This episode of The IR thinker examines how Germany is rethinking its foreign policy towards emerging powers, in conversation with Dr Tomasz Morozowski of the Institute for Western Affairs in Poznań. The discussion explores new analytical frameworks and methodologies, including the use and limits of neoclassical realism, and asks how Germany identifies and categorises states such as Brazil, India, South Africa and key actors in the Indo-Pacific and Africa. Particular attention is given to the interaction between Berlin and Brussels, the supranational influence of the European Union on German policy-making, and what official documents reveal about Germany’s attempts to balance continuity with adaptation in a rapidly changing international environment. The interview concludes by considering Germany’s long-term goals vis-à-vis emerging powers and the distinctive features of its approach to regimes with very different political systems.
Dr Tomasz Morozowski holds a PhD in Political Science from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and, since 2015, has been a researcher at the Institute for Western Affairs, where he leads the “Germany – Europe – World” research team. His work focuses on German foreign policy and Germany’s evolving role in global politics, with particular emphasis on relations between Germany, China and the European Union, as well as broader engagement with emerging powers. He also researches globalisation, digitalisation and innovation in the European and German economies, and the implications of artificial intelligence for international relations, bringing these strands together in a nuanced analysis of how German policy adapts to structural change in world politics.
Publications:
German Foreign Policy Towards Emerging Powers: Co-shaping Globalization
Content
00:00 – Introduction
01:54 – New Frameworks and Methodologies for Understanding Germany’s Policy Towards Emerging Powers
07:42 – The EU’s Supranational Influence on Germany’s Foreign Policy Research
10:06 – Neoclassical Realism in Tomasz’s Research on Germany’s Foreign Policy
15:40 – Limitations of Neoclassical Realism in Analysing Germany’s Foreign Policy
17:35 – From Continuity to Adaptation: The Evolution of Germany’s Foreign Policy
23:11 – How Germany Identifies and Classifies Emerging Powers in Foreign Policy
29:09 – Case Studies of Emerging Powers: Brazil, India, and South Africa
35:07 – Case Studies of Emerging Powers: The Indo-Pacific Region
42:01 – Case Studies of Emerging Powers: The African Continent
46:23 – Which Country Surprised You Most During the Research?
49:04 – Quality of German Documents and the Role of the German Language in Research
51:31 – Germany’s Long-Term Foreign Policy Goals Regarding Emerging Powers
54:34 – Navigating Different Regimes: Distinctive Elements of Germany’s Foreign Policy
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