"Germany and EU enlargement into Eastern Europe"

This paper examines Germany's interest and role in the EU's eastern enlargement. After discussing the security, economic, and moral sources of Germany's interest in enlargement, the paper examines the evolution of German policy on enlargement since 1990. It argues that German views on enlargement have evolved from an initial vague enthusiasm for rapid enlargement with lengthy transition periods. The primary influences on German enlargement policy are EU-level developments, including the priority given to EMU and the difficulty of achieving necessary internal reforms, and external security considerations, especially the process of NATO expansion. By contrast domestic politics have, as of yet, exerted relatively little direct influence on German enlargement policy