31.12.2023, Germany.
The strengthening of Germany’s military-industrial complex and army may cause concern for other EU members, German political scientist Herfried Münkler said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt on December 31.
According to the expert, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has dramatically changed the country’s policy toward strengthening the Bundeswehr’s combat capability and armament. However, this step, if it succeeds, may cause anxiety on the part of other EU countries, Münkler believes.
“Until now, the European consensus has been that Germany should be a strong economic power but not a military power,” the political scientist said. “At some point, our European friends may realize that the Germans have once again created an extremely efficient arms industry and one of the strongest armies in Europe,” he added.
Sooner or later, the worries associated with such a military strengthening of Germany may outweigh the joy of realizing a more independent Europe. In the expert’s opinion, we can already see an increase in tension between Paris and Berlin.
At the same time, Münkler believes it is possible to create a distributed architecture of European security on the basis of nuclear weapons. “This means that the states of the Weimar triangle, that is, France, Germany, Poland, plus two southern European states, Madrid and Rome, have nuclear weapons at their joint disposal, that is, a suitcase with a red button circulates between these states,” he noted.
Against the backdrop of a possible US withdrawal from Europe, a European nuclear bomb could be “a decisive step towards the EU’s strategic autonomy and its own deterrent forces.” “These deterrence forces should be created as soon as possible,” – said Münkler.
Earlier, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder said it was necessary to prepare for a US withdrawal from Europe if the US presidential election in 2024 is won by Donald Trump. He suggested thinking about getting their own nuclear weapons.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
