By opening its border in September 1989, Hungary demonstrated courage and humanity in support of the people seeking to escape from the GDR at the time. The chain reaction this triggered quickly sealed the fate of the German Democratic Republic, ultimately leading to German reunification as well as the expansion of European integration. With that decision by the Hungarian leadership, German-Hungarian relations experienced a peak. For a long time, the “miraculous year” of 1989 was considered the fulcrum of relations between the two countries, generating a fundamental affection for Hungary not only among Germans. 25 years on from these moving...

“To cheer for the Germans is evidence of a lack of respect for past generations”¹ posted well-known sports journalist Krzysztof Stanowski on his Facebook page, sparking a debate in Poland. It was 9 July 2014, one day after the Germany-Brazil semi-final in which the German team booted the host team out of the World Cup with a final score of seven goals to one. The well-known joke was revived: in football, there are 22 players on the field and at the end, the Germans win. But Stanowski dampened the mood. “The longer I live, the more I realise how little...

Over the years, there have been regular calls for Germany to have an active policy on Africa, combined with criticisms that Africa is neglected by German politicians. Hans-Ulrich Klose MP (SPD), one of the country’s most experienced foreign politicians, was being self-critical when he remarked that Africa is viewed as a problem continent that only has a role in terms of development cooperation and humanitarian aid.¹ According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), over 50 per cent of bilateral development aid now goes to the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.² The German Bundestag regularly debates the situation...

At this year’s Munich Security Conference, President Joachim Gauck called for a “new German foreign policy”. His remarks should not go unheeded, but be translated into concrete action. Opportunities for doing so originate in situations where Germany assumes leadership responsibility in international organisations and networks. One obvious case in point is Germany’s current G7 Presidency, which is due to culminate in June 2015 at the G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria. This paper provides insight into the significance of the G7 in terms of history and political science, outlines the current interests of the individual G7 countries with respect to various...

The timing was deliberately chosen. On the first night of Ramadan this year, the spokesman for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)¹ announced the establishment of a new caliphate. He used the opportunity to call on all Muslims to declare their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS’ leader and self-proclaimed new caliph. The group is trying to bolster its claims for legitimacy by claiming to continue the original caliphate that existed between 632 and 661 and to legitimise its own claims to power. Shortly before this, ISIS fighters had bulldozers drive up to the border between Iraq and...