‘Political union’: A German Europe or disintegration?
As speculation about a Greek exit from the eurozone continues, Germany is pushing ahead with plans for a new treaty that might result in a transformation of the EU – or its disintegration.
Experts & Staff
Hans Kundnani
ECFR Alumni · Former Research Director
Biography
Hans Kundnani used to work for ECFR as Editor and Research Director.
Democracy and the EU’s ‘strategic partnerships’
If the EU has any real aspiration to be a normative power it must rethink its 'strategic partnerships' with the world's other powers, reflecting the importance of values like democracy, rather than ignoring them.
Beware the new Beijing-Berlin bond
Europe’s relationship with Beijing will largely be determined by the emerging “special relationship” between China and Germany. However, the rest of Europe must find ways to help Germany be a good European in its relationship with China – or risk being cut out of the loop.
China and Germany: a new special relationship?
Why the emerging special relationship matters for Europe
Germany: What Hegemon?
Since the beginning of the euro crisis, there has been much discussion of actual or potential German “hegemony” in Europe. But Germany's self-centeredness and short-term thinking disqualify it as a hegemon.
European Foreign Policy Scorecard 2012
Instead of helping to solve the world’s problems, Europe is now a problem itself
The eurozone will pay a high price for Germany’s economic narcissism
Germany's minimalist approach to fixing the eurozone crisis is not only leading to ever more bailouts. It is also harming the rest of the eurozone because Germany's 'ordoliberalism' is too inflexible to provide a coherent answer to the crisis.
Germany’s contribution to the Arab Spring: arms sales
Berlin's failure to support intervention in Libya but willingness to arm Saudi Arabia shows the central contradiction in a foreign policy that is increasingly driven by the needs of a geoeconomic power's export industry.
Publications
European Foreign Policy Scorecard 2014
A comprehensive assessment of European foreign policy
Why Europe needs a new global strategy
Towards a new EU foreign policy
China and Germany: a new special relationship?
Why the emerging special relationship matters for Europe
European Foreign Policy Scorecard 2012
Instead of helping to solve the world’s problems, Europe is now a problem itself
European Foreign Policy Scorecard 2010
The 1st edition of the European Foreign Policy Scorecard
Articles
Economic and military power in Asia
Economic tools in Asia are increasingly being used for strategic purposes, as the “two Asias” – military and economic – come closer together
The “strategic” case for TTIP
As opposition to the TTIP increases, supporters increasingly fall back on the “strategic” case for the deal – no matter how flawed the logic is
Why Russia’s relationship with India matters for Europe
Modi and Putin publicly reaffirmed the longstanding bond between India and Russia yesterday, even as the West continues to seek to isolate Russia
China and Germany talk security
The expansion of the dialogue between Germany and China to include foreign and security policy could have a huge, and potentially problematic, effect for the European Union.
“Containment” and economic interdependence
Can a new “containment” of Russia work in an age of economic interdependence?
Asia’s security dilemma
A tension between the need for robust deterrence and the risk of escalation leads to almost impossible choices for Asians
The nightmare for German business: an “Asian Crimea”
As difficult as the Ukraine crisis is for German business, the real test would be an “Asian Crimea”
Explaining the EP election results: UK
UKIP’s win puts even more pressure on Cameron
Why Europe can’t leave Asia to the US
Can Europeans safely ignore rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific? European policymakers may want to focus on their near neighbourhood and the transatlantic relationship but one way or the other they will have to deal with the fallout from rising tensions in Asia
Think again: European decline
Although it may seem that Europe is down and out as it struggles with multiple crises, things are in fact far, far better than they appear on the surface.
Podcasts
The Franco-German Cooperation in the Midst of European crises
Séminaire du 2 juin à la représentation de la Commission européenne en France Panel 1: Competing Leaderships? The Franco-German Couple in the European Union…
The end of the Merkel consensus?
Despite its structural power at EU level, the German coalition government led by Angela Merkel has failed to come up with a sound response…
The return of the euro crisis and the German question
Prof Lord Giddens, sociologist and former Director of the LSE, and Hans Kundnani, Research Director at ECFR, discuss German power and its implications for…
ECFR’s World in 30 minutes: Russia, Germany and eurosceptics
Mark Leonard talks to Hans Kundnani, Andrew Wilson and Stefan Meister about the latest events in Ukraine, Germany's Russia policy and how all this…
In the media
Former ECFR research director, Hans Kundnani, on the increasing difficulty to find consensus among European member states.
José Ignacio Torreblanca and Hans Kundnani on the rise of populist parties in the southern European states
Hans Kundnani on the German paradox
Hans Kundnani on how the German's perception of themselves has changed
Hans Kundnani on China-Germany relations shifting from economic to security issues