The German Influence on Common Internal and External Policies of the European Union

The research analyzes German influence on common internal and external policies of the European Union at the current stage. The author examines the leading role of Germany with regard to common European challenges such as the European debt crisis, the refugee crisis and Brexit. In terms of foreign policy the author pays attention to the actions of Germany on the formation of the common foreign and security policy of the EU and also considers the influence of Germany on the definition of the EU's relations with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. The author raises the question about the effectiveness of Germany's actions and how it's leading role is perceived by leaders of the European countries and among population of the EU. Keywords: Germany; the European Union; Integration; the European debt crisis; the Refugee crisis; Brexit; CFSP; the Ukrainian crisis; Turkey.