Germany

Can Germany afford to take most defence spending out of its debt brake?

Higher German defence spending would be fiscally sustainable, but would require cuts elsewhere and would breach EU fiscal rules

How to fix a staggering Germany

Federal elections expose Germany’s economic struggle

From division to unity: 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall

What was daily life like in Germany before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall? And how did reunification change everything?

A special historical analysis: Europe’s 35-year journey since the fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, triggering huge political and economic change; the question now is whether the gains can be safeguarded

Fit for war in decades: sluggish German rearmament versus surging Russian defence production

It will take Germany, and Europe more generally, decades to match current Russian volumes of weapons production

Divergent economic dynamics grind down the Franco-German EU axis

France must face up finally to its fiscal failings – and can no longer rely on German indulgence

Four questions for Germany’s big hydrogen power plan

Germany’s hydrogen strategy will have ripples across Europe and should be discussed more widely

Stronger together: public preferences for different European defence cooperation designs

Research suggests most Europeans would support a significant uptick in EU defence integration.

A new opening for Polish-German energy relations

The change of government in Poland and the Russian aggression in Ukraine provide an opportunity for a new opening for Polish-German energy relations.

Bringing the reform of European Union fiscal rules to a successful close

EU fiscal rules must not unnecessarily restrict green investment.

Bypassing the German debt brake and continuing climate spending

There are ways around Germany’s debt brake, which limits government borrowing and is seen as a threat to the climate transition.

Renewable Hydrogen in Germany, Poland and Portugal

La France est traditionnellement plus encline aux politiques économiques protectionnistes que l’Allemagne

Not Even a Recession: The Great German Gas Debate in Retrospect

The German economy coped with the end of Russian gas and could have equally withstood an April 2022 cut-off

Will Germany interfere in Brussels’ efforts to tame big tech?

Germany is leading the race to tame big tech. But does the EU need an antitrust enforcement competitor?

The Élysée Treaty: 60 years on

A review of Franco-German relations on the anniversary of the Élysée treaty.