Germany and the Visegrad countries

The collapse of communism made possible the peaceful and democratic unification of Germany and precipitated the disintegration of the Soviet block. Since the end of the Cold War many have wondered about Germany’s adaptation to its newly acquired position inside a transforming continent. The two authors assess the relations between Germany and the Visegrad countries and German motivations for NATO and EU enlargements. They highlight that while bilateral relations between Germany and the individual Visegrad states differ, Germany has for reasons of political stability, economic opportunities and its own geo-political position consistently endorsed the accession of the Visegrad group into the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.