GPPi presents on German foreign policy at Yale University

GPPi Associate Director Thorsten Benner gave a talk about German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Yale University in New Haven on October 18. Titled ​“Chancellor Merkel: World Leader or Struggling Crisis Manager?”, the presentation was part of an event series called Germany Reloaded, organized by GPPi fellow Sergey Lagodinsky at Yale to show ​“the new face of Germany.”

This November Merkel celebrates her fifth anniversary in office. In his talk, Benner took stock of Merkel’s leadership in foreign policy, focusing on core issues like climate change, the war in Afghanistan and Germany’s role in Europe. Benner argued that Merkel’s record was strongest in the field of climate change, where she has pressed for ambitious goals and advocated far-reaching principles such as an equal right to produce greenhouse emissions for every human being. Despite her efforts, she faces increasing opposition on the domestic level as well as from the United States and China, both of which continue to oppose a binding global accord.

Her leadership record on Afghanistan is weaker. Here she only entered the public discussion when she was forced to do so by the deteriorating security situation in Northern Afghanistan and mounting German combat deaths. Most problematic, Benner argued, is her role in Europe. Her reluctance to spell out a vision for the future of the European project in a multipolar world has contributed to the malaise that is currently plaguing the EU.