Germany, the largest economy in Europe, is a federal republic in Europe’s West, between France and Poland.  Germany has been an OSCE participating State since June 25, 1973, has periodically had its elections observed by the OSCE/ODIHR, and chaired the OSCE in 1991 and 2016. 

A founding member of the E.U., Germany is also a member of NATO and the Council of Europe.  Germany will appear before the Commission during its 2016 Chairmanship, and has also hosted high-level OSCE anti-Semitism conferences in 2004 and 2014, along with other OSCE and OSCE PA events attended by Commissioners. Both the OSCE and the Helsinki Commission have increased their focus on Germany in recent years as a result of issues related to security, the economic downturn, diversity, and migration.