Mapping Germany’s Position in the ‘Brexit’ Process: Drivers, Constraints and Priorities

Germany is a pivotal actor in the ongoing negotiations about Britain’s exit from the European Union (‘Brexit’). Not dissimilar to the euro crisis, Germany is at the center of sometimes conflicting expectations to provide leadership in the ‘Brexit’ process. Among the remaining 27 EU members, Germany is critical to efforts at sustaining a unified line vis-à-vis Britain. It is also at the centre, together with France, of initiatives to further develop European integration after Britain has left the EU. At the same time, Britain has expected Germany to be more sympathetic to its position than some other EU members and sees it as a key actor for achieving a favourable deal with the EU. This can be traced back already to the British attempt before the referendum to renegotiate the terms of its EU membership. Moreover, the German government also faces multiple domestic demands in defining its ‘Brexit’ policy, for example from industry and in the party political arena. Against this background, the paper uses concepts from the ‘two level game’ framework to explore how the German government navigates the expectations and demands on the different levels of politics. Specifically, it seeks to map the main drivers, constraints and priorities of Germany’s approach to the ‘Brexit’ crisis. To that purpose, it brings in data from interviews in the German Bundestag. The paper will conclude with reflections on the broader implications of ‘Brexit’ for Germany’s leadership in the EU.