A stable anchor in Europe? German security and defence policy under Merkel

After the election to the Bundestag in September 2009 Germany has ended the years with a broad coalition between the Christian Democratic Party (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). This has created new conditions for the country´s security anddefence policy. Which way the new coalition government under Chancellor merkel will be heading is a highly topical question. In an EU context, external changes also contribute to the creation of new opportunities for German security and defence policy. Since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the possibility the further develop the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) has been strengthened. Key questions asked in this report are (1) whether a growing German engagement in the EU and CSDP can be expected and (2) if there are any indications of a shift in how Germany sees its role on the international arena. In particular, Germany´s relationship with NATO and the United States, which is of great importance in an EU context, is investigated. The authors note that Germany´s ambitions in this respect are important also for Sweden and Swedish security and defence policy. The countries´ interests converge in several important areas, for example in the endeavour to further develop the EU comprehensive civilian-military approach.