When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Ideas

Why A Rearmed Germany Is Exactly What The World Needs Now

For decades, burdened by its history, Germany refused to face the harsh realities of foreign policy. Now, suddenly spurred by the Ukraine crisis, the German government is ready to once again show strength — long-awaited good news, for all.

Why A Rearmed Germany Is Exactly What The World Needs Now

Soldiers of the Bundeswehr's honor guard

Ulf Poschardt

-Op-Ed-

BERLIN — Germany has changed fundamentally over the past week. It has arrived at the reality that it had so stubbornly — and with convenient idealism — refused to face. That is remarkable. Spectacular, actually.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage. Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

The reality in which we live is being acknowledged. There was the pointed, unequivocal government statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who promised to increase Germany's military profile and supply weaponry to the Ukrainian military. He pledged to spend $113 billion this year alone to modernize the country's underfunded army. (Unlike Angela Merkel, Scholz actually wants to go through with NATO's target to spend 2% of the country's GDP on defense.) Opposition leader Friedrich Merz also gave a dignified and wise speech supporting the government unconditionally. Their statements echo the wishes of the German people as over 100,000 protesters marched in Berlin for Ukraine's freedom.


This is good news, especially for those who had feared that the country was making itself comfortable as a federal clown republic.

Historical rearmament

This is the second rearmament in the country's history — the first one took place on Nov. 12, 1955, when the Bundeswehr, the armed forces, were established to defend West Germany — and it will leave deep marks on the identity of Germany's pacifist idealism.

It is a commitment to self-defense and strength, the basic prerequisite of which is defense capability.

Germany must be strong, Europe too, the West as a whole

Germany's environment and economy minister, Robert Habeck, announced that extending the lifetime of nuclear power plants is no longer a taboo, and finance minister Christian Lindner understands the country's security as an existential investment in freedom — despite austerity budgeting. The foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock of the Greens, is also finding clear words in support of Ukraine, which deserves the respect and recognition even of those who did not vote for her party.

Germans are realizing that peace and freedom cannot be taken for granted. There are real foreign policy threats on our doorstep. It is not a matter of driving society into a newly aroused enthusiasm for conflict. Instead, it is a new exercise in self-awareness to not sit comfortably in the face of national sensitivities.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press conference on the Russian attack on Ukraine

Michael Kappeler/dpa/ZUMA

The West must be strong

Germany must be strong, Europe too, the West as a whole. They can find inspiration in a figure like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who stands for a civil, empathetic form of self-defense and an elegant heroism. His family history encapsulates the entire misery of the 20th century and from it, Zelensky draws on an energy for an awakening, for change, for the struggle for a freedom that breaks the authoritarian and totalitarian will to destroy.

Part of our strength — especially in a risky economic war — also comes from a strong economy, innovative companies and a strategy for Germany to make itself independent of states for which human rights clearly mean nothing.

Switzerland's "neutrality" allowed Russian oligarchs to bring their blood money to safety.

Alongside Russia, China must come under the spotlight. Its dealings with the opposition in Hong Kong or the Uyghurs may be geographically farther away, but the Taiwanese see with concern how China is cozying up to Russia.

There is also a need to question popular events: the shameful FIFA World Cup in Russia (after the Crimean invasion) or the pathetic Olympic Games in China.

Moreover, the West should look around its own ranks to see who is playing what game. Switzerland, for example. Its neutrality is no neutrality at all: it allowed Russian oligarchs to bring their blood money to safety.

It's a decisive time. We're starting afresh now. It's a chance to let go of old and cherished illusions and accept the demanding seriousness of a tricky reality. Our country has shown that this is possible. Other countries are faster, but we could be there for the long haul.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

How Gen Z Is Breaking Europe's Eternal Alcohol Habit

Young people across Europe are drinking less, which is driving a boom in non-alcoholic alternatives, and the emergence of new, more complex markets.

photo of a beer half full on a bar

German beer, half-full?

Katarzyna Skiba

Updated Dec. 6, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

PARIS — From Irish whisky to French wine to German beer, Europe has long been known for alcohol consumption. Of the top 10 countries for drinking, nine are in the European Union, according to the World Health Organization.

✉️ You can receive our Bon Vivant selection of fresh reads on international culture, food & travel directly in your inbox. Subscribe here.

But that may be starting to change, especially among Gen Z Europeans, who are increasingly drinking less or opting out entirely, out of concern for their health or problematic alcohol use. A recent French study found the proportion of 17-year-olds who have never consumed alcohol has multiplied, from less than 5% to nearly 20% over the past two decades.

The alcohol-free trend is propping up new markets for low- or zero-alcoholic beverages, including in one of Europe’s beer capitals: Germany.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest