Gayle last Friday to comment on the National Defense Authorization Act as well as the bipartisan effort from Congress …
Episode 35: The Christian Democratic Union after Merkel: The Race for CDU Chairmanship and the 2021 Federal Election
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not stand for re-election when voters go to the polls on September 26, 2021. Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is one of the most successful …
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Guido Goldman: Transatlantic Bridge-Builder
This week began sadly with the news that Guido Goldman passed away at age 83. Guido was known to so many in the transatlantic community as an institution-builder: at Harvard’s …
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Jeff Rathke on Obama’s Views of Relationships with Key EU Partners
AGI President Jeff Rathke joined Deutsche Welle’s The Day with Brent Goff to discuss excerpts from President Barack Obama’s recently published memoir, in which Obama discusses the United States’ as …
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Jeff Rathke on the Biden Administration’s Approach to Europe
Looking at how a new Biden administration will approach Europe, AGI President Jeff Rathke is cautious, telling Handelsblatt (in German) that domestic concerns will supersede foreign relations, especially when politically …
Episode 34: Berlin Wall: The View from the West
Images of the fall of the Berlin Wall dominate the public consciousness when thinking about the end of the Cold War. Photos of jubilant Germans standing atop the symbol of …
Episode 33: The German Approach to China and the Indo-Pacific
Germany’s relationship with China is one of Berlin’s top priorities. In the past few years, a crucial debate has taken place in Germany and has broadened the issues in the …