As the biggest economy in Europe, Germany stands at the center of the debate on the future of the Eurozone, but its exact role remains unclear. Inside Germany, a vigorous debate has started about the country’s future strategy. This debate has created growing interest across the transatlantic world and the desire to better understand the trajectory of Germany.

To foster the debate in Europe and contribute to the strategic debate inside Germany, GMF and SWP (German Institute for International and Security Affairs) have started a German Foreign Policy Strategy Group in 2012, focusing on elements of a future German strategy. The project hopes to invite debate within the German strategic community, develop intellectual expertise and provide research as well as a testing ground for ideas. This group conducts a series of conferences and workshops to debate and define key aspects of a future German foreign policy strategy. Following a two-day conference in November 2012, four working groups have been formed and will meet regularly in 2013 to address four key aspects of German strategy: (i) Germany in Europe; (ii) Germany in the Western alliance; (iii) Germany and its strategic relations; and (iv) Germany and the international order. The working groups will issue a report in the fall of 2013 (after the German federal elections). Dissemination events in several European countries will follow.

As the interest in the future of Germany has been growing, GMF has responded by expanding the scope of its Germany-related programming in the United States. Aimed at the New York financial community, GMF is offering workshops, a roundtable series and study tours. All of these activities are designed to give interested stakeholders in the United States access to Germany’s top experts, its leadership and its insitutions.