German foreign policy with Christoph Heusgen

Mark Leonard is joined by Christoph Heusgen to talk about Germany’s foreign policy

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Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s famous Zeitenwende speech aimed to shape a new political narrative for Germany. But, a year into Russia’s war on Ukraine, questions remain about the success of this paradigm shift in Germany’s strategic culture. 

This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Christoph Heusgen, longstanding foreign policy chief during the Merkel years and now chair of the Munich Security Conference. They discuss Western and non-Western reactions to the war in Ukraine – and, in particular, the role of Germany. Should Berlin have taken a harder line against Russia after 2014? How can Scholz realise his vision for the Zeitenwende? And what is stopping Germany from engaging more in developing countries?  

This podcast was recorded on 13 March 2023.  

Bookshelf: 

Cover image:
James Davis, University of St. Gallen, Christoph Heusgen, Federal Republic of Germany

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