Germany’s corruption scandals: How to limit authoritarian influence in the EU
Germany’s recent corruption scandals are as much about the health of democracy in Germany and the EU as they are simply questions of money
Experts & Staff
Majda Ruge
Senior Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
Nationalism, illiberal democracies & state capture, post-conflict state building & institutional reforms, CFSP, Western Balkans, transatlantic relations
Languages
English, German, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, conversational French
Biography
Majda Ruge is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in Berlin. Before joining ECFR, she spent three years as a fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute/SAIS at the Johns Hopkins University. She has twice testified as an expert witness at hearings of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Western Balkans.
Ruge worked in management and advisory capacities for the Delegation of the European Commission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this time she participated in key state-building reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which merged the sub-state customs and tax administrations into a single state-level institution.
Between 2012 and 2014, she was a post-doctoral fellow and lecturer at the Otto-Suhr-Institute of the Free University of Berlin, where she taught courses on international relations and nationalism. From 2014 to 2016, she lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was associated with the Gulf Research Center.
Ruge holds degrees from the European University Institute (Ph.D.,2011 and M.A., 2006), Central European University in Budapest (M.A. in International Relations and European Studies, 2001) and Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia (B.A. in International Relations, 2000).
Great power politics in Bosnia: How Berlin can stabilise a dysfunctional state
Germany should rally its allies to imbue the Office of the High Representative with new purpose and authority to fulfil its mission
14 Dec
Dayton at 25: The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This two-day conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement gathered a distinguished line-up of speakers to discuss the challenges facing the country and to explore options for transatlantic cooperation in the Western Balkans
Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
The voting dead: Why electoral fraud in Bosnia should matter to the EU
Voter fraud and voter intimidation appear in many forms in Bosnia, and are becoming especially visible ahead of upcoming local elections in November
Serbia’s 5G deal with Washington: The art of muddling through
There is no obvious reason why Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would turn his back on a relationship with China from which he draws a great deal of political capital
What Montenegro’s future government means for the Western Balkans
Supporters of Western integration for Montenegro may look hopefully at the smallest – and pro-European – member of the new coalition. But wider forces are likely to overwhelm it
Trump’s Kosovo show: No big deal
The White House’s sloppy agreement does little to advance dialogue, and comes at a high price
Serbia and coronavirus propaganda: High time for a transactional EU
It is time for the EU to direct much more of its financial assistance through channels other than highly corrupt governments that consistently violate European norms and standards
The house that connects France and Germany: Jean Monnet’s mission to America
European integration was never distinct from, or opposed to, a strong transatlantic relationship or American interests
Publications
Trump’s tinderbox: US politics and the next war in the Balkans
Serbian revisionism is on the march and would be greatly strengthened by a Trump win. The EU must prepare a deterrence plan — and take greater responsibility for Western Balkan security
Imagining Trump 2.0: Six scary policy scenarios for a second term
The potential return of Donald Trump to the White House is a matter of months away. Here are six scary policy scenarios to give Europeans sleepless nights and prepare them for what could be to come
Brace yourself: How the 2024 US presidential election could affect Europe
Fierce debates are raging among both Republicans and Democrats about America’s future foreign policy orientation. Europeans should take note and prepare
The past and the furious: How Russia’s revisionism threatens Bosnia
Russia is working to keep Bosnia divided. But many of the country’s problems are homegrown or exacerbated by neighbouring states
Hostage state: How to free Bosnia from Dayton’s paralysing grip
Restoring independence to the judiciary and strengthening the rule of law are key to the country’s future stability and success
Articles
Up close and personnel: What Donald Trump’s administrative picks mean for US foreign policy and Europe
Donald Trump is choosing the cabinet for his second administration. Who will oversee key foreign policy positions – and whether they are a ‘primacist’, ‘prioritiser’, or ‘restrainer’ – will determine America’s future global outreach
China, trade, and security: What a Trump-Vance administration would mean for Europe
Should Donald Trump win November’s US election, his choice of J.D. Vance as a running mate suggests huge shocks to US policy on China, trade, and security are around the corner. Europeans must respond decisively
The Trumpist Manifesto: The Republican struggle for a second-term foreign policy
The prospect of Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency has left three Republican tribes vying it out to fill in the details of his hazy foreign policy ambitions
Violence in North Kosovo: How the EU and the US can break the cycle
Escalating violence in the north of Kosovo undermines the already difficult dialogue process. The EU and US need to address this destabilisation head on
Primary concern: Trump, Ukraine, and the Republicans’ foreign policy divisions
The candidates for the Republican primaries hold diverging views on the future of US foreign policy. In the event of a Republican victory, Europeans must prepare for an end to American support to Ukraine
Deterrence starts in the Balkans: How NATO allies can prevent military escalation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As NATO convenes in Vilnius, Kremlin proxies are undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty. Allies need to formulate a diplomatic strategy to prevent a military crisis
Why Ron DeSantis is not the most consequential Trump challenger in the US presidential race
All eyes are on the competition between DeSantis and Trump. But Tim Scott may be the one to watch
The German scapegoat: Berlin’s inevitable role in the US presidential election
Germany cannot avoid being dragged into election debates in the US. On defence, it should focus on its own national security interests
To tell the Truth: The Republican party’s Ukraine divide
Mitch McConnell uttered comforting words in Munich, but European policymakers would serve the cause of European defence better by planning for a Trump or DeSantis presidency
How to kill four birds with one stone: The West’s foreign policy challenge in Serbia
EU and US policymakers have it within their gift to change the dynamic in their relations with Serbia. Taking on Western Balkans kleptocracy lies at its heart
Podcasts
Swamp Chronicles: Célia Belin and Madja Ruge on the foreign policy of the next US administration
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş and Jeremy Shapiro talk to Célia Belin and Majda Ruge about the US election and the various foreign policy tribes within the Democratic and Republican party
What Europe can expect from the next US president
Mark Leonard welcomes Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro to discuss how the 2024 US presidential election will affect transatlantic relations
China’s strategic approach to the Western Balkans
How much influence does China already have in the Western Balkans and how should European policymakers react?
Events
12 Jun
The Crossroads of Democracy: Foreign Policy Implications of the 2024 US Presidential Election
Foreign policy seldom plays much of a role in American presidential elections, but the consequences of those contests can be profound for America’s allies in…
14 Dec
Dayton at 25: The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This two-day conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement gathered a distinguished line-up of speakers to discuss the challenges facing the country and to explore options for transatlantic cooperation in the Western Balkans
In the media
Majda Ruge and Adnan Ćerimagić on the role Trump played in the Balkans in his first presidency
Majda Ruge on what Donald Trump’s administrative picks mean for US foreign policy and Europe
The US can fight several simultaneous wars; reduce its global military commitments altogether, or prioritise the deployment of its military in deterring China
Majda Ruge looks at Trump’s foreign policy options
Célia Belin, Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro’s policy scenarios paper as the one of the best books to read now Trump has won
The ECFR recently identified three Republican foreign policy ‘tribes’: the ‘restrainers’, the ‘primacists’ and the ‘prioritisers’
Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro highlight the three different Republican tribes in the USA