European Politics of the Red-Green Government: Deepening and Widening Continued

Abstract

European politics represented a challenging policy area for Germany’s first Red-Green coalition. The new government had to confront the long shadow of Kohl’s overwhelmingly positive record in European politics, as well as the widespread bipartisan recognition of his successful policies. Indeed, there was effectively no compelling demand for change. Notwithstanding Kohl’s reputation as “Mr. Europe,” some concern had developed about the late Kohl government’s commitment to a stronger and more integrated EU following the disappointing results of the treaty revision in Amsterdam in 1997. This spurred the Red-Green government to equip Germany as an engine for European integration by means of a government prepared to pursue a deepening and widening of policy against the background of structural changes taking place internationally.¹