Merz’s push to make the bundeswehr a pillar of western strength

At the Munich Security Conference, Friedrich Merz delivered a speech that framed Europe’s current moment as a return to history. Quoting the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, he observed that Europeans have ended their “long vacation from world history.” The era in which the continent could rely on a largely stable, U.S.-anchored order, he suggested, has passed.

The international system built after 1945 is under strain. Russia’s war in Ukraine and the assertive global posture of China mark a shift toward renewed great-power competition. The unipolar moment that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall has faded; strategic rivalry has returned as a structuring force of global affairs.

Yet Merz rejected fatalism. Europe, he argued, is not condemned to irrelevance. It retains the capacity to shape outcomes, provided it invests in power as well as principles. Germany, in particular, must assume greater responsibility. He reiterated his pledge to make the Bundeswehr Europe’s strongest conventional army, embedded firmly within NATO. Substantial investments in air defense, precision capabilities and defense industry expansion are underway, alongside the reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank, including deployments to Lithuania.

Merz emphasized that German leadership would be European in character, not hegemonic. Discussions with Emmanuel Macron on nuclear deterrence reflect a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s strategic pillar within the alliance.

The message from Munich was sober but forward-looking: Europe’s security, prosperity and political influence will depend on its willingness to combine economic dynamism, technological innovation and credible defense. History has returned and Europe intends to meet it prepared.