For Europe, defense is key.
This is the message the Polish EU presidency is sending with its slogan “Security, Europe!” It is what is animating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s second term. It is what NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte means when he calls for a “shift to a wartime mindset.” Now European states, including the United Kingdom, need to make it happen―and fast. While NATO allies were debating which percentage of GDP would be adequate for defense spending, Russia increased its defense expenditure by 42 percent from 2023 to 2024 (see James Hackett’s article in this issue.)
IPQ is delighted to publish this special issue on the occasion of the Munich Security Conference 2025, focused on European defense. It is, of course, not the only topic shaping the global security debate, but given what’s at stake, it is a crucial one.
Henning Hoff is executive editor of INTERNATIONALE POLITIK QUARTERLY.
