A bimonthly magazine on international affairs, edited in Germany's capital

Home Articles Posted by Bettina Vestring (Page 4)

Posts by : Bettina Vestring

Bettina Vestring
Author / 67 Posts
is a freelance journalist based in Berlin. She writes on foreign and security policy and EU affairs.
Europe’s Power Shifts

Eye on Europe

One year on from the Brexit vote, the EU’s political landscape is profoundly changed.

Merkcron, a Dream Team?

Eye on Europe

Europe’s future hinges on relations between Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.

The Spirits She Called

Berlin Observer

Frauke Petry, leader of the Alternative für Deutschland party, has lost out to the radicals.

More Bang or More Buck?

Berlin Observer

Germany’s Social Democrats are turning defense spending into an election issue.

Island of the Blessed

Berlin Observer

What to learn from Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s election as president of Germany.

History and Shame

Berlin Observer

Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland is moving into neo-Nazi territory.

Paying Lip Service

Berlin Observer

Don’t read too much into Angela Merkel’s proposal for a burqa ban.

Writing on the Wall

Berlin Observer

In Austria, Germany’s political parties catch an awful glimpse of the future.

Merkel’s Turkish Dilemma

Berlin Observer

A furious president, an outdated law, and an unrepentant comedian have caught Germany’s chancellor in a double bind.

Still in Control

Berlin Observer

Why the regional elections of March 13 signal a shift in Germany’s political landscape.

Sending in the Tornadoes

Berlin Observer

Why Germany is engaging in France’s war against the so-called Islamic State.

A European Leitkultur

Berlin Observer

The current wave of immigration presents a huge opportunity for Europe.

Merkel’s Refugee Risk

Berlin Observer

Many Germans still believe the chancellor was right when she opened the borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees. But doubts are growing, and her party, too, is becoming nervous. Could her job be at stake?

Eyes Wide Shut

Berlin Observer

The EU’s deficient foreign policy is to blame in part for the current refugees crises. But few in Berlin or elsewhere acknowledge this.

Saving Europe

Berlin Policy Journal July/August 2015

The real dividing line in the debate about Greece and the euro is whether Germany and Europe should give in to Athens’ demands, or force Greece to reform? Interestingly, both camps are firmly pro-European.

The Other “No” Camp

Berlin Observer

Angela Merkel’s government seem to be taking the accelerating Greek crisis in good spirits, and it isn’t hard to see why: with Sunday’s referendum, Greece’s government has taken the country’s fate into its own hands

Published by

Out Now: May/June 2020 Issue



+++ The coronavirus crisis has brought Europe and the rest of the world to a standstill. What are the effects of the pandemic on international affairs? The future of the EU depends on how it handles the crisis, argues Daniela Schwarzer. Much is riding on the German EU presidency. David Goodhart makes the case for a retreat from hyperglobalization, and Richard Sennett foresees big changes coming to our way of life; Efi Koutsokosta profiles Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis; Noah Gordon, in his Carbon Critical column, points out that solar, like oil, has its overcapacity problems; and much more +++

Berlin Policy Journal Podcast

European Encounters

European Encounters (#EuropeCounts), supported by Stiftung Mercator (2017-18), aims at contributing toward building a European public. Europeans from different ends and spheres of the continent exchange views on topics relevant to the whole EU. It’s time to make discussions truly European.

Get the App




BERLIN POLICY JOURNAL is a bimonthly digital magazine on European affairs, edited in Germany’s capital and published by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). It is best read via our app – on GooglePlay and the Apple AppStore – on tablets and smart phones.