Davina Basse
Through an in-depth analysis of the 2013 document Leitlinien deutscher Arktispolitik, along with other policy documents published by the German government over the past decade, this paper assesses Germany’s perceived national interest behind developing into a non-Arctic state with an Arctic policy and which priorities led up to the publication of Germany’s revised Arktispolitik in 2019. This paper provides an analysis of various industries and interests, such as shipping, tourism, scientific research, and energy security, to understand Germany’s economic and geostrategic background that has fueled and influenced the creation of its Arktispolitik. The concluding analysis forwards the argument that Germany recently published its Arctic policy to legitimize its claim of having a stake in the Arctic to further its economic interests, such as shipbuilding and tourism,as well as strengthen its existing political and strategic alliances, most namely NATO and the Arctic Council.
