Germany is preparing to pull its weight. The task now is to make sure that the effort is sustained
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe budget presented to Germany’s coalition cabinet on March 16th was accompanied by a proposed law creating a special defence fund worth €100bn . This will be used to boost German defence spending from around 1.5% ofmembers are supposed to meet but Germany has consistently missed. The cash should be enough to bridge the gap for the next four or five years if officials decide to spend it that quickly.
Just as significant was the decision, announced on February 26th, two days after the war began, to allow the export of German weapons to Ukraine. Previously, Germany had not only refused to send arms into war zones, but insisted on stopping third-country buyers of German kit from re-exporting it to such places, even to help the victims of aggression defend themselves.will achieve more if the money is used shrewdly. But its record is poor in this regard.
Russia is the biggest threat to Europe and will be for years to come. But there are other security challenges. The Balkans may one day reignite. To Europe’s south is an arc of instability across the Sahel, in which Russian mercenaries now meddle. France and Britain have often sent troops to help stabilise trouble spots, with mixed success. They would appreciate more help. Given its size and wealth, Germany should play a leading role.
Mr Scholz’s transformation of German foreign policy goes beyond defence. The war in Ukraine has exposed the folly of the energy strategy he inherited from Angela Merkel and her predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, who disgracefully still sits on the board of Rosneft, Russia’s state oil giant. By scrapping nuclear power and smiling on east-west pipelines, they allowed Germany to become dependent on Russian hydrocarbons, and therefore on the goodwill of Mr Putin.
A new, more assertive Germany is just what Europe needs to help it face down the menace in Moscow. It is a shame it took a war to wake Europe’s sleeping giant. But better late than never.
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