Opinion | The demolition of Merkel's legacy in Germany

By Tom Fowdy

At the end of 2021, Angela Merkel's staggering 16-year leadership of Germany came to an end. Without a doubt, she single handily shaped and defined an entire epoch of not just domestic, but European politics, a figure who will undoubtedly go down in history as larger than life. Despite her lasting impact, it is nonetheless also true that her foreign policy outlook has otherwise been dismantled in the scope of weeks since her departure, only of course achieved through the extraordinary and unprecedented events in Ukraine.

On the eve of Merkel's final day, Germany stood at a crossroads. It was pursuing Nord Stream 2 with Russia, an additional natural gas pipeline which was resented by the United States. It had anchored itself into a middle ground of engagement with China, emphasizing the importance of a strong bilateral trading relationship, and exerted geopolitical clout in its own right to shape continental affairs which whilst not uncooperative or hostile to Washington, was nonetheless skeptical and pragmatic in defining what Germany's national interests were, and not being afraid to set out differences when necessary.

As the geopolitical context shifted, America's opposition to Germany's maverick foreign policy grew. Through a network of think-tanks based in Germany and Europe, such as for example the German Marshall Fund. The Atlantic Council, the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies and more the US had long employed a long list of effective lobbyists constantly criticizing Berlin's policies and demanding greater compliance with Washington, particularly when it came to matters pertaining with China. The effort to comprehensively reset European policy as a whole, not just Germany, was long and excessive. Yet with this new government, and with the advent of War in Ukraine, they might have finally got what they wanted.

Within weeks, Scholz had comprehensively dismantled the pillars of German foreign policy as established by Merkel. Whilst the war of course created difficult and perhaps inevitable choices, one wonders where it is taking Germany. Nord Stream 2, to the long-standing hopes of the United States, was canceled, Scholz likewise told the Bundestag that no more can Germany rely on Russia for energy, and would construct massive terminals for the import of liquid natural gas overseas. Similarly, Berlin ended its more peaceful approach and announced a policy of substantive rearmament, announcing an unprecedented increase in military spending. The strategic scope of Germany, of course triggered by Moscow's decisions, had been completely rewritten.

But one might want to ask, who is benefitting? The answer is in having chosen this new path, Germany has effectively compromised its geopolitical independence and made itself more beholden to the United States than at any point since the early Cold War. If it is set to wean itself away from Russian gas, then it is of course buying American gas instead. Likewise, on March 14th it was announced Berlin would be spending billions on F-35s from the United States. On the front of China, it was announced that Germany has stopped exporting submarine engines to Beijing, shifting the needle of what constitutes an "arms embargo" and undermining a deal between China and Thailand. This comes amidst America's broader effort to sabotage ties between Beijing and Europe as a whole, having ramped up the Xinjiang issue in early 2021 to undermine the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).

This leads to the question, to who's benefit does this comprehensive dismantling of German foreign policy serve? Whilst the dynamic of change is somewhat understandable given the circumstances, Berlin has effectively compromised its own political and economic independence. Its policy of abandoning Nuclear Power, combined with its pledge to move away from Russian energy whip up a perfect storm which will leave the country poorer and weaker. As it is now, energy prices are soaring. As Germany's whole economy stutters, the United States, through its energy companies and military-industrial complex, are profiting wholesale.

America has finally got what it wanted, the dismantling of Germany's independent, pragmatic and measured foreign policy, returning it to the Cold War era client it once was and in turn, diminishing the strategic autonomy of Europe. Whilst Putin is undoubtedly also to blame for this outcome, one might question why it had to come to this. Why couldn't war in Ukraine have been prevented? Why were Russia's security concerns not taken seriously? And why did diplomacy fail? The answer lies in the words "America is back" and in turn, the European dream has been broken, the grand legacy of Merkel shattered in pieces by the very country who sought to destroy it all along.

The author is a well-seasoned writer and analyst with a large portfolio related to China topics, especially in the field of politics, international relations and more. He graduated with an Msc. in Chinese Studies from Oxford University in 2018.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

Read more articles by Tom Fowdy:

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