Research Paper 96: “Germany Is More Than Europe Can Handle: Or, Why NATO Remains a Pacifier”, by By Sten Rynning.
The question of balance of power in Europe seems to be back. While the United States’ rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region should not necessarily be interpreted as a disengagement from Europe, it will require the Europeans in NATO and the EU to focus more on the unfinished business and the still-to-be-achieved long-term goal of a “whole and free” Europe. Such is the perspective in which the latest NDC Research Paper, “Germany Is More Than Europe Can Handle: Or, Why NATO remains a Pacifier”, argues that the balance of power is once again very relevant.
Germany, as Europe’s economic powerhouse, is reluctant to take over political leadership. It also prefers to take a back seat with regard to military interventions for crisis management, in the Middle East or in Africa. Other European powers with a track record as front runners, such as the UK and France, seem less reluctant – but at the same time less and less able – to underpin their leadership ambitions by military strength. Against this background, the paper argues that NATO and the US will remain indispensable factors in the all-important balancing act which is required of Europe.
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