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OSW Commentary | | Sandra Baniak-Stachowiak

North Sea ports caught in a stagnation trap

For more than half a century, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg have remained Europe’s largest seaports. In recent years, however, their growth has slowed considerably, while cargo throughput has remained virtually unchanged. Although they…
OSW Commentary | | Kamil Frymark

Anything is possible AfD sets its sights on power in Saxony-Anhalt

The elections scheduled for 6 September in Saxony-Anhalt will be crucial for Germany’s political system. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has a real chance of taking…
OSW Commentary | | Michał Kędzierski

Germanys new heating law rethinking the Wärmewende at the cost of slower decarbonisation

Friedrich Merz’s government has pushed through a sweeping overhaul of the so-called heating law, the central policy instrument for transforming the heating sector. Its previous version was one of the most controversial pieces of…
OSW Commentary | | Michał Kędzierski

Germany doubles down on gas the next phase of the Energiewende

Germany has adopted a new financial support mechanism to incentivise energy companies to build a series of new gas-fired power plants, which are expected to enter operation in late 2031 and early 2032. The scheme is intended as a…
OSW Commentary | | Kamil Frymark, Aleksandra Kozaczyńska

Waiting for reforms the future of the German welfare state

Friedrich Merz won the 2025 election on a promise to rebuild the capacity of the state. He pledged to curb illegal migration, take the initiative in European policy and deliver far-reaching economic and social reforms. While a shift in…
OSW Commentary | | Krzysztof Dębiec

Deeper reconciliation or reopening old wounds Controversy over the gathering of the German expellee association in the Czech Republic

The annual gathering of the Sudeten German Homeland Association – the largest organisation representing Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia and their descendants – has sparked considerable political controversy and media debate in the…
OSW Report | | Piotr Szymański, Jacek Tarociński

Security cooperation formats in the Baltic Sea Region. Recommendations for the Council of the Baltic Sea States

    Contents Introduction Summary I. Security-related cooperation platforms in the Baltic Sea region
OSW Commentary | | Kamil Frymark, Lidia Gibadło

A new Ostpolitik Ukraine as a priority of the Merz government

One year after the CDU/CSU–SPD coalition took office, the continuation of civilian and military support for Kyiv remains one of the principal directions of German foreign policy.
OSW Commentary | | Marek Menkiszak

Sometimes it is better not to talk Pitfalls of potential dialogue between Europe and Russia

In recent weeks, discussions have intensified regarding the possible resumption of dialogue – including at the highest political level – between the European Union, its Member States, and the Russian Federation. This debate has unfolded in…
OSW Commentary | | Agata Łoskot-Strachota

Excessive dependence The growing role of US LNG and oil in the EU market

Since 2022, the EU has undergone a rapid transformation of its natural gas and crude oil import mix. Faced with Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year, and the Russian-European economic war, the EU has almost…