An ambitious cross-subsidy scheme has given rise to a new industry in renewable energy.

A roundup of which countries produced and installed the most photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells, which convert the sun's light directly to electricity, in 2008.

In an article published by Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Simon Bulmer and Roderick Parkes evaluate the prospects for a new bilateralism in EU Affairs.

Germany's parliament votes will determine whether to extend Berlin's participation in the military mission in Afghanistan. This article reports that Afghanistan is on the brink of disaster, but German politicians have chosen to ignore Afghanistan's real problems.

This paper from the German Marshall Fund of the United States looks at the troubled tripartite relationship between Poland, France and Germany. The paper says this unstable relationship – the so-called ‘Weimar Triangle’ – has made it difficult to coordinate relations between the three countries, but notes that recent meetings have seen leaders of the three countries put contentious issues aside and concentrate on finding solutions to outstanding problems.

Triggered by recent events in Afghanistan, Germany is debating the future role of its special operations forces (SOF). Particular criticism has focused on the lack of transpar-ency regarding the deployment of the Special Operations Forces (Kommando Spezialkräfte, or KSK) and on insufficient mechanisms for political oversight over these forces. The German government wants the KSK to continue to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). However, in order to prevent further domestic political backlash against the use of these forces, there needs to be a political debate about the future role of SOF in German defense and security policy as well as a revision of current practice.

The long-standing German-American transatlantic partnership suffered setbacks in the wake of the Iraq War, another Middle East flashpoint. The American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University has released a report offering a German-American perspective on the continuous Israel-Palestine struggle in the Middle East and the link between culture and politics.

This paper from the German Marshall Fund of the United States looks at Germany’s evolving relationship with the European Union. Growing in stature and, at the same time, sacrificing some of its own interests for the European Union, Germany has guaranteed its fundamental interest: a peaceful co-existence with its neighbours. In the meantime, Germany was also the only state to possess a foreign policy outlook that was both pro-European and transatlantic. However, under the administration of Chancellor Schröder, the tone and substance of Germany's European Policy evolved in two ways. First, within Europe, the "national" or the "German" component was accentuated. Second, during the war in Iraq, Germany made a break with its traditional foreign policy when it stood by France in opposing the United States. The paper explores how this new German orientation will develop during the German presidency of the EU during the first six months of 2007.

The German Institute for International and Security Affairs has released a report that offers German perspectives on the challenge of increasing Europe's voice and its ability to react to security challenges around the globe.

Dr. Ulrike Guérot discusses Angela Merkel's surprising success in transatlantic bridge-building.

This paper by the International Energy Agency considers all direct forms of solar energy and assesses resource potential, technology status, and supporting policies.

Global renewable energy markets have grown tremendously in the past decade. This paper provides a survey of the existing markets for renewable energy, the past and existing policies
that have facilitated those markets, and the implications of electric power sector restructuring for
renewable energy. The paper concludes by considering future prospects, from both economic and policy perspectives.

Michael Moran says the Iraq war brings a role reversal that may not fade quickly.

Michael Spence examines what options the Italian government has for restoring economic growth as eurozone efforts at stabilization the banking sector and sovereign-debt markets founder.

Sebastian Mallaby explains why Germany should pay more to keep the eurozone intact.

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, James Goldgeier examines what the occasion meant for the Republican party, and how it has affected the U.S. presidency since.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was not the only significant international development of 1989, writes James Goldgeier. The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and the Tiananmen Square massacre in China signified the emergence of two new international challenges: failed states and illiberal capitalism, each of which has "vexed" the United States for the past two decades.

Amity Shlaes argues, "Europe's stunning fiscal outlays permitted it to pursue tighter monetary policy, while the U.S. used monetary policy as a substitute for European-scale fiscal spending."

Barack Obama will be given a euphoric reception this week when he speaks at Victory Column in Berlin.  But in this Bloomberg article, Amity Shlaes argues that the Berlin cityscape reminds us of the limits of Obama’s foreign policy and that sometimes you encounter war even when you don’t want to.

Michael Gerson discusses giving some Holocaust survivors back a part of their past.