ABSTRACT
In spite of a decisive shift in the structural constraints facing the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), Germany's foreign and security policy since unification has been marked by a high degree of continuity. Germany remains committed to NATO and the EU. European integration, the transatlantic link, and the commitment to multilateral co-operation continue to be the guiding principles of united Germany. This study offers an explanation for the complex pattern of continuity and change of Germany's foreign and security policy that has emerged since unification. This is illustrated by five issue areas which were and are of strategic importance to Germany: (1) Germany and the deepening of the European integration process; (2) Germany and the European Security and Defense Identity (ESDI); (3) Germany and the ‘new NATO’; (4) Germany and the participation in out-of-area missions; and (5) Germany and the reform of the armed forces.
