Beyond the US, Russia & China: Germany’s global pivot | Berlin Briefing Podcast
Where is Germany really heading as it scrambles to diversify its foreign‑policy partnerships? And what does that shift look like from inside the government delegations themselves? In this episode of Berlin Briefing, Nina Haase talks to Jakob Hensing (Head of Political Economy, GPPi) about Germany’s evolving role in a tense, multipolar world. Richard Walker and Michaela Küfner join in to share rare first‑hand insights from traveling with German officials on diplomatic missions to the Indo‑Pacific and the Gulf — trips aimed at securing new energy sources, building fresh alliances, and reducing dependence on the usual big powers. Can Germany balance values with hard interests? And what did our correspondents witness behind the scenes that signals a deeper strategic pivot?
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
02:57 A new German economic model?
05:23 Merz’s Realpolitik approach
09:30 Opposition criticism
12:37 Merz’s Gulf region agenda
17:55 Indo-Pacific jet set diplomacy
21:36 A lack of experts
26:18 Values vs interests
29:22 European constraints
33:58 A clear vision?
35:26 Outro
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42 Comments
Genociders still boast about "human rights" !!
Still counting on China too much. Admit it.
the mentioned three pillars. two probably are right – buy cheap Russian oil and sell cars to the Chinese. but for the third one, the US not just provide security embrella, they also provide massive technology foundation that are essential to your economy and defense. that dependancy connects to your machinery, your infrastructure, your cloud services, and today's and future AI… and most importantly: they connect to your data. this is the expense of having a powerful alliance.
All the countries of the world are not really run and controlled by its respective citizens but more by corporate , political and wealthy interests and elites. Democracy is an illusion not a noticeable reality. If voting actually mattered that much those who actually run the world wouldn't allow it.
德国的·主权在美国人手里 你们想替代美国 美国就会指责德国的人权问题 然后换一个亲美的总统
I always wonder why Rusland is part of the 'Big 3', India, Europe, Japan… All way bigger than russia in al lot of different ways 😂
Finally, they should start calling it the multipolar world – a few years late but true nevertheless.
Germany never admidts that they they have had higher Tarrifs and more importantly higher non tarrif trade barriers than the US for decades. When they get the same mercantilistic treatment they cry foul.
Well, the US Maga Cultists and Republicans are getting nervous like your infamous Scott Bessent. He freaked out when Europe threatened him to sell US T bonds. The US weakness is the permanent debt crisis with 35T USD. I just hope German Government with the 3rd largest GDP detaches from the US and keeps China at a distance. Russia is a joke anyway, not even 50% of Germany economic power. We just form a nuclear strategy around France and UK, with Germany having a financial stake in it. No threat from Russian nukes as France alone is capable to erase Russia from the face of this plant as retaliation, or is Putin suicidal?
Go Germany and Europe, keep preaching evebody about human rights and climate change!!!!!!!!
The left Party obviously puts other countries first before Germany. Germany and Europe must be independent in the economy.
The US at this moment is not exactly treating people with respect. We are seeing it every day now
Nothing wrong to be value based relationship. Problem is there value are not applicable to all of them. No action when US bombed Iraq, Iran… colour revolution in Arab countries by fellow European countries+US and lot more engineering the governance in Africa and South America. This duplicity is the problem.
A lot on "German interested", very little on the EU. On expertise on local politics for example. No need for duplication…
Whenever Europeans talk about human rights, what they mean is they want to have an excuse to bomb and sanction people. Makes one want to vomit
We should have learned by now that selling moral value sets as a condition for doing business does not work. It is seen as unacceptable intervention by virtually all countries today. If we do not want to be left behind in " moral righteousness land", we must act in our own interest, support our industries and work to make this a line of action for the EU. Increasingly wealthy and independent customer countries will not be spoken down to and we must get back to an attitude where "business is business" , acting in our own interest and leaving the moral preaching to others.
The unreliability of the US makes this all the more important, both for Germany and Europe as a whole. The moral high ground is not exportable and we need to concentrate on self interest, realpolitik and good service to those customers who are out there. We compete with an increasingly able China, which is completely ruthless when it comes to producing goods at a competitive price and selling it to whoever has the funds to pay, including setting up the financing, if needed! Anything else will end up being wishful thinking and confirms that the century of missionaries is long gone!
We found the one person, who uses copilot
Too late Germany, Asian giants like China, Japan and South Korea already control the other markets such as South and Southeast Asia, Africa & Latin America, which are emerging markets which have big populations.
I'm sorry, you use copilot? Why?
Genocide is the worst of the crimes and Germany fully, devotedly support Israel. And now you seem worried about human rights. What a shameful hypocracy!
we need strong Germany…
Germany lost the best partner Russia.
