Foreign Policy Rethink: Germany Weighs Stronger Military Role

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/germany-considers-increasing-role-in-foreign-military-missions-a-945771.html



Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen want Germany to assume a greater role in world affairs, including military missions abroad. Their stance marks a break with Angela Merkel's policy of restraint.

Foreