German expert Dr. Stefanie Babst has held various senior positions in NATO for many years, leading a team of advisers to the NATO Secretary General. He is currently a board member of the German Council on Foreign Relations and the Danish Center for War Studies. He also participates in the World Economic Forum.
In the article “Who wants to be ruled by Germany?” in Interiationale Politik Quarterly, Stefanie Babst considers the concept of “inspiring leadership”, of which he cites as an example Volodymyr Zelensky, without whom the determination of the Ukrainians towards the Russian invasion would probably be less. And he opposes the leadership of Olaf Scholz or Christine Lambrecht, who lack these abilities.
“In Germany?”
– In Germany? On New Year’s Eve, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared on camera in his traditional New Year’s address with his arms folded and a starched white shirt. He read stiffly on the teleprompter what his advisers had written. Words that faded away. I don’t know anyone in my neighborhood who remembers what Scholz said two weeks ago.
If Scholz has a vision for how Europe will deal with Putin’s aggressive and kleptocratic regime in the future, it has been buried under empty words. And then the German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht, who is delighted to have had “so many great discussions” over the past year. If she had given her little video speech in kyiv and not in Berlin, I would have said: finally, there is a clear sign of solidarity with the Ukrainians. But his “video firecracker” raised even more doubts about his leadership qualities. What about the other members of the traffic light government? Can the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) or the Greens present a coherent strategy on how to defeat Putinism in the future? I do not know.
– writes a German expert.
Germany wants a leadership position
Baps writes that despite this, Germany “still wants to assume the leading role in Europe”. This is repeated not only by Scholz, but also by other SPD politicians – Germany’s size, geographical position, economic power, in short, weight, would make it a natural leading force in Europe, also in the military field – declared German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and German President Frank Walter Steinmeier, a former collaborator of Gerhard Schroeder, now in the service of the Russians and architect of his Eastern policy, believe that “leadership is expected from Germany”.
– Which leads to a serious question: which of Germany’s European and transatlantic partners is the government trying to lead with which strategy and capabilities? With very limited military power? With the highly embarrassing delay in supplying arms and military aid to Ukraine? Without serious reflection on Germany’s disastrous policy towards Russia? A policy that for decades relied on importing cheap Russian fossil fuels but turned a blind eye to an aggressive and authoritarian Russia? And who, even today, a year after Moscow launched its war against Ukraine, offers no vision of what European security might look like as long as a regime of terror reigns in Moscow?
The reality is that our allies are not eager to experience German leadership. Neither in Warsaw, nor in London, nor in Ankara, Riga, Vilnius or Tallinn, and even less in Paris.
– writes Bapst, who notes that the concept of leadership will not be replaced by “European mantras” on “maintaining the rules-based international order and defending democratic values”, “partnership of trust”, ” islands of cooperation” or “European sovereignty”.
“Why would anyone want to be guided by us? »
– Germany’s foreign policy remains predictable. He always drives with dimmed position lights, not high beams (the ruling coalition in Germany is called the “traffic light coalition” after the characteristic colors of the symbolism of the coalition partners – editor’s note) . She continues to hide behind others and doesn’t seem to have the political stamina to develop her own vision. If the government in Berlin really wants to claim leadership in Europe, it should start by asking a painful but useful question in a quiet moment: why would anyone want to be led by us?
asks Bapst.
