Merkel facing tough G20 balancing act

The German G20 presidency focused on 'Shaping an Interconnected World' through initiatives like the Compact with Africa and the Marshall Plan for Africa, aimed at reducing investment risks and addressing migration root causes. However, the 2017 Hamburg summit faced significant tension due to US President Donald Trump's protectionist agenda and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The author suggests that a broad G20 agenda—covering everything from tax cooperation to the 2030 Agenda—may help Chancellor Merkel find common ground with the US despite deep disagreements on trade and climate.

• Germany implemented two interconnected initiatives to support Africa: the Compact with Africa (CwA), led by the German Finance Ministry, and the Marshall Plan for Africa, a bilateral initiative from the Development Ministry. These programs aim to foster private sector participation and sustainable investment by lowering the perceived risks for foreign companies.
• Germany's strategic focus on Africa is driven by the migration crisis since 2014, based on the premise that migration cannot be stopped by border closures but must be addressed by improving economic opportunities and stability in originating countries.
• The US presidency under Donald Trump is viewed as a disruptive force to the liberal international trade order and global climate efforts, specifically through the pursuit of a protectionist agenda, the rollback of the Dodd-Frank Act, and the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
• The G20 agenda has evolved from its original focus on the 2008 financial crisis to a broader forum covering global economic growth, climate change, energy, the 2030 Agenda, and digitalization. This breadth may allow Chancellor Merkel to identify areas of cooperation with the US while avoiding direct conflict over trade liberalization and climate change.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Merkel facing tough G20 balancing act. https://saiia.org.za/research/merkel-facing-tough-g20-balancing-act/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Merkel facing tough G20 balancing act. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/merkel-facing-tough-g20-balancing-act/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Merkel facing tough G20 balancing act |date=7 July 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/merkel-facing-tough-g20-balancing-act/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017merkel, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Merkel facing tough G20 balancing act}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/merkel-facing-tough-g20-balancing-act/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }