Foreign and Security Policy: On the Cusp Between Transformation and Accommodation

Foreign and security policy-making within Germany represents a singular policy area. From its inception it emerged into an already existing multilateral framework under the conditions of semi-sovereignty. In addition, this policy area is dominated within Germany by a comparatively small number of policy élites, with little or no sectoral interests outside that of central government to push for increased co-operation. Nonetheless, central to this chapter is the question of why there has not thus far been a far-reaching Europeanization of policy, despite Germany's apparent deep commitment to European integration and EU foreign and security policy co-ordination. German foreign and security policy finds itself on the cusp between accommodation and transformation and has not progressed further as a result of internal and external factors that continue to define German security policy as a distinctive case.