Karl Pike
When it came to Brexit, many British political actors placed far too much weight on Germany and its former Chancellor. Karl Pike and Tim Bale explore what they call the ‘Merkel myth’ and how it affected the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union Read more
Femke van Esch
After sixteen years at the helm, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is leaving office. While political observers often predicted her demise, at the end of her fourth term Merkel is at the height of her popularity. Using the Leadership Capital Index, Femke van Esch explains why Read more
Gabriele Beretta
The CDU is facing its first post-Merkel electoral campaign, and the SPD is struggling to gain more than a 15% vote share. The Greens, meanwhile, are the second largest party in Germany. The impact of their results on the new German government may be the Eurozone’s most important political development of 2021. Gabriele Beretta argues that this could also have dramatic macroeconomic consequences for the Euro Area Read more
Sabine Volk
Actors from across the political spectrum, including the populist far right, have voiced concerns about safeguarding democracy amid the coronacrisis, writes Sabine Volk. But their different understandings of democracy reveal Germany’s political polarisation, rather than its unity Read more
Isabelle Hertner
Germany has developed into a hugely diverse country, but Angela Merkel’s centre-right CDU is still grappling with this reality, writes Isabelle Hertner. Over Merkel's 16-year Chancellorship, her party has been torn between pragmatic immigration policy, and the demand for cultural assimilation Read more
Lucas Schramm
In 2020 Germany promoted a bold European response to the corona crisis, involving common EU debt. This contrasts starkly with its position a decade before, when it favoured austerity over fiscal stimulus and debt pooling. Lucas Schramm and Amandine Crespy argue that the specific nature of the corona crisis reconfigured Germany’s national interests in Europe Read more
Sergio Fabbrini
Although appointed unexpectedly, Mario Draghi is much more than just a stop-gap, technocratic Prime Minister. Sergio Fabbrini argues that Draghi's vision for Europe could make Italy one of the key voices in the European debate Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
