Source: Statistiches Bundesamt Wiesbaden 2016

Foreign Trade Balance (Exports-Imports) in 1 000 Euro

New divisions, groups and fault lines in the EU reveal differences not just between countries but within countries and between ideologies, too. Europe has never simultaneously faced so many challenges. Brexit, the eurozone crises, sluggish economic growth, high unemployment and immigration along with social inequality weigh heavy on Europe’s future. Terror attacks have spotlighted the dangers of violent radicalisation. These developments come against a background of technological innovation that, from a competition viewpoint, is too slow, but in social terms others see as too fast.

External Relations

At the recent Malta Summit, Chancellor Angela Merkel rightly pointed out  that “ The more strongly the EU is clear about how it defines its role in the world, the better it can tend its transatlantic relations.''

Joint-Letter of Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group, and Guy Verhofstardt, President of the ALDE GROUP to President of the European Commission, President of the European Parliament and President of the European Council

“ In the past weeks, Ted Malloch likely nominee by U.S. President Trump to become the new Ambassador to the European Union, made a series of public statements denigrating the EU.

The EU struggles for a Strategic Narrative. The EU strategic narrative is complicated by the hybrid nature of the institution - reflecting both supranational and intergovernmental aspects, which complicates efforts to speak with a single voice in international affairs. The EU has in recent years lost a vision for a shared narrative , thus hampering the EU's strategic impact. This has been most clearly witnessed in EU crisis management in which diverging and occasionally conflicting narratives have emerged.

Article 3.1 (e) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU grants the EU ‘exclusive competence’ in relation to ‘common commercial policy.

There is tremendous political capital vested in the euro and it is unlikely that the euro will come apart. Even in Germany, the euro has still a lot of political and popular support. The collapse of the euro and the costs to the European and the world economy would be unprecedented. Equally important, the political costs for Europe would be immense. The credibility of both EU-wide institutions and national governments would suffer a massive blow.

The U.S. Press Corps is particularly present in 5 European Cities: Berlin, Brussels, London, Paris and Rome. The EU needs to be more proactive vis-à-vis U.S. media foreign correspondents.

It is in America’s interest to establish positive relations with Germany. Germany is one of the United States’ closest and strongest allies in Europe. U.S. relations with Germany are based on close and vital relations as friends, trading partners and allies. In the political sphere, Germany stands as the center of European affairs and plays a key leadership role as a member of the G-7, G-20, NATO and the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).