German defense policy at another crossroads: structural transformation with a European dimension?
German defense policy at another crossroads: structural transformation with a European dimension?

Summary/Abstract: The current transformation of the German Armed Forces will probably result in a military that is better equipped and capable of deploying more soldiers. However, there is no cle ar provision specifying in what sort of missions and within what politicomilitary framework it will engage in the future. Equally, the envisaged transformation precedes any coherent strategy development and defense policy reformulation on the national or international level. It also focuses narrowly on the aspect of efficiency, while a focus on effectiveness and flexibility would be more appropriate. With regard to NATO, the EU and other partners, the current transformation appears ambivalent: while the transformation will probably make more resources available for expeditionary missions, the requirements of classic defensive capabilities are more-or-less ignored. The defense budget cuts which triggered the current transformation process cannot be met if the current transformation proceeds as planned. The consequences of this transformation for the civil–military relationship, which has been of crucial importance for German defense policy ever since rearmament in the 1950s, have not been sufficiently considered. Demands for more public awareness alongside support for and critical monitoring of the military are not new and face the reality of a benign lack of public interest at best.

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