Germany, Russia, and the Rise of Geo-Economics

Description

Having emerged from the end of the Cold War as a unified country, Germany has quickly become the second largest exporter in the world. Its economic might has made it the center of the Eurozone and the pivotal power of Europe. Like other geo-economic powers, Germany's foreign policy is characterized by a definition of the national interest in economic terms and the elevation of economic interests over non-economic values such as human rights or democracy promotion. This strategic paradigm is evident in German's relationship with China, the Gulf States and Europe, but it is most important in regard to its evolving policies towards Russia. In this book, Stephen F. Szabo provides a description and analysis of German policy towards Russia, revealing how unified Germany is finding its global role in which its interests do not always coincide with the United States or its European partners. He explores the role of German business and finance in the shaping of foreign policy and investigates how Germany's Russia policy effects its broader foreign policy in the region and at how it is perceived by key outside players such as the United States, Poland and the EU. With reference to public, opinion, the media and think tanks Szabo reveals how Germans perceive Russians, and he uncovers the ways in which its dealings with Russia affect Germany in terms of the importing of corruption and crime. Drawing on interviews with key opinion-shapers, business and financial players and policy makers and on a wide variety of public opinion surveys, media reports and archival sources, his will be a key resource for all those wishing to understand the new geo-economic balance of Europe. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments 1 The Foreign Policy of Germany Inc. Drang nach Osten Trading state versus civilian power Germany as a reemerging power Germany as a geo-economic power Adapting Ostpolitik to globalization 2 Germans and Russians German images of Russia Historical context Contemporary German public opinion on Russia Germans and Russian democracy 3 Who Makes Russia Policy? The political parties and the Bundestag Inside the German government German business The role of German think tanks, political foundations, and academia 4 Doing Business with Russia Inc. Dealing with the devil: German business in Russia The costs of corruption The case of Siemens AG Gazprom in Germany The Gazprom German team Implications of the energy revolution 5 Security and Geo-Economics The geopolitics of geo-economics Military force: Nein Danke Defending Germany Inc. The resource and markets imperative The Merkel doctrine and arms exports Cyber security and industrial espionage 6 Germany’s Russlandpolitik: Implications for the United States, Poland, and Europe Russia as the centerpiece in the German–American relationship The legacy of 1989 in Germany and the United States The German and American publics and Russia Assymetrical economic stakes The German–American strategic debate Strategic options for the United States Poland’s resets with Germany and Russia The role of the European Union In the wake of the Ukraine crisis 7 Conclusions: Germany the Shaping Power Future scenarios for German–Russian relations Germany and the geo-economic world Germany as a shaping power Notes Select Bibliography Index