section_path: Reception/Germany
section_name: Germany
paragraph_text: Germany
  
  A Friedrich Ebert Foundation perspective from September 2013 notes how BRICS members, for the first time, with Russia as an exception, are really acting on an international level.
  
  German diplomat Reinhard Butikofer, following the announcement of the expansion of BRICS in 2023, stated that developing countries may turn to BRICS "if Europe fails to prove its reliability and credibility as a fair partner".
  
  A Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom policy paper explains that while the expansion of BRICS is a wake up call, the EU or Germany need not make any direct formal contact with BRICS until the goals of BRICS are officially defined. "Western-oriented BRICS countries... should be more closely integrated into global governance."