Was ist wirklich dran an der deutschen Führungsrolle in der EU?

Abstract

There was a common sense among the mainstream of the European Left that Germany has become the hegemon in the EU. The refugee crisis reveals that this narrative was premature. The article clarifies central concepts such as dominance, hegemony and leadership and analyses the German power behind its military, economic, political and soft power potential. It concludes that only on economic terrain Germany is ahead of its main rivals France and UK. But the country does not have a sufficient potential for a hegemon. Hence, the traditional power hierarchy in the EU prevails with the French-German condominium on top, while coalitions of opponents, such as the Visegrad Group, successfully resists any leadership in specific areas.