National Security Strategy for Germany
The German Federal Government presented the country's first National Security Strategy on Wednesday. The product of 15 months of negotiations, the document aims to address and interlink all internal and external threats to Germany's security and thus make it easier for the country to combat crises. What are its chances of success?
Too little on offer
Dagens Nyheter is unenthusiastic:
“The world wars, Hitler and the Holocaust are and remain a historical trauma for the Germans. ... At the same time it can be argued today that because of the horrors of the 20th century, Germany has a special responsibility to block the path of tyrants like Putin. The war in Ukraine shows that peace doesn't last forever. With its American backbone, Nato remains the key to Europe's security. But a German strategy that simply echoes the obvious is no match for a substantial defence budget.”
Berlin has overcome its anamoly at the right moment
Chancellor Scholz understood that Germany needed to change course, El País comments approvingly:
“The social democratic chancellor has been given the task of ending a historical anomaly that has prevailed since the defeat of the Nazis in 1945: Despite the flawless democratic character of the Federal Republic, despite the economic power it acquired after its reconstruction and its decades of commitment and influence in the process of European unification, the country had maintained a low [military] profile - and this at a time when security and defence efforts are of fundamental importance. Scholz has now shown that he has understood this and has made Germany available for a joint effort in the defence of Europe.”
Strong both economically and militarily
Germany now wants to assume the responsibility that corresponds to its true strength, says Milliyet:
“With this document, Germany wants to demonstrate politically that it is not only an economic player in the world but also wants to have its say in the area of security and defence, and is prepared to assume responsibility in Nato in line with its economic dimension. In doing so, it underlines that it will take into account the national security interests and concerns of its Nato allies.”
A strong signal
Germany is demonstrating its strength on the international stage, Causeur observes:
“The publication of the National Security Strategy as the first of its kind is a strong signal of Germany's official return to the concert of European and global powers - not as a financier and manufacturer of machines, but as a force with a significant military dimension. And this is a fact that deserves to be emphasised.”
Lack of priorities
The German government's concept of security is too broad to allow any meaningful distinctions, criticises Zeit Online:
“Access to food, the resilience of democratic institutions, access to personal data, industry supply chains, biodiversity - all these touch on the security of our way of life. ... Strategic thinking defines priorities. ... Declaring anything and everything feasible and achievable and then sticking the label strategy on it is a contradiction in terms. Let's be clear: this is not a strategy document but an affirmation that we are the good guys, that we are committed to all good things and that we wish all people well.”
Glaring gaps
The online newspaper Formiche.net bemoans the lack of a clear position on China:
“When examining the German government's new National Security Strategy one must read between the lines. What is most interesting is what is missing. The word Taiwan - probably the greatest security policy challenge of the coming years - does not appear once in the document's more than 70 pages. The strengthening of relations between China and Russia a few days before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not addressed. ... For China, the definition of the EU is reiterated: (negotiating) partner, (economic) competitor and systemic rival.”