U.S. Media: Germany's Military Rearmament Causes Unease Among European Neighbors

According to a report by Reference News on September 24, the Wall Street Journal reported on September 19 that Germany's rapid military rearmament is causing increasing concern in Europe, reigniting a debate that has lasted for a century about how strong Berlin's hard power should be.

The report points out that this unease has intensified as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has risen to the top of opinion polls. This far-right party is aligning itself with Moscow and seeks to end what it calls Germany's "culture of guilt" surrounding the crimes of the Nazi era.

Some European officials are now beginning to worry that Germany's military rebuilding is changing the balance of power on the continent. Some fear that even without the AfD, a rearmed Germany and Russia will become the two strongest powers in Europe, and Berlin may ultimately revert to appeasing the Kremlin to avoid conflict.

Adding to the concern is that Germany's arms purchases have primarily benefited its domestic defense industry. German officials state that they are not indifferent to the worries of their neighbors, but this has not yet translated into a new approach.

The report recalls what historians refer to as the "German Question," a debate among the great powers of 19th-century Europe: how strong a unified Germany could be without posing a threat to peace. After Germany waged two world wars, the answer became clear: it cannot be too strong.

Post-World War II Germany was firmly locked into the NATO alliance led by the United States. After the Cold War, reunified Germany focused on economic development and avoided military entanglements.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine changed this, prompting Germany to initiate the largest military restructuring on the European continent since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Łukasz Jasinski, a German-Polish relations expert at the Warsaw-based think tank Polish Institute of International Affairs, said: "This is a revolution, and it will certainly have an impact on Germany's neighbors, the EU, and transatlantic relations. Germany is crucial to European security, but for Europe, it cannot become too large (to the point of being unmanageable)."

Liana Fix, a senior fellow for European affairs at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, stated that the applause for Germany's rearmament efforts in 2022 has led Berlin to believe it can act at will.

The report notes that the AfD achieved its best-ever results in elections in eastern Germany this month, which has once again caused a stir. The party seeks Germany's exit from the EU, the lifting of sanctions against Moscow, and the resumption of energy purchases from Russia. Some of its leaders question NATO's effectiveness.

Poland has long been concerned that a far-right-controlled German government would renew territorial claims against its neighbors. In 2023, AfD leader Tino Chrupalla referred to eastern Germany as "Germany's center," which some Polish politicians view as a dangerous signal. (Translated by Wang Qun)