Dr. Henning Hoff

It’s not much of a secret that Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz are very different characters. Their deepening rift is damaging the Franco-German relationship—and Europe.

The German government has straightjacketed itself by a return to the “debt brake,” pursuing a stringent fiscal policy at a time when the country is trying to fight its way of out a recession. Two of three ruling parties think the approach is wrongheaded.

2024 will likely test Germany when it comes to its two most important defense and security tasks: helping Ukraine and improving the Bundeswehr.

Just before passing its halfway mark, the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been hitting the financial buffers. Sadly, a general fiscal rethink is unlikely.

Germany has strongly sided with Israel in the aftermath of the brutal attack by Hamas, and for good reasons. However, this poses questions for German foreign policy that will be difficult to address.

Seven years after the Brexit vote shocked Germany, it’s time for the two countries to rediscover common ground. Unfortunately, Berlin is sitting on its hands.