Germany

Germany's Zeitenwende (turning point) shows clearly in the data. Its military alignment with the United States is historically high for a country that spent decades underinvesting in defence. Germany-Russia scores are deeply hostile on both military and diplomatic dimensions, marking a dramatic break from the Merkel-era Nord Stream pipeline diplomacy. The special fund for the Bundeswehr and floating LNG terminals to replace Russian gas represent the most significant German security pivot since reunification.

Germany's top allies are France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. The Franco-German axis remains central, with strong military and diplomatic alignment, though Berlin often mediates between fiscal conservatives in northern Europe and security hawks in the east. Germany's alliance profile is distinctly European compared to the UK's Anglosphere tilt: its top allies are all EU members, while the US doesn't crack the top five despite strong military cooperation.

Germany-China scores expose the tension at the heart of German foreign policy. Military ties are slightly negative, regime relations and societal scores are moderately negative, but the diplomatic score — barely positive — is remarkably high for a Western democracy vis-a-vis China, reflecting Berlin's reluctance to jeopardize the trade relationship. Volkswagen alone sells millions of cars in China annually. Germany's official policy of 'de-risking' rather than decoupling means walking a tightrope between Washington's hawkish stance and its own industrial base.

Germany-Poland shows strong military and diplomatic scores — both NATO and EU allies — but regime relations and especially societal relations lag behind. Historical grievances, WWII reparation demands, and divergent views on EU governance (Germany favours fiscal rules; Poland pushes for security spending) create friction. Compare Germany-Poland societal scores to Germany-Netherlands — the gap reveals how history still shapes European partnerships.

Germany maintains positive relations with somewhat fewer countries than the UK or France. It also has fewer negative relationships, with a higher proportion of neutral ties — the most among the three. This reflects Germany's traditionally cautious, commerce-first foreign policy. Berlin has fewer sharp enemies but also fewer deep security partnerships, consistent with its historical reluctance to project military power beyond Europe.

Germany-Israel scores are among the strongest Western partnerships, with solid alignment across military, diplomatic, regime relations, and societal dimensions. The societal alignment is notably high, reflecting Germany's unique historical responsibility and the institutional depth of reconciliation efforts. Germany's scores are consistently higher than France-Israel across every dimension, making it Israel's most aligned European partner despite recent tensions over Gaza.

Germany-Turkey scores are mixed. Military and diplomatic scores reflect NATO alliance obligations and significant bilateral trade. But regime relations and societal relations are low for two countries with such deep people-to-people ties — millions of people of Turkish descent live in Germany. The scores capture the awkward coexistence of economic interdependence and sharp political disagreements over democratic norms, press freedom, and EU accession.

Germany-US scores are robust across all dimensions. The societal alignment is particularly notable — stronger than France-US or UK-US on the same dimension — reflecting deep cultural and economic ties forged during decades of American military presence. However, regime relations hints at friction over trade policy, particularly around 'America First' protectionism and Germany's reluctance to match US hawkishness on China.