Foreign policy runs on autopilot, the pilots deal with turbulences
The three leitmotifs of the German foreign policy continuity are, first, renouncing all forms of traditional power politics, second, espousing the guiding principle of multilateralism, supported by, third, close special relationships with the key powers of Germany's multilateral foreign policy. German foreign policy gets many things right – what it needs is to check its bearings.
It is hard to imagine the Federal Republic of Germany pursuing a more successful foreign policy between 1949 and the present day.
It is hard to imagine the Federal Republic of Germany pursuing a more successful foreign policy between 1949 and the present day: As a recent study puts it, Germany is today more secure, more well off, and more free than ever before.
Of course, these successes must be credited not only to Germany's foreign policy, but also to its favourable environment, and to other countries' helpful foreign policies, in particular that of the United States. However, German foreign policy has substantially contributed to the success story of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Through its foreign policy, Germany has stabilised, and played a constructive role in further developing, an environment on which it has relied in order to pursue its own interests. In this way, it helped not only itself, but others as well, reap the benefits of the overall very positive international developments of the second half of the last century.
It is not least because of its impressive track record that the core elements of the Federal Government's foreign policy have remained unchanged to this day, despite the upheavals of 1989/1990 and the ensuing political change around the world: Germany's vision of itself as a "civilian power" remained the defining element of German foreign policy beyond 1989.
Yet, to many observers, the united Germany's insistent clinging to an unchanged foreign policy appeared paradoxical: After all, in 1990, not only the entire world, but Germany, too, had changed in fundamental ways. However, the old "grand strategy" of the Federal Republic's foreign policy proved extremely useful, also in a united Germany within a new Europe.
The main tenets of this policy still stand:
First, conformity with the norms contained in Germany's Basic Law, i.e. a "values-based" foreign policy that aims to bring to fruition the European idea, to promote democracy, human dignity and human rights, and to walk the path of peace set out in the Basic Law (never again).
Second, the principle of multilateralism (never alone), especially in relations with EU member states and NATO allies.
And third, profound scepticism concerning the use of military force (politics before force) – which often is misinterpreted as pacifism.
Although maintaining the old foreign policy guidelines was logical and justified, it did fall short of the mark. Global policy crises in the early 1990s – e.g. in the Persian Gulf, specifically following Iraq's violent annexation of Kuwait, or in the failing state of Yugoslavia – indicated that, for a united Germany, maintaining the old assumptions and guidelines would not be without problems.
Overview for this article
1
German foreign policy continuity is right, but needs an update!
2
German foreign policy – "getting it right, but not optimally right"
6
Too much bureaucracy, not enough policy shaping
7
A White Book on German foreign policy
