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Emerging Leadership: How Germany Engages with the CFSP

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Book cover The EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy in Germany and the UK

Part of the book series: New Perspectives in German Political Studies ((NPG))

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Abstract

This chapter considers how Germany pursues its goals in the CFSP. Several types of behaviour are identified: ‘shared leadership’ whereby it works with partners to achieve particular objectives; Germany as an ‘example’, whereby it acts as a hub around which other states can converge; Germany as a ‘mediator’; and finally, ‘unilateral’ Germany, whereby it will risk isolation in pursuit of particular goals. Taken together, these reflect a continuing preference for multilateral co-operation but also an increasing willingness to stand apart from partners and to take clear leadership positions when necessary.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  2. 2.

    Interview, DG RELEX, European Commission, Brussels, 2010.

  3. 3.

    For a discussion of German leadership activity in the context of the Ukraine crisis, see Wright, N. (2018) ‘No longer the elephant outside the room: Why the Ukraine Crisis reflects a deeper shift towards German leadership of European foreign policy’, forthcoming in German Politics, published online 3 May, https://doi.org/10.1080/09644008.2018.1458094.

  4. 4.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  5. 5.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  6. 6.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2012 (GO6).

  7. 7.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  8. 8.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  9. 9.

    Interview, General Secretariat of the Council, Brussels, 2010 (EU1).

  10. 10.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  11. 11.

    The Czech Republic held the rotating presidency from January to June 2009, Sweden from July to December the same year.

  12. 12.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  13. 13.

    These were: Sp ain, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland and the Netherlands.

  14. 14.

    Interview, Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, 2017.

  15. 15.

    Jutta Frasch emphasises the particular importance to German-Polish relations of ‘symbols, gestures and serious expressions of commitment’ (2009: 3). Westerwelle and Sikorski (2012) also wrote a joint article in the New York Times entitled ‘A New Vision of Europe’ and published on 17 September 2012.

  16. 16.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  17. 17.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  18. 18.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  19. 19.

    Interviews, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1) and Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  20. 20.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  21. 21.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  22. 22.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  23. 23.

    Telephone Interview, Swedish Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2012.

  24. 24.

    The Franco-German Brigade consists of French and German units and forms the basis of the Eurocorps. It was founded in 1987 and became operational in 1989.

  25. 25.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  26. 26.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  27. 27.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  28. 28.

    Interview, UK Ministry of Defence Official (retired), 2011.

  29. 29.

    Interview with Dr. Claudia Major, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin, January 2011.

  30. 30.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1). Interviewee’s emphasis.

  31. 31.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  32. 32.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  33. 33.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  34. 34.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2012 (GO6). The other signatories were the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Eston ia, Finland, France, Ita ly, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands , Poland and Sweden.

  35. 35.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2012 (GO6).

  36. 36.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  37. 37.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO2).

  38. 38.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  39. 39.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  40. 40.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  41. 41.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  42. 42.

    Interview, French Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (FO1).

  43. 43.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  44. 44.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  45. 45.

    See Official Journal of the European Communities (1996) Common Position of 2 December 1996 Defined by the Council on the Basis of Article J.2 of the Treaty on European Union, on Cuba (96/697/CFSP) (Brussels: Consilium). It was formally repealed by the Council in December 2016.

  46. 46.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  47. 47.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, 2010 (GO1).

  48. 48.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  49. 49.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  50. 50.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  51. 51.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO4).

  52. 52.

    Interview, Auswärtiges Amt, Berlin, 2011 (GO3).

  53. 53.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, February 2017.

  54. 54.

    Interview, Federal Defence Ministry, Berlin, March 2017.

  55. 55.

    Interview, German Permanent Representation, Brussels, February 2017.

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  1. Department of Political Science, University College London, London, UK

    Nicholas Wright

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Wright, N. (2019). Emerging Leadership: How Germany Engages with the CFSP. In: The EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy in Germany and the UK. New Perspectives in German Political Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93470-9_7

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