Out of order? The US alliance in Germany’s foreign and security policy

Abstract

The Trump Presidency has caused a debate in Germany on the future of the transatlantic alliance and reinvigorated efforts to increase defence cooperation with European partners. Yet, tangible results that would suggest a decoupling from the US alliance remain scarce. This article explores the motives and debates behind Germany’s alignment with the US. How does Germany’s alliance with the US fit with Berlin’s overall foreign policy strategy? The article argues that the stability of the regional order is an important driver for Germany’s alignment. Throughout the post-WWII history, Germany’s primary interest has been to stabilise the European continent through regional integration in the European Union (EU) and NATO. A failure of the transatlantic alliance risks to threaten this goal, as new divisions might emerge between Central and Western European member states. The German case suggests that, in addition to threat balancing, the provision of regional order is an important incentive to align with the US.