Britain and the Berlin Republic: Between Ambivalence and Emulation

Abstract

This contribution is primarily concerned with British perceptions of post-unity Germany. European integration is the intervening variable which helps to explain both British official anxieties about Germany and a degree of emulation. Employing the language of historical institutionalism, it posits two critical junctures. The Thatcher critical juncture led to wholesale policy transfer from the United States to Britain in the economic and social policy field while the strains in Britain's unmodernised institutions have led to significant institutional transfer from Germany. The reception of British ideas and policies in the Berlin Republic is also analysed.

Keywords:

• British Perceptions
• Post-Unity
• European Integration
• Historical Institutionalism
• Margaret Thatcher
• The Berlin Republic