Volatile Voters
In this week's At Issue, Executive Director Dr. Jackson Janes, who is in Hamburg for the upcoming election, discusses how German voters are exploring new coalition alternatives in state and local governments, likely arising out of a displeasure with the current political structure. Dr. Janes writes that party leaders are trying to catch up with changing voter expectations, loyalties, and moods with an eye on next year's national elections.

To read this essay, please click here.

 

In Issue Brief 20, AICGS Research Program Associate Kirsten Verclas looks at how religion impacts foreign policy in the U.S. and Germany, focusing on the world after 9/11. This Issue Brief resulted from an AICGS workshop held in Washington, DC, titled "Government and Faith-based Initiatives: A German-American Comparison," which focused on the influence of religion on social and foreign policy.

To access this Issue Brief, please click here (PDF).

 

On February 24, the city-state of Hamburg will hold elections in what will likely be another test for the status quo. Mayor Ole von Beust is facing a significant challenge to his absolute majority for the CDU in Hamburg, and Die Linke are looking to enter into government as well. AICGS has compiled a page of important links and press coverage surrounding this bellwether election.

To access this page of links, please click here.

 

As fighting and unrest increases in Afghanistan, NATO is struggling to determine what role its members should play in the conflict. Germany is at the center of this debate as it refuses to send its troops to the violent south of Afghanistan; the resolution of this issue will have repercussions for the future of NATO. In light of this debate, AICGS has focused on the Afghanistan issue and features essays and articles from several noted commentators. This topic cluster features articles from:

Jackson Janes of AICGS

Markus Kaim of SWP

Karl-Heinz Kamp of NATO Defense College

Anne-Marie Le Gloannec of CERI

Michael Rühle of NATO

Stefan Theil of Newsweek

 

On February 25, 2008, AICGS will host a workshop in Brussels, Belgium, on "The European Theatre: German-American-Russian-EU Relations," which is undertaken with the generous support of The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and experts from Germany, the EU, and the United States, this workshop discusses German and American perspectives on issues in the European theatre and the relationship between the EU, Germany, the U.S., and Russia.

For more information and to RSVP, please click here.

 

On February 28, 2008, AICGS and The German Marshall Fund of the United States will host Dr. Thomas de Maizière, Federal Minister and Head of the Federal Chancellery, and John Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, for a discussion titled "Germany After Two Years of the Grand Coalition." Dr. de Maizière, one of Chancellor Angela Merkel's closest advisors, will discuss the reform path of the grand coalition, security challenges ahead, and the looming federal election in 2009.

For more information and to RSVP, please click here.

 

Voter unrest has recently thrown Germany's party spectrum into a bit of turmoil, as displeasure with the current structure has allowed smaller parties such as Die Linke to enter into state and local governments. What is causing this change, and what is the historical background to this change? AICGS Senior Fellow in Residence Dr. Tim Stuchtey and Elmar Sulk, Senior Strategist at Lincoln Park Public Relations, analyze these questions and look ahead to the federal election in 2009 in their essay, "The Change in Germany's Party Landscape."

To read this essay, please click here (PDF).
 

DAAD/AICGS Fellow Almut Möller looks at the Annapolis peace process and analyzes what Europe needs to do to ensure that the process leads to success. Ms. Möller argues that this is the perfect opportunity for Europeans to mature as a foreign policy player in its direct neighborhood in her essay, "Europe and the Annapolis Process."

To read this essay, please click here.
 

AICGS would like to welcome its newest DAAD/AICGS Fellow, Ms. Amy Holmes, as well as new Visiting Fellow Mr. Tobias Heider. Both Ms. Holmes and Mr. Heider are working on their dissertations during their stay at AICGS.

For a short biography of Ms. Holmes, please click here.

For a short biography of Mr. Heider, please click here.

 

On February 4, 2008, AICGS hosted a workshop on "Security and Stability: German and American Cooperation in Times of Transition." Bringing together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and experts from Germany and the United States, this workshop discussed the German and American perspectives on current security issues such as terrorism, the Middle East, and Iran.

For a summary of this event, please click here.

 

AICGS would like to announce that it is now accepting applications for the DAAD/AICGS Fellowship program, sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).  The deadline for Fall 2008 (July 2008-December 2008) is February 28, 2008.

For application instructions and more information, please click here.