ABSTRACT
This chapter explores there were economic problems, numerous difficulties within the European Union, and a loss of confidence in the mainstream parties that led to the rise of a number of anti-establishment groups. In November 2016 Merkel announced she would run for a fourth term in the 2017 federal elections. The chancellor's tenure has been marked by recurrent crises at the national and European levels. The most dramatic shift in Germany's foreign policy came in the country's dealings with Russia. What had been cordial relations under Schroder deteriorated into an atmosphere of distrust and confrontation under Merkel. Germany's most serious foreign policy challenges involved problems within the European Union. Germany's relations with Turkey have been both crucial and difficult. On the one hand Turkey played an important role in the conflict in Syria, and the country was the gateway for most of the Syrian refugees streaming into Europe.
