Review 2014 – A Fresh Look at German Foreign Policy
“Crisis, Order, Europe” – these keywords highlight the main challenges for German Foreign Policy in the medium term. The project “Review 2014 – A Fresh Look at German Foreign Policy”, initiated by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has open up a broad public debate about the aims, interests and perspectives of German foreign policy. This report details the discussions of the past year, the expectations with regard to Germany’s global role raised within Germany and abroad as well as the foreign policy challenges in the future.
“Crisis, Order, Europe” – these keywords highlight the main challenges for German Foreign Policy in the medium term. The project “Review 2014 – A Fresh Look at German Foreign Policy”, initiated by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has open up a broad public debate about the aims, interests and perspectives of German foreign policy. This report details the discussions of the past year, the expectations with regard to Germany’s global role raised within Germany and abroad as well as the foreign policy challenges in the future.
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WWW.REVIEW<strong>2014</strong>.DE<br />
reveals th<strong>at</strong> <strong>German</strong>s’ views on foreign policy<br />
are anything but st<strong>at</strong>ic: the younger gener<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
has markedly different priorities than the<br />
older gener<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
“It will not be sufficient simply to keep repe<strong>at</strong>ing<br />
familiar and tried and tested mantras. In a<br />
world undergoing sweeping change we have to<br />
ask ourselves the critical question as to whe-<br />
<strong>Foreign</strong> Minister Steinmeier <strong>at</strong> Tegel Airport, Berlin<br />
“WHAT GERMAN FOREIGN POLICY COULD<br />
USE IS NOT A RADICAL OVERHAUL, BUT<br />
SUMMONING THE WILL TO SHAPE EVENTS<br />
WITH CONVICTION AND BY CHARTING A<br />
CLEAR AND DETERMINED COURSE.”<br />
Hanns Maull · <strong>German</strong> Institute for Intern<strong>at</strong>ional<br />
and Security Affairs (SWP)<br />
ther the pillars on which these fundamental<br />
principles rest can still be relied upon to bear<br />
this weight.” <strong>–</strong> This was my point of departure<br />
in December 2013. If anything, our world<br />
has been changing even more quickly in the<br />
months since then. And so it perhaps comes as<br />
no surprise th<strong>at</strong> despite all the recognition for<br />
our achievements to d<strong>at</strong>e, the expect<strong>at</strong>ions of<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> <strong>German</strong> foreign policy should achieve in<br />
the future are exponentially higher, especially<br />
abroad. A leading role for <strong>German</strong>y is called<br />
for time and again: in Europe, on clim<strong>at</strong>e<br />
protection, and in multil<strong>at</strong>eral organis<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
<strong>German</strong>y is asked to “revitalise Europe,” to<br />
“Europeanise Russia,” to “multil<strong>at</strong>eralise<br />
America”. We are considered to be capable of<br />
all sorts of things, sometimes surely too much.<br />
Where should we direct our energy? Where<br />
A FRESH LOOK AT FOREIGN POLICY<br />
20.02.<strong>2014</strong> · Kyiv · Ukraine<br />
+++ <strong>Foreign</strong> Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Polish and French<br />
counterparts medi<strong>at</strong>e an agreement between the Ukrainian Government and<br />
the Maidan opposition movement in order to end the bloodshed. +++<br />
18.03.<strong>2014</strong> · Moscow · Russia<br />
+++ Annex<strong>at</strong>ion of Crimea: A tre<strong>at</strong>y on the accession of Crimea and the city<br />
of Sevastopol to the Russian Feder<strong>at</strong>ion is signed in the Kremlin. This step is<br />
contrary to intern<strong>at</strong>ional law and triggers the most serious crisis in Europe since<br />
the end of the Cold War. +++<br />
15.04.<strong>2014</strong> · Chibok · Nigeria<br />
+++ Islamist militants belonging to the terror organis<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
Boko Haram kidnap 273 girls from a school in northeastern<br />
Borno. +++
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