Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam (DIA) held a talk about the German- European Relations On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the German unification. This report analyzes the dimensions of the relations between German and Europe.
DIA’s brief
The Germany Institute at the University of Amsterdam (DIA) is the knowledge institute in the Netherlands on modern Germany. It operates at the interface of education, science and society. The DIA approaches Germany in a European context and initiates Dutch-German networks and exchanges. Their goal is to increase knowledge about Germany and spread it among a wide audience.
DIA was founded in 1996 as part of the ‘Germany Program for Higher Education’ of the Ministry of Education, Culture & Science. The aim of this program was to increase knowledge about Germany in the Netherlands. The University of Amsterdam was prepared to accommodate the Institute and with a start-up grant from German ministry of education and University of Amsterdam, the DIA was officially opened on 28 May 1996 by HRH Prince Claus.
Since 2012, the DIA no longer operates within the Germany program, but the emphasis has been on the knowledge institute about contemporary Germany.
DIA has five departments; academic education and research, secondary education, Germany web, Germany desk and communication and public activities.
The main grant providers are the German ministry of education, culture, and science besides The DAAD, and the University of Amsterdam.
The outer dimension is Can the EU play a geopolitical role as the European Union seeks to champion multilateralism and a rules-based global order through a more active role and a stronger voice for the EU in the world. But the implementation into reality when international law and the multilateral system as all knows it since WW II are under mounting pressure is too hard. Europeans see that the Common European Security Policy isn’t effective enough to shape this issue.
The inner dimension is finding (new) balance The negotiations over the Multi-Year Financial Framework (MFF) have shown that successful and far-reaching agreements can be struck. However, the vault lines between economic recovery and reform as well as questions about conditionality and the rule of law have been all too apparent. the EU is working on increasing cohesion while at the same time achieve its ambitions. Nevertheless, the European Recovery Plan is not on the right track and needs more modifications.
Conclusion
- the talk was a bit critical for the Germans by focusing on the role of Germany in the European integration and the way of making Germany and its norms in everything in EU from the practices of German Leaders, politicians, journalists, philosophers, etc… the currents situation of the EU Common Foreign and security policy is not in its perfect situation as there a lot of threats the surround the EU at the moment. However, there is a disagreement between the German and EU foreign policies. The issue of migration and refugees is very clear to manifest the hidden discrepancy. Added to that The German Monterey policy must be the only way to be used through the EU. So, in order to get German support, one must follow the German attitude and norms.
- Many scholars in Europe are more influenced by the German political economy especially when it comes to the German experience from 30 years ago by managing the sovereign debts crisis and building one of the strongest economies and of the most powerful officeholder in Europe.
- German political realism and COVID-19 Pandemic showed that Germany is for its people more than the European integration and the European Union. When the Pandemic badly hit Italy, Spain, and France. Germany supported its interests more than the EU interests. Nevertheless, 58% of the aids that the German government paid went to German companies. However, there were many European Companies in need more than those Germans.
