Publications in English

Franco Algieri: Irrelevant or not? Thoughts on the EU’s strategic partnership with China, AIES Fokus 8/2012.

Almut Möller and Roderick Parkes: Germany as seen by the other EU member states three years into the euro crisis, AIES Fokus 7/2012

Earlier this year, we convened colleagues from think tanks across the EU to discuss what has been framed as “the new German question” . How does Berlin’s centre-stage role in overcoming the euro malaise play out in its relations with its fellow EU members? Is it fair to say that Berlin is considered part of the problem as much as it is a key to the solution? Our discussions and the publication that followed in the summer suggested the picture across the EU was rather diverse. This is a more inter­esting finding than it might first appear, given that most countries seem to find common ground in their concerns about Germany. Indeed, an overall anti-German feeling was not a theme we found in the essays, leaving aside public opinion in countries most affected by the crisis. While all member states in one way or another seemed to create their own EU identity in relation to Germany, suggesting that Germany indeed matters, they did it in different ways.

Yves Boyer: French defence policy in a time of uncertainties, AIES Fokus 5/2012.

Stefanie Felsberger: The Future of Egyptian Foreign Policy – To what extent will Egypt's foreign policy change under President Morsi?, AIES Fokus 4/2012.

Stefanie Felsberger: The emergence of peaceful protest in Egypt under Mubarak, Observer: A Journal on threatened Human Rights Defenders in the Philippines, Volume 4, Number 1, 2012

Several important issues concerning the development of Sudan were addressed during a conference with Sudanese experts and officials as well as Austrian and European experts in May 2012 in Vienna. Firstly, the relations between the Arab World and Europe were discussed. In order to develop a mutually beneficial dialogue between the Arab World and Europe there need to be significant changes in the European approach and perceptions about the respective regions have to be questioned in order to achieve a dialogue on equal levels based on mutual respect. Secondly, the issue of the Arab Spring was addressed. A range of root causes were identified which lay at the bottom of most uprisings. Nevertheless, there is need for a more nuanced approach to the region without drawing overarching conclusions, as each country is in a unique situation and the uprisings were triggered by different events due to the country-specific social, political and economic settings. Thirdly, Sudanese issues were presented with a focus on the possibilities for cooperation between the South Sudan and the Sudan.

Germany as Viewed by Other EU Member States
Almut Möller and Roderick Parkes (eds.)
EPIN Paper
No. 33 / June 2012

Berlin's take on the euro crisis has been widely discussed. This paper turns the tables: 14 Analysts from EU countries such as Spain, Italy, Finland, Poland, Austria, Greece and Bulgaria discuss their perspective of Berlin's Europe policy. The country perspectives are complemented by data of the Gallup World poll survey. Is there really what has been rather dramatically framed as "the new German question"? A "national narcissism" has defined debates on the European debt crisis, say the authors of a new EPIN paper. Throughout the EU, governments, politicians, and commentators have revived their own histories and questioned what the crisis reveals about their own country. Long-time EU members such as France, Italy, and Great Britain have consciously separated themselves from the German course for saving the euro and have made "not being like Germany" part of their identity. From this perspective, European integration is based less on overcoming differences than in solidifying them, write the authors. Möller and Parkes conclude that, in general, Germany's reputation is better than commonly assumed. But Germany's success also leaves its partners unsettled. Berlin needs to be more sensitive in its interactions with other EU countries so that Germany does not become further detached from its partners.

Christian Leuprecht: International security strategy: The socio-demographic and economic dawn of a new day, AIES Studien 3/2011, ISSN 2222-9841.

Vojtech Horsák: The European Parliament and the Common Security and Defence Policy: Does the Parliament Care?, AIES Fokus 2/2011.

Axel Berkofsky: Japan's North Korea policy: Trends, controversies and impact on Japan's overall defence and security policy, AIES Studien 2/2011, ISSN 2222-9841.