Between Power and Responsibility - Germany’s Role in the Contemporary Political Economy of Europe

Since its return to a powerful position within the European politics and markets in the post-war era, Germany has been sitting between two chairs.

On the one hand, export-orientation allows for flourishing markets and one of the strongest economies in the European Union. This powerful position has shaped German policy decisions at the European level. At the same time, policy makers have traditionally placed an unusual and historically-informed emphasis on European integration. This schism between two German economic positions within Europe’s political economy reappears now in Europe’s grand crises. During the Eurozone crisis, Germany – as one of the ‘Frugal Four’ - strongly resisted expansionary policies which could have balanced the economic asymmetries between Eurozone countries. However, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, we also see a stronger return to the power of multilateralism. Where is European integration, with Germany sitting at its centre, headed?

In this panel, experts on the politics and the political economy of Germany will critically examine the country’s position and strategies within the European context. What are the lessons that German policy makers learned from the Eurozone crisis? How can a Eurozone function with Germany holding unusual power and resources compared to other members of the EMU? Will the twin crises of Brexit and COVID-19 bring members again closer together?

*Please note, joining details for this online event will be sent closer to the start date*

Panelists:

• Amandine Crespy, Associate Professor in Political Science, Université libre de Bruxelles
• Rainer Hillebrand, Professor of International Economics, Fulda University of Applied Sciences
• Julian Germann, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex

Moderator:

• Inga Rademacher, DAAD Fellow in German and Transnational Politics (King's College London)