[Flaptekst]: After the end of the Cold War, there has been a revival of geopolitical thinking. This became apparent in the discussion of the orientation of German foreign policy after reunification as well as in the discussion of the future relevance of the Atlantic and Eurasian region for Europe after the end of the Cold War. This is the central issue this paper deals with. The paper analyses the geopolitical designs for Europe, which have been developed since 1989/91.In these designs two divergent strategic orientations become apparent: Either geopoliticians plead for a close partnership with the United States; or they cast Europe as the counterbalance to the United States. This makes it clear that Atlantic and Euro-Eurasian ideas of Europe clash. Despite these different views there is one common point: the role of the United States is crucial. It is the key to the geopolitical designs for Europe.
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