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After Zeitenwende: Germany and the Future of European Security
01/09/2025

Arthur A / Unsplash
Arthur A / Unsplash

Three years after the ‘Zeitenwende, the pressure on Germany to take on more security policy responsibility remains high. More speed and leadership are needed to actively shape Europe's security architecture in times of global upheaval.

More than three years have passed since the German “Zeitenwende” was announced in February 2022. The ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the weakening transatlantic relationship highlight the urgency of effective European security structures. Despite a change in the rhetoric of European policymakers, tangible steps towards reform are only making slow progress. Against this backdrop, increasing expectations are being placed on the new German government elected in February 2025 to take on more responsibility for leadership within this European transformation process - with the aim of increasing speed and efficiency.

In this issue of the Berlin Perspectives, Oleksiy Kandyuk analyses Germany's role in the changing European security architecture. He examines the causes of Germany's reluctance in terms of security policy and shows what concrete measures the new government can take to meet the increased expectations of Germany as a European shaping power.

Team & authors

About the Berlin Perspectives project: The IEP Policy Brief series Berlin Perspectives presents precise analyses on Germany’s European policy to an English-speaking audience. The authors analyse German European policy positions on current topics and debates to provide policy recommendations based on their findings.

ISSN/ISBN:
Image copyright: Arthur A / Unsplash