Cornelius Adebahr

Profile picture for user Cornelius Adebahr

Dr Cornelius Adebahr is a political analyst and consultant living in Berlin, Germany. His work focuses on European foreign policy issues, transatlantic relations, and Iran. Since the end of 2000, he has been the owner of Wirtschaft am Wasserturm – Political Consultancy, Project Development, and Training. In addition, he is a non-resident fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels and an associate fellow of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), as well as a member of the Team Europe of the European Commission.

He was a lecturer at Georgetown University (2015-16), at Tehran University (2012-13) and at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at Erfurt University (2005-2011).  From 2009-2011, he was a fellow of the New Leadership Foundation (stiftung neue verantwortung) in Berlin, and in 2002/2003 of the Robert Bosch Foundation’s Post-Graduate Program in International Affairs.

Cornelius studied Political Science (International Relations), Philosophy, Public Law, and International Economics in Tübingen, Paris, and at the Free University Berlin, where he graduated in 2001 before receiving his PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) in 2008 with an analysis of the work of the EU Special Representatives. His analysis of the EU’s foreign policy towards Iran, with a particular focus on the nuclear negotiations (2003-2015), appeared with Routledge in 2017.

More about Cornelius can be found on his website.

Post Archive

13 November 2014
Cornelius Adebahr argues that countries in and outside of the EU should consider reforms as continuing regardless of any official ascension date. After the experience of (…
17 October 2014
In the wake of the Scottish referendum Cornelius Adebahr explores how Europe must reform itself to remain fit for purpose. After the Scottish referendum, commentators detected a…
03 September 2014
In the context of recent events, Cornelius Adebahr welcomes initiatives to continue down the path of EU enlargement.  World events – and history – seem to converge on the…
26 June 2014
Cornelius Adebahr warns that the EU must tread carefully as it seeks to continue its enlargement process. 1914 is far away in a country with enough current problems of its own –…
08 May 2014
Cornelius Adebahr suggests the EU may be able to mobilize local and international support to address the growing crisis in Ukraine. Ever since a U.S. official spoke candidly about…
26 March 2014
Cornelius Adebahr argues that finding a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear program would be a much-needed counterpoint to the recent disregard of international norms and…
18 February 2014
Cornelius Adebahr outlines why business has been eying the Iranian market with bated breath. While Iran continues its global charm offensive, the US government is having…
17 December 2013
Cornelius Adebahr unpicks the politics behind recent office relocations in Brussels. Miles’ Law of Administration, ‘Where you stand depends on where you sit’, seems to take…
21 November 2013
Why should local and regional representatives and officials from across the EU discuss the crisis-ridden bloc’s external relations, you might ask. ‘Because it matters’ would be…
21 October 2013
After a decade of nuclear talks, a deal between Iran and the International Community may finally be in sight. However, what if the compromise found at the negotiation table falls…
12 September 2013
Cornelius Adebahr sounds a note of caution for those hoping to use history as analogy in the case of Syria. Let’s start with the banalities: Syria is not Iraq, Obama is not…
18 June 2013
Last Friday, Iranians did what no one expected them to do: They flocked to the polling stations in great numbers and elected the ‚moderate’ candidate, Hassan Rouhani, as the…
27 March 2013
“Almaty II” is beckoning: Next week, the UN-backed talks over Iran’s nuclear programme will continue in the Kazakh capital. However, the Iranian leadership’s obsession with…
13 March 2013
Cornelius Adebahr argues that economic decline rather than the nuclear issue determine life in Tehran on the eve of the Persian year 1392. But a ‘perception gap’ between Iran and…