?issue=peace-security&type=all&year-from=&year-to=
Publications by Thorsten Benner
All Issue Areas
Global Order
Humanitarian Action
Migration
M&E
Peace & Security
Rights & Democracy
Data & Tech Politics
Years
-
Commentary 10 Feb 2017
Wir müssen über Atomwaffen reden
Lange gehörte es zum guten Ton, den Abzug der US-Nuklearwaffen aus Deutschland zu fordern. Der ehemalige Außenminister – und designierte Bundespräsident – Frank-Walter Steinmeier argumentierte etwa im Jahre 2009, das System der nuklearen Abschreckung sei „ineffektiv, riskant und unverantwortlich“… -
Commentary 22 Dec 2016
Germany’s Fragile Center Holds – For Now
The German capital reacted with remarkable calm to Monday’s terror attack. The city is bustling with life. Citizens are mourning the victims, but otherwise going about their pre-Christmas business as usual. One columnist tried to explain the behavior with a bit of armchair psychology: “Germans are… -
Commentary 24 Nov 2016
Deutschland sollte besser mit dem Schlimmsten rechnen
„Wir schaffen auch den!“. Mit großen Lettern sprach „Bild“ am Tag nach der Wahl von Donald Trump den Lesern Mut zu. Doch wie? Noch nie war es so schwer wie heute für Verbündete, sich auf einen neuen US-Präsidenten einzustellen. Niemand (Donald Trump wahrscheinlich eingeschlossen) weiß, wie die… -
Commentary 07 Nov 2016
Merkel and the Trump/Clinton Aftermath
Donald Trump is Germany’s gift to America. After all, his grandfather left Germany for the US, where Friedrich Drumpf morphed into Frederic Trump. If he becomes president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will feel a special responsibility to help make the world safe from a Trump presidency.… -
Commentary 12 Jul 2016
Merkels China-Illusion
China beschäftigt die Europäer. An diesem Mittwoch empfängt Premier Li in Peking EU-Ratspräsident Donald Tusk und Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker zum jährlichen EU-China-Gipfel. Bereits im Juni war Kanzlerin Angela Merkel mit fünf Ministern und zahlreichen Firmenchefs nach Peking gereist… -
Commentary 01 Jul 2016
Angela Merkel Needs China Reality Check
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has often called the German-China relationship a win-win for both countries. During a recent visit to Beijing last month – Merkel’s ninth – German ministers and CEOs publicly signed €2.7 billion worth of agreements. But business rewards are no longer sufficient to… -
Commentary 22 Jun 2016
Brexit: Ein Störmanöver ohne Wirkung
In den Phantasien vieler heißblütiger Brexit-Unterstützer steht die EU-Armee kurz vor der Tür. Für Penny Mordaunt, Staatssekretärin im britischen Verteidigungsministerium, gibt es für das Vereinigte Königreich nur einen Weg, der Zwangsmitgliedschaft in der EU-Armee zu entgehen: der Austritt aus der… -
Commentary 21 Jun 2016
Brexit Is Not Brexit When It Comes to Security
If you believe ardent Brexit supporters, the EU is close to establishing a joint army that Britain would be forced to join. For UK Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt the only way to escape this certain fate is to vote “Leave.” This is of course rather fanciful scaremongering. But while Mordaunt's… -
Commentary 10 May 2016
Precarious Union: Why Europeans Need to Fight for Their Project
June 23, 2016 might very well be a watershed moment for the European project. Depending on the results of the British referendum scheduled that day, it may mark the first time that a country leaves the European Union. This will come as a shock to those who still view the EU as a supranational… -
Commentary 09 Mar 2016
Populists Don’t Need to Run Europe to Ruin It
Contrary to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s boldest dreams, illiberal national populists will not run Europe anytime soon. In many countries, the shrinking center still just about holds. But this should provide little comfort. Populists don’t need to run Europe to ruin it. Of course, the… -
Commentary 08 Feb 2016
Europas einsamer Hegemon
Für den Oxford-Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Paul Collier liegen die Dinge klar. Angela Merkel ist verantwortlich für die Flüchtlingskrise. „Wer sonst?“. Er weiß auch ganz genau, warum Deutschland so gehandelt hat: „Deutschland gefällt sich offensichtlich in der Retterrolle“. Es wäre leicht, dies als… -
Commentary 03 Feb 2016
Europe’s Lonely Liberal Hegemon
For Oxford economics professor Paul Collier things are crystal clear: “Angela Merkel is responsible for the refugee crisis. Who else?” It would be easy to dismiss Collier if he were not part of a growing chorus that sees Germany’s refugee policy as a morality play — with Merkel in the lead, chasing… -
Commentary 27 Nov 2015
Europe Needs to Step Up its Anti-Terror Cooperation
In the aftermath of the Paris attacks, German President Joachim Gauck has been making loose talk about “a new kind of war,” which, some say, would require the creation of a new anti-terror unit for the European Union. But this misses the whole point. Europe does not have any shortage of special… -
Commentary 27 Nov 2015
Es fehlen nicht SEKs, es fehlt Wissen
Europa braucht eine neue Form der Anti-Terror-Kooperation Der Bundespräsident orakelt von einer „neuen Art von Krieg“. Da liegt für einige der Gedanke einer neuen EU-weiten Truppe von Anti-Terrorspezialkräften nah, sozusagen einer schnellen Eingreiftruppe. Doch solche Gedanken gehen am wahren… -
Commentary 02 Nov 2015
Geschichtspolitik: Towards a Responsible Politics of the Past
In July, during a press conference following an all-night negotiation in Brussels on the Greece bailout, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was asked to comment on the French minister of the economy’s comparison of the harsh conditionality of the Greece deal with the Versailles Treaty. Merkel’s answer… -
Commentary 21 Jul 2015
German Diplomacy Without Diplomats
Last Friday, the German parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of opening negotiations with Greece over a third bailout package. Once concluded, it will bring German guarantees for Greece to more than 100 billion euros. Rather than getting minimum credit for this, Germany’s image across Europe and… -
Commentary 21 Jul 2015
Deutsche Diplomatie ohne Diplomaten
Letzten Freitag stimmte der Bundestag mit klarer Mehrheit für die Aufnahme von Verhandlungen mit Griechenland über ein neues Rettungspaket. Dieses würde die deutschen Garantien auf mehr als 100 Milliarden Euro bringen. Doch anstatt minimale Anerkennung dafür zu finden, befindet sich das… -
Commentary 17 Jun 2015
The Dangerous Game of the Orbánversteher
Whitewashing the Challenges Posed by Viktor Orbán’s Authoritarian Populism Germany is used to the fact that the musings and actions of some of its retired politicians often betray lack of good judgment. Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt regularly defends Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heavy… -
Commentary 10 Jun 2015
No Return to a G8 with Russia. Ever.
As the G7 leaders prepare to gather at the Elmau mountain retreat on Sunday, Russia's absence is fueling debate. Eckhard Cordes, chairman of the German business association representing companies with significant investments in Russia, recently said that barring Russia from the summit was a missed… -
Study 07 Apr 2015
Proteção Efetiva e Responsável contra Crimes de Atrocidade: A Caminho de uma Ação Global
Sumário Executivo Uma década após as Nações Unidas adotarem o princípio da Responsabilidade de Proteger pessoas contra crimes de atrocidade (R2P), os resultados das iniciativas mundiais de proteção de indivíduos continuam trágicos. Entretanto, aqueles que identificam como causa desta falta de…