Die Bedeutung der deutschen NATO-Politik in Libyen als Herausforderung für die Weiterentwicklung der transatlantischen Zusammenarbeit

The present paper addresses the question whether in light of its security policy Germany is still to be considered an integral part of the NATO community. Furthermore, this essay analyzes which implications the German NATO policy will have on future transatlantic cooperation within the alliance. To this end, the experiences made in the surroundings of the international military mission in Libya will be exemplified and drawn upon. Serving as the article’s theoretical background, the so called “Communities of Practice” approach permits to establish to what extent Germany is to be characterized as a member or a non-member of the transatlantic alliance. In this context, NATO is perceived as a community of practice, within which common discursive principles are being developed and joint actions are being executed by its members. In the course of this study, primarily Germany’s and NATO’s reasoning concerning Libya will be compared by conducting a discourse analysis. Subsequently, all concrete actions which have been taken by the entities in question will be contrasted with each other. Consequently, a light will be shone on the manifest differences between Germany and NATO with regard to both the discourse and their respective practical politics. Against the background of the Libyan case, Germany can no longer be considered a part of NATO as a community of practice which can in turn be taken as evidence for a tendency towards less dedication to multilateralism and less commitment in the field of military missions on the part of Germany. Thus, within the relation between NATO and Germany, a lacking sense of community can clearly be detected which potentially poses a threat to any future transatlantic cooperation.