Economic Equidistance is Not an Option: Germany and the US-Chinese Geo-Economic Conflict

Intensifying US-Chinese rivalry will increase pressure on Germany to support a more hawkish US geo-economic policy. The new ­German government should give Washington support in as far as US policies seek to create an economic level playing field vis-à-vis China. Given its dependence on international trade and investment, Germany should seek to resist a broader politicization of inter­national economic relations

A More Strategic Approach to Foreign Direct Investment Policy

Cross-border investment and trade give rise to both economic gains and economic vulnerabilities. As geopolitical competition is intensifying, governments increasingly resort to restricting cross-border investment and trade. Policies are informed by a desire to limit security risks and secure technological advantages rather than pursue efficiency gains

Germany Between a Rock and a Hard Place in China-US Competition

The Biden administration has just issued its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance. The guidance document states the need to "build back better at home" and acknowledges that "international economic policies must serve all Americans" - a theme often referred to as "foreign policy for the middle class". While the interim guidance does not preclude cooperation with China in selected policy areas, it is unambiguous in considering China a strategic competitor. The prospect of intensifying China-US geopolitical and (geo)economic competition is bad news for Germany, which has high value trading and investment relationships with both countries

Restricting Technology Leakage: Why Germany Needs an Outbound Investment Screening Mechanism

In a world marked by geopolitical competition, the United States is taking measures to restrict the diffusion of technologies it considers essential to its security and economy. To make its regime more effective, Washington will pressure its allies to align their policies. Germany, due to its international economic integration, risks being squeezed between American demands and possible Chinese retaliation. Its best option would be to establish an EU regime for screening outbound investment. Failing that, Berlin needs to set up a national mechanism based on the following points: Germany needs to identify which existing and emerging technologies will be critical to national security and economic-technological leadership. To this end, the government should establish a scientific advisory council and consult widely. Restricting technology transfers comes with short-term economic costs, but it may also enhance longer-term national security. Policies should be sensitive to these trade-offs. Berlin should prepare for retaliation by countries affected by technology-focused investment restrictions. It also needs to strengthen defenses against industrial espionage. Any policy on outbound investment should be embedded in a broader national economic security strategy to be maximally effective. This should include inward investment restrictions and export controls

US-Chinese Competition and Transatlantic Relations: Implications for Germany and Europe

Germany is at risk of sustaining collateral damage in the face of intensifying US-Chinese competition and conflict. China’s ascendance and America's desire to preserve the status quo lock Beijing and Washington into a classic security dilemma. The United States sees China as a potential regional hegemon in Asia and as an emerging global systemic challenger. China sees the United States as impeding its rise. Security competition is already well underway. So are geo-economic and geo-technological competition and conflict. For Germany, a position of relative neutrality or equidistance is not an option, it should consider pursuing a multi-track approach

Don't Get Caught in the Middle: A Geo-Economic Strategy for Germany to Survive US-Chinese Rivalry

The economic fallout from the war in Ukraine has been very significant. The consequences of a war in East Asia involving the United States and China would be much worse. And even if a Sino-US military confrontation can be avoided, geo-economic conflict between the two powers is going to intensify. Washington will put increasing pressure on Germany and Europe to align their policies with Washington’s geo-economic strategy

Die Verhandlungsmacht der EU stärken: Wie Deutschland sich auf eine verschärfte Sanktionspolitik der USA vorbereiten kann

Die USA werden zur Durchsetzung ihrer geopolitischen Ziele künftig verstärkt zu Sanktionen greifen. Ein Präsident Trump wird dabei auf Europa nur wenig Rücksicht nehmen; aber auch für Biden steht das US-Interesse an erster Stelle. Deutschland allein kann sich amerikanischen Sekundärsanktionen kaum widersetzen, aber es kann sich für die Stärkung der EU-Verhandlungsmacht einsetzen. Dazu sollte es auch auf die Institutionalisierung des transatlantischen Dialoges über die Sanktionspolitik drängen

Domestic institutions and European monetary integration: The politics of monetary and fiscal convergence in Italy, 1992-1998.

This thesis analyses how Italy succeeded in fulfilling the macroeconomic convergence criteria agreed upon at the Maastricht conference in late 1991. It is argued that economic policy reform in Italy between 1992 and 1998 has to be understood primarily as the result of two sets of factors: international financial and political pressure; and domestic political and socio-economic institutions. The institutionally grounded concept of 'executive strength' is regarded as particularly important, as 'weak' Italian governments had been the main reason for unsustainable economic policies in the past. Methodologically, the study uses an historical-institutionalist approach to explain institutional and policy reform. From both an empirical and theoretical perspective, successful macroeconomic convergence during the 1992-98 period represents an anomaly. Hence the study of successful policy reform can be regarded as a 'deviant case study' which is implicitly comparative in nature. The thesis analyses in a historically-detailed manner institutional and policy reforms in the four most relevant policy areas, that is, budgetary policy, pension reform, private and public sector wage policies, and monetary and exchange rate policy. It is argued that policy reforms in these four areas made an important contribution to monetary and fiscal convergence. The study finds that the obstructive character of domestic institutions - and especially executive weakness - was overcome thanks to international pressure. Nonetheless, domestic institutions continued to affect policy outcomes. By comparing the French and Italian macroeconomic policy regimes, the concluding chapter provides a second-line defence in favour of the domestic-institutional and 'executive strength' accounts

A new guideline for geological maps with QGIS

publishedVersio

A New Approach to Measure Fundamental Microstructural Influences on the Magnetic Properties of Electrical Steel using a Miniaturized Single Sheet Tester

Magnetic properties of electrical steel are usually measured on Single Sheet Testers, Epstein frames or ring cores. Due to the geometric dimensions and measurement principles of these standardized setups, the fundamental microstructural influences on the magnetic behavior, e.g., deformation structures, crystal orientation or grain boundaries, are difficult to separate and quantify. In this paper, a miniaturized Single Sheet Tester is presented that allows the characterization of industrial steel sheets as well as from in size limited single, bi- and oligocrystals starting from samples with dimensions of 10x22 mm. Thereby, the measurement of global magnetic properties is coupled with microstructural analysis methods to allow the investigation of micro scale magnetic effects. An effect of grain orientation, grain boundaries and deformation structures has already been identified with the presented experimental setup. In addition, a correction function is introduced to allow quantitative comparisons between differently sized Single Sheet Testers. This approach is not limited to the presented Single Sheet Tester geometry, but applicable for the comparison of results of differently sized Single Sheet Testers. The results of the miniaturized Single Sheet Tester were validated on five industrial electrical steel grades. Furthermore, first results of differently oriented single crystals as well as measurements on grain-oriented electrical steel are shown to prove the additional value of the miniaturized Single Sheet Tester geometry