Let’s be honest, Germany is an economic loose cannon if there is no America, China and Russia around. EU is nobody! How does Japan, South Korea and India help EU in its anemic economic growth on a life support. And how does EU provides its own security needs if it is without America’s might. And technically, EU has no internet, no AI , and no core technologies and materials for manufacturing.
Bill Gates MicroSLOP!
BAnking on partnership with India. hahahaha. Out of the pocket into the ditch (USA to India). Read Indian history before doing so
Hawaii should be on the list of country.
Green Hydrogen. Come to Pakistan. Huge surplus Solar, hydro n wind power available atleast 30,000MW
Hey lady, you forgot the Falkland. That's a country too occupied by the British.
Making deals because don’t have a choice ! Can we depend on these deals when they have choices ?
Thanks for the Co-Pilot shout-out, Nina Haase. It's a very propitously fortuitous & promising start to a Germany's "strategic" pivot to, umm, not the USA, China or RU. Y'know, wherever!
Biden named Saudi Arabia a pariah state and for his selfish reason to boost his mid terms polls he went to visit MBS expecting him to increase oil production to lower petrol prices. He got snubbed, instead of increasing oil output MBS cut oil supplies after agreeing with Putin on their OPEC plus agreement. After four years of Russian oil gas sanctions, EU has plunged into recession especially Germany and even getting deindustrialised. So much for EU’s preaching to the Global South on various principles. Europe’s economy continues to decline heading down hill facing energy crisis, So EU’s ex adversaries are becoming their saviour overnight including many Middle East countries. Merz supposed to visit China in a few weeks and yet Germany heavily criticised China a few years ago with Baerbock flying to Beijing to lecture China! She got ultimately snubbed, nobody turned up to receive her at the airport and the Chinese didn’t give her the time of day. Von Der Leyen also got snubbed on her China visit with Macron riding the shuttle bus at the airport going through immigration channels like a tourist whilst Macron was given the red carpet treatment. Is EU’s decline changing their principles . Instead trying to find deals in order to survive. Russian cheap energy will not be returning for decades.. How the old European powers are falling and watching the Global South and the BRICS Plus 22 nations moving on. The tide has turned!
36 minutes that could be condensed in 5 minutes. So much babbling…
Thanks for the interesting discussion and the insights! What a trip @RIchard!
Again, I'm no UMP'er but I support dunking on CA. & Euro clowns! Recently, domestically he gets my Like. He went after USA DefPrimes & threatened them to increase investments or else. Brilliant!
Germany looks sooooo far away but fails to accomplish building strong alliance and partnership with Poland, who will have the strongest land army in EU in only few years and a raising star in terms of economic power, already a top 20 global economy. But for Germans it is so difficult to act as real partners, they prefer the feeling of superiority. Dependable allies and partners are close to you, not overseas.
Decouple from the US and don't allow your country to be bullied by them.
Watching later. Is Merz joining Macron's "Revenge Tour for AUKUS?" Enquiring Minds Want to Know! Also, the DW team's humorless UFO mystery alien abduction encounter. Plus, their diet secrets!
Name of the game is;
Trade with anyone and everyone but for security depend on none. Treat the strongest as your enemy number one to prepare for the foolproof security.
Interesting that in the whole report there's not a single mention of the UK. The British have contributed a great deal over decades to the benefit of Europe in general and Germany in particular, and still have a lot to contribute if allowed to, and yet it seems to be an iron rule there, especially in France and Germany, that no matter what the cost, The British Must Always Be Treated Badly.
독일은 그동안 터무니없이 싼 러시아 가스와 중국의 저렴한 인건비를 통해 꿀을 많이 빨았지 하지만 이젠 그 거대한 두 기둥이 완전히 사라졌으니 발등에 불이 떨어진 게지. 유럽은 기본적으로 완전히 저물어 가는 대륙이지. 유럽은 그동안 식민주의와 제국주의로 부당한 이득을 취해왔고 인권을 비롯해 온갖 위선을 부렸던 걸 잘 알고 있겠지^^ 하지만 이제 그런 시대는 완전히 갔다 니들은 이제 각자도생으로 살 길을 모색하지 않으면 국가 존립이 위협 받는 상황을 맞이한 게지. 역사가 말하지 달이 차면 반드시 기우는 법이여. 세상에 영원한 건 없으니.
This is a good move, as long as Germany and EU don't help India's rise, as it helped China's rise, both population scale monopoly countries.
Stop trying to change people in foreign countries. It's their country, their life's, and their decision.
If you follow the American rule of law when engaging in international economic activities, then you will be doomed. The rule of law was created to ensure the interests of " America first". Another positive aspect of the rule is a formal decoration or devise to shun other parties, such as Germany, Italy, and France. You are not the moral guardian of the world.