Tuesday 05 May 2026 @ 11:25
Chatham House
Printable version

Germany rearms – but can it lead? Europe’s hesitant superpower in waiting

EXPERT COMMENT

Germany is ready to rearm, but faces many political challenges to achieve strategic leadership.

‘Zeitenwende’ – that deliberately weighty term coined by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – described a watershed era. It proposed not a policy adjustment, but a real rupture in Germany’s strategic posture. Yet it is only over the past year, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, that the full measure of what it entails has become clear.

This is not merely higher defence spending. It is a redefinition of Germany’s place in Europe, and of Europe’s dependence on Germany.

Zeitenwende was never just about budgets or brigades. It required that Germany, long accustomed to exercising influence through economic might, must assume the burdens of strategic agency in Europe and translate its latent power into strategic leadership.

That is an almost psychological challenge for a country whose political culture has been shaped by a tradition of restraint, especially regarding the use of its military.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.

 

Channel website: https://www.chathamhouse.org/

Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/05/germany-rearms-can-it-lead-europes-hesitant-superpower-waiting

Share this article
RESEARCH EXPERTS EVENTS MEMBERSHIP ACADEMY ABOUT

 

Latest News from
Chatham House

China will benefit from the Iran war, regardless of any deal between Trump and Tehran

07/05/2026 13:20:00

China will not displace the US as regional security guarantor, but it could play an important role building a new regional order, as Gulf states rethink their security strategies.

Mali attacks show security cannot be delivered by military means alone

01/05/2026 12:20:00

The latest attacks, following months of JNIM raids on Mali’s vital fuel supplies, show the need for negotiation at a regional, national and local level.

AI export controls are not the best bargaining chip

30/04/2026 15:25:00

US export controls on chips and hardware alone will not prevent China from further developing advanced AI.

Political deadlock has left Iraq’s Kurdistan Region dangerously exposed amid Iran war

30/04/2026 12:20:00

The stalemate over government formation is affecting the semi-autonomous region’s ability to deal with the fallout of the Iran war – and eroding its autonomy.

Norway can teach the UK about energy security – but the lesson is not more North Sea drilling

28/04/2026 12:20:00

The US-Israel attacks on Iran have triggered a global energy supply shock more severe than those of 1973, 1979 and 2022 put together, according to the head of the International Energy Agency. 

The Strait of Hormuz energy crisis shows the EU’s carbon pricing is the right approach

27/04/2026 13:20:00

The current crisis shows that Europe must transition to renewables to reduce its dependency on volatile fossil fuels. This week’s AccelerateEU plan rightly reaffirms that goal.

Lord Robertson: UK’s ‘naïve belief’ the US ‘will always be there’ has diminished its defence capabilities

27/04/2026 10:15:00

Lord Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, was speaking at a Chatham House event to launch a House of Lords report on UK–US relations.

A Taiwan crisis would cause far more global economic damage than Strait of Hormuz disruption

24/04/2026 15:25:00

As China ramps up its pressure on Taiwan, the Strait of Hormuz closure must serve as a wake-up call for European policymakers.

Israel’s perpetual mobilization: The limits of Netanyahu’s ‘Super-Sparta’ model

23/04/2026 14:20:00

Most Israelis support continued conflict with Iran and Hezbollah. But polls show fewer believe in the government’s ability to deliver victory.

Connecting People and Places Thursday 21st May 2026, at Leicester Tigers, Aylestone Rd, Leicester LE2 7TR