Germany’s Preliminary 5G Decision
Germany’s Preliminary 5G Decision

Limiting Damage and Learning Lessons

06/11/2019 | by Kaan Sahin, Didi Kirsten Tatlow | Germany, Information Technology

Despite the security concerns of the US, EU, and Australia, Germany plans not to exclude any telecom equipment vendors, including Chinese companies such as Huawei, from its 5G network. This stance reflects a narrow view of the issue that prioritizes short-term economic interests and fails to uphold national security and democratic values. Widespread criticism, including from within the government, shows that political decision-makers in Germany need a more sophisticated, forward-looking approach to 5G.

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Don’t Repeat the Same Mistakes

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Germany should advocate in the UN Security Council for a course correction on the international approach to peace in South Sudan. If high-level mediation, addressing impunity, and grassroots reconciliation are not prioritized, international pressure to form a transitional government by November 12, 2019, is likely to lead to renewed violence.

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On October 1, 2019, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed to meet Russia’s conditions for holding peace talks already this autumn. Moscow’s readiness to play, however, should not be mistaken for willingness to solve the conflict. So far, the Kremlin has not made any concessions in Eastern Ukraine that would be irreversible; consequently, it seems to only be testing Zelenskiy’s limits. Both Zelenskiy and the EU need to be cautious not to reward easy-to-reverse steps with major, strategic benefits.

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ECB’s Easing Package Is a Call for European Fiscal Reform
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Europe’s economic policy is currently being held hostage by incoherent decisions, which are not only crippling the euro area’s economy but also threatening global recovery. The ECB needs to admit that it cannot meet its mandate without fiscal support. In return, Germany needs to accept that true reform of Europe’s fiscal framework cannot take place without a real conversation about its debt brake policy, the schuldenbremse, and its balanced budget policy, the schwarze null.

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EU Foreign Policy

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