Max Bergmann
@maxbergmann.bsky.social
Director of the Europe, Russia, Eurasia Program at CSIS. Podcasts EuroFile and Russian Roulette. Fmr State Department official. DC sports, Tottenham
When I first came here 1000 years ago I was not a fan of the brutalism of the DC metro. Now I think it’s pretty damn spectacular.
November 15, 2025 at 3:09 AM
When I first came here 1000 years ago I was not a fan of the brutalism of the DC metro. Now I think it’s pretty damn spectacular.
The European mind can’t comprehend Halloween on the Hill.
October 31, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The European mind can’t comprehend Halloween on the Hill.
Europe needs to prepare to defend itself with less America. One challenge, is how to replace the potential loss of US ground forces. Poland, Germany, etc are doing their bit. But Europe needs a bolder approach. We call for Italy-Spain to lead a new European ground force
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
October 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Europe needs to prepare to defend itself with less America. One challenge, is how to replace the potential loss of US ground forces. Poland, Germany, etc are doing their bit. But Europe needs a bolder approach. We call for Italy-Spain to lead a new European ground force
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
www.csis.org/analysis/how...
This is rarely commented on but Hungary's expansion of solar, as well as Poland, is truly remarkable.
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
September 19, 2025 at 3:33 PM
This is rarely commented on but Hungary's expansion of solar, as well as Poland, is truly remarkable.
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
ember-energy.org/latest-insig...
First time in Japan - where my dad was born in 1942. Tokyo is like NYC but with the nicest people. They have also somehow elevated American culture
September 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
First time in Japan - where my dad was born in 1942. Tokyo is like NYC but with the nicest people. They have also somehow elevated American culture
It was amazing to finally visit the German Club of Manila! My great grandfather Max was a founding member in 1906 and my grandfather also Max was also a long time member. His first date with my British grandmother was at the club in the early 1930s! (thanks to Emma Chanlett-Avery for coming along!)
September 9, 2025 at 9:53 PM
It was amazing to finally visit the German Club of Manila! My great grandfather Max was a founding member in 1906 and my grandfather also Max was also a long time member. His first date with my British grandmother was at the club in the early 1930s! (thanks to Emma Chanlett-Avery for coming along!)
Interesting... strong support in Germany for more EU defense cooperation.
June 24, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Interesting... strong support in Germany for more EU defense cooperation.
As I argue in the report below, Eurobonds should be used to support Ukraine and European defense. But the focus should be Ukraine. Why? Because what Ukraine needs, Europe also needs. And what Euro defense industry need are massive long term contracts. Let Ukraine shop, EU pays.
April 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
As I argue in the report below, Eurobonds should be used to support Ukraine and European defense. But the focus should be Ukraine. Why? Because what Ukraine needs, Europe also needs. And what Euro defense industry need are massive long term contracts. Let Ukraine shop, EU pays.
Sec State Dean Acheson in 1952, when "Americans were the best Europeans" putting the squeeze on the Dutch ambassador to support the European Defense Community.
April 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Sec State Dean Acheson in 1952, when "Americans were the best Europeans" putting the squeeze on the Dutch ambassador to support the European Defense Community.
Excellent Chartbook on the Biden struggles to deal w/ the new era. One aspect overlooked is the impact of failure in the GWOT/Afghan/Iraq wars. I wrote on this in Nov 2020 on the "End of the 9/11 era" and the difficulties of reckoning w/ defeat.
library.fes.de/pdf-files/bu...
library.fes.de/pdf-files/bu...
March 17, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Excellent Chartbook on the Biden struggles to deal w/ the new era. One aspect overlooked is the impact of failure in the GWOT/Afghan/Iraq wars. I wrote on this in Nov 2020 on the "End of the 9/11 era" and the difficulties of reckoning w/ defeat.
library.fes.de/pdf-files/bu...
library.fes.de/pdf-files/bu...
Europeans want more EU (this is especially true on defense).
“no EU member state preferred their own or Washington’s leadership over Brussels” news.gallup.com/poll/657860/...
“no EU member state preferred their own or Washington’s leadership over Brussels” news.gallup.com/poll/657860/...
March 13, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Europeans want more EU (this is especially true on defense).
“no EU member state preferred their own or Washington’s leadership over Brussels” news.gallup.com/poll/657860/...
“no EU member state preferred their own or Washington’s leadership over Brussels” news.gallup.com/poll/657860/...
It looks like CDU, SPD, Greens will be a seat or two shy of the 2/3rds the seats needed to amend the constitution to get rid of the debt brake. Have them at 65.7%.
February 24, 2025 at 1:04 AM
It looks like CDU, SPD, Greens will be a seat or two shy of the 2/3rds the seats needed to amend the constitution to get rid of the debt brake. Have them at 65.7%.
European trust in the EU is at its highest since 2007. One reason I think it is likely we see a ramp up in EU activity.
europa.eu/eurobaromete...
europa.eu/eurobaromete...
February 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
European trust in the EU is at its highest since 2007. One reason I think it is likely we see a ramp up in EU activity.
europa.eu/eurobaromete...
europa.eu/eurobaromete...
After the NATO Washington Summit, I wrote in @warontherocks.bsky.social that the Biden admin missed an opportunity to transform NATO. Instead of pushing Europe to build a Euro pillar in case a reckoning comes, they clung to the status quo. Now we have the reckoning. warontherocks.com/2024/08/nato...
February 20, 2025 at 7:14 PM
After the NATO Washington Summit, I wrote in @warontherocks.bsky.social that the Biden admin missed an opportunity to transform NATO. Instead of pushing Europe to build a Euro pillar in case a reckoning comes, they clung to the status quo. Now we have the reckoning. warontherocks.com/2024/08/nato...
At the root of the problem is US apathy toward the alliance and a fundamental divergence in world view. Instead of Robert Kagan’s, Americans from Mars, Europeans from Venus, the US and Europe are now from different centuries. 4/
February 16, 2025 at 2:26 AM
At the root of the problem is US apathy toward the alliance and a fundamental divergence in world view. Instead of Robert Kagan’s, Americans from Mars, Europeans from Venus, the US and Europe are now from different centuries. 4/
There is little chance of a grand transatlantic bargain. Trump administration not prepared to make concessions (ie keep US forces in Europe) and Europe not structured to make such a deal. 3/
February 16, 2025 at 2:26 AM
There is little chance of a grand transatlantic bargain. Trump administration not prepared to make concessions (ie keep US forces in Europe) and Europe not structured to make such a deal. 3/
The problem is that these fights are going to interact with each other. We’ve already seen that at Munich, with NATO, Ukraine, and tech policy interacting in ways that will cause bitter clashes. 2/
February 16, 2025 at 2:26 AM
The problem is that these fights are going to interact with each other. We’ve already seen that at Munich, with NATO, Ukraine, and tech policy interacting in ways that will cause bitter clashes. 2/