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Germany rearms but what does this mean for Europe?
Paris sees risks for its industry and the continent’s sovereignty in Berlin’s rapid defence build-up.
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Soldiers of the special forces unit Kommando Spezialkraefte (KSK) present during the visit of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Calw, Germany, on Feb 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and Leila Abboud
A month after writing on “the perils of German power”, historian Liana Fix received an unusual dinner invitation in Washington. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in town in March for talks with US President Donald Trump and wanted to see the German researcher privately to debate her article, which had taken Berlin by surprise.
In the essay, Dr Fix outlined how her country’s ambitious rearmament plans could go wrong – from industrial competition with countries such as France to a scenario in which the far-right, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany (AfD) party used military clout to bully its neighbours.
