Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : I. Klassen
Secretary, Consulate-General of the Russian Federation in Munich, Graduate Student at the Comparative
Political Science Department, Moscow State Institute (University) of International Affairs, Mnistry of
Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
AFTER THE FALL of the Berlin Wall and German reunifi-
cation, Germany has been shaping its foreign policy under
unique historical conditions.
Of special note is that Germany was not so much the sole
actor as it was the locomotive for the European Union and
NATO thanks to its strong contacts with both Paris and
Washington. It is precisely the coinciding interests of Ger-
many and its closest allies that have been behind the so rapid
successes of its European foreign policy.
CHANGES IN GERMANY'S FOREIGN POLICY were
spelled out at the Munich Security Conference early in Feb-
ruary 2014. The very format of the conference coupled with analysis of the addresses made by the country's
president, the foreign and defense ministers can yield some information about the Federal Republic's updated
foreign policy.
According to Joachim Gauck, Germany's contribution to protecting security and stability around the world is
much smaller than it should be. He said that politicians are responsible not only for their erroneous actions but
for their non-action as well. He stressed that solving problems can cost money but as in the case of the Euro-
pean monetary crisis. Germany is ready to go to great lengths to provide problems solution because doing so
is in its own interests.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier outlined Germany's high-priority foreign policy task - to supply a
conceptual input for a common European foreign, security and defense policy. He also stated intention for
closer cooperation with the United States under the umbrella of NATO but also in economic matters.
With regard to Russia, he said that that despite the differences Germany needed to explore areas of agreement
and put Germany's relations with it onto a constructive and cooperative footing and that it would be counter-
productive to deliberate Europe's future without Moscow or even in rivalry to it.
THE KEY RISK for the new policy is to rally support for it inside Germany. On the face of it, the current
government's positions are more than stable.
Another critical risk for Germany is the possible opposition to its policy by the other powers. The example of
Russia, which was compelled to take an independent stance on the Ukraine issue, shows the limits of the eco-
nomic and political influence of the European Union and of Germany, as its principal locomotive in the East.
However, competition, economic competition above all, will keep on growing everywhere in the world as the
potential of developing nations keeps growing.
On the whole, while the new foreign policy approach is based on Germany's long-standing objectives, it contains
a number of fresh accents and aspects which attests to an ongoing process of serious rethinking of Germany's
role in the system of international relations. At the same time, the new policy approach had a difficult start
owing to the still uncertain situation in Ukraine and the need for striking the right balance between support for
the new government in Kiev and the calls for sanctions against Russia which are a more sensitive issue for Ger-
many than for the other nations in the region.
http://interaffairs.ru
Germany's New Foreign Policy Approach