IPQ Frontpage

By introducing a defense commissioner, Ursula von der Leyen’s second European Commission makes clear that Europe’s security is an urgent priority. Defense industrial policy will, by necessity, be a key focus.

Europe is in desperate need of leadership when it comes to security. Yet, so far there is little sign of any Franco-German meeting of minds on defense.

Despite lofty ambitions and notable space-based capabilities, the EU is lagging behind. Only through cooperation and significantly increased investment can Europe adequately respond to the increased relevance of space and the heightened orbital security environment.

The US Treasury is preparing a screening mechanism for investments in China. German policymakers and businesses should not avoid the debate about how Europe should react.

Highly indebted European NATO countries should levy a “defense tax” to make their long-term commitment to higher defense spending politically credible and financially sustainable.

What does Germany want from the so-called Global South, what does it have to offer it, and what is the competition doing? An interview with Niels Annen, Parliamentary State Secretary (Deputy Minister) at the German Development Ministry. 

Support for Ukraine seems to be declining. This makes the irrevocable integration of the country into Euro-Atlantic structures all the more important.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has unified European thinking about defense. But differences remain, says the Czech Defense Ministry’s Director-General for Defense Policy and Planning Jan Jireš. 

If Germany wants to assert itself in the midst of a fragile West, it needs more courage and determination in all areas of its own foreign policy.