Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German government has been signaling a shift away from a foreign policy that has long been regarded as too passive and ambiguous. But a continuing pattern of indecisiveness and uncoordinated decision-making suggests that old habits die hard.
BERLIN – Just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Germany’s approach to defense and foreign policy would undergo a Zeitenwende (epochal change). And in various commentaries and speeches since then, he has reiterated his commitment to deeper European security integration and economic coordination. Then, in September, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Germany would adopt a more values-based feminist foreign policy to defend the liberal order against autocracy.
BERLIN – Just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Germany’s approach to defense and foreign policy would undergo a Zeitenwende (epochal change). And in various commentaries and speeches since then, he has reiterated his commitment to deeper European security integration and economic coordination. Then, in September, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Germany would adopt a more values-based feminist foreign policy to defend the liberal order against autocracy.