Research On Energy Diplomacy Of Germany In Merkel Period

In the context of global energy transition and climate change,as the largest economy in Europe,Germany’s energy diplomacy plays an important role in promoting global energy transition and addressing climate change and other issues.As Europe’s biggest energy user,energy security is of Paramount importance to Germany.Therefore,successive German governments have vigorously carried out energy diplomacy to ensure their energy security.As the longest-serving chancellor in Germany,Merkel was in power during a period of rapid changes in the world energy pattern and also a critical period of energy transformation in Germany.In the case that Germany abandons nuclear and coal and energy transformation is still immature,the Merkel government,in order to ensure the energy security of Germany,strengthens energy transformation internally and actively carries out energy diplomacy externally,which has achieved good results and keeps Germany in a security situation in energy.This paper analyzes and grasps the energy diplomacy of Germany during the Merkel administration.During Merkel’s period,Germany established the goals of energy diplomacy according to its national energy situation,including ensuring the diversification of energy sources to alleviate energy security problems;Promote domestic energy transition and open foreign markets and strive to become a global energy leader.In order to achieve these goals,Germany adopted multiple diplomatic paths during the Merkel period.On the one hand,Germany carried out regional energy cooperation and paid attention to the development of global multilateral energy cooperation.On the other hand,during Merkel’s period,Germany attached great importance to the construction of all-round energy partnership.In addition to the governmental energy diplomacy,the dialogue between German civil society organizations and stakeholders plays an important auxiliary role in the process of Merkel government’s energy diplomacy.These diplomatic paths together build a complete energy diplomacy platform of Germany.During Merkel’s period,Germany carried out energy diplomacy through multiple paths and achieved certain achievements,which not only enabled Germany to realize diversification of energy sources,but also ensured energy security.Multilateral and bilateral energy dialogue and cooperation mechanisms have also been established.Not only conducive to domestic energy transformation,but also reduce dependence on Russia.However,there are still some limitations in German energy diplomacy during Merkel’s period,mainly including frequent conflicts with the EU and its neighbors in energy diplomacy,and its energy diplomacy has always been influenced by geopolitics.Germany still needs to make foreign policy adjustments in the future to try to overcome these limitations.The era of Merkel has come to an end,but the wealth of energy diplomacy left by Merkel enables Germany to maintain a relatively safe position in the fierce global energy competition.It not only ensures energy security,but also enables Germany’s solutions in the field of energy generation to be introduced to the world,and enhances Germany’s international influence and voice in the field of energy transformation.