Winter 2025 Issue: The Status Quo Is History

Editorial

Henning Hoff

The Status Quo Is History

The “historic turn” Chancellor Olaf Scholz described in 2022 is ongoing—and far more encompassing and consequential than many in Europe continue to assume. Donald Trump’s re-election as US president requires a fundamental rethink.

What Europe Thinks ...

Julia Ganter

What Europe Thinks … About the Transatlantic Partnership

The first Trump presidency caused views of the United States to deteriorate in Europe. It’s not a given that history will repeat itself, while Europeans are looking elsewhere, too.

Cover Section

Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff

How to Deal with a Bully

The different camps within Europe will need to come together and find ways to deal with Donald Trump in the White House.

Emily Haber

“The Status Quo Is History”

Donald Trump’s re-election represents a tectonic shift in foreign policy, says Emily Haber, Germany’s ambassador to the US during the first Trump administration.

Jan Techau

Europe’s Fiscal Conundrum

The continent is facing challenges on many fronts and needs to improve its strategic capability. But where can the money for this come from?

Julia Friedlander

Why Trump’s America Offers a Silver Lining for Europe

Trumpism will force Germany back into Europe—to its benefit.

Sławomir Sierakowski

Trump and “New Europe”

The re-election of Donald Trump as US president may actually lead to some positive development in Central and Eastern Europe. The countries so far reluctant to spend big on defense may finally come round to doing so.

Jacob Ross

The Other Transatlantic Alliance

Within the West, a new generation of transatlantic right-wing populists are networking and looking to attack the establishment, as developments in France show.

Toward a New German Foreign Policy

Nico Lange

Germany Must Embrace Boldness in its Foreign Policy

Investing more in defense and security, tackling illegal migration, containing China, revitalizing the EU: Germany’s foreign policy must finally replace its customary caution with boldness.

European Security

Thorsten Benner

The Underwater Battlefield: Protecting Submarine Critical Infrastructure

Submarine critical infrastructure is vital for Europe’s data and energy needs and is vulnerable to attacks. European policymakers are faced with the triple challenge of attribution, deterrence, and resilience.

Berlin Cable

Henning Hoff

A Touch of Trumpism Reaches Germany’s Election Campaign

Elon Musk has been trolling Germany’s parliamentary election campaign during the holidays. His AI-supported interventions are unlikely to have much effect, but they remind the country that it needs new ideas—which so far are lacking.

Pariscope

Joseph de Weck

Macron vs. the Extremists’ Nihilism

The far right and the far left want to throw France into chaos to force President Emmanuel Macron to resign. But they are unlikely to get their way, at least for now.

Carbon Critical

Emily Hardy

Dan Helmeci

The North Star of Europe’s Industrial Policy Goes South

Swedish battery maker Northvolt, championed as the domestic guarantor of Europe’s switch to EV mobility, has filed for bankruptcy. But it deserves a second chance.

Brussels Briefing

Rebecca Christie

The EU’s Quest to Run Faster

Calls for greater competitiveness expose the gaps between what would make the EU more productive and what its members are willing to do.

Indo-Pacific Watch

Helena Legarda

Xi’s Second Purge of China’s Military

A renewed anti-corruption drive has led to the dismissal of a remarkable number of defense ministers and Chinese top brass. President Xi Jinping is acting with his geopolitical goals in mind.

Quarterly Concerns

Valentin Weber

How Europe Should Deal with Trump’s Oligarch-in-Chief

As Donald Trump takes office again, tech billionaire Elon Musk will go from speaking for six companies to speaking for a $27 trillion economy. In response, Europe needs to concentrate on accumulating tech power.