Jennifer A. Yoder

Bridging the European Union and Eastern Europe: Cross-border Cooperation and the Euroregions

This article explores the development of Euroregions on the European Unions eastern border and then suggests how their contribution to overcoming the various barriers between societies may be assessed. In particular, this analysis focuses on both the stated goals and actual activities of one Euroregion, the Euroregion Pro Europa Viadrina on the German-Polish border. With its focus on small-scale projects that affect peoples daily lives, the Euroregion provides opportunities for elites and average citizens on both sides of the border to overcome mutual suspicions, work together to promote the regional economy, and foster linkages with the European Union.

Leading the Way to Regionalization in Post-Communist Europe: An Examination of the Process and Outcomes of Regional Reform in Poland

This article examines Polands process of regionalization since the late 1990s. It identifies several factors that led Poland to introduce self-government at the regional level both earlier and to a greater extent than its neighbors in East Central Europe. The analysis then turns to the competences and financing of the Polish regions, or voivodeships. Although Poland has taken steps to decentralize, it remains a unitary state.

Truth without reconciliation: An appraisal of the enquete commission on the SED dictatorship in Germany

One of the many difficult decisions confronting countries in transition is whether and how to reckon with the undemocratic past. Among post‐communist cases, transition justice has been pursued most vigorously in Germany. In this case, the accession of the GDR to the FRG in 1990 provided institutional, personnel and financial advantages. One of the tools for reckoning with the past has been the Investigatory Commission on the Working‐Through of the History and Consequences of the SED Dictatorship in Germany. This article examines the aims, structure and outcomes of the commission and considers its contribution to promoting inner unity in the new Germany.

An Intersectional Approach to Angela Merkel's Foreign Policy

Angela Merkel is unique among post-war German chancellors in that she is a woman, she is from the former German Democratic Republic, and she is the first with a background in the natural sciences. This article explores how the intersection of these unique social roles have shaped Merkels foreign policy. It begins with an exploration of the literature on women and foreign policy and considers its relevance for understanding Merkels management style, ideology/worldview, and public image. Then the article looks specifically at Merkels foreign policies toward Russia and the European Union, focusing on the substance of her foreign policy as well as her interactions with other leaders. The extent to which the chancellor has helped to bring more women into the foreign policy realm is also briefly discussed.

Good Neighbourliness in a Tense Neighbourhood: German—Polish Relations, 1990 to the Ukraine Crisis

The German—Polish relationship developed strong, deep roots over the two and a half decades since the collapse of communism in eastern Europe and the unification of Germany. The Ukraine crisis revealed, or rather was a stark reminder that, Germany and Poland have different perspectives about Russia’s relationship to Europe, its impact on the region’s security, and how best to guarantee that security. Whereas Germany sought to cultivate a special relationship with Russia in the late 1990s, Poland saw a need to Europeanise relations with Russia. Elections in Poland in 2015 directed further attention to the country’s differences with Germany and the EU. Despite their occasionally divergent foreign and security policy perspectives, however, both countries have practical reasons to work toward strengthening European foreign and security policy cooperation.

Angela Merkel’s discourse about the past: Implications for the construction of collective memory in Germany:

This article examines German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political discourse about the past. Through analysis of 54 of Merkel’s speeches over a 10-year period, I explore when and how she references the past and whether she links the past to particular foreign policy choices. I suggest that Merkel draws upon several pasts—from different points in time and from different configurations of Germany—to present an integrated collective memory for a unified Germany.

Dialogues, Trialogues and Triangles: The Geometry of Germany's Foreign Policy of Trust-Building

This article explores three formats for interstate relations developed by, or at least significantly influenced by Germany in the post-Cold War period: the Petersburg Dialogue, the German–Russian–Polish Trialogue and the Weimar Triangle. An examination of the form and function of each of these formats is followed by a discussion of what these formats have in common and why they are worthy of further study. The paper addresses whether this ‘variable geometry’ of Germanys foreign policy of trust-building is likely to survive a period of turbulent relations or changes in leadership and, furthermore, how the effectiveness of dialogues, trialogues and triangles might be evaluated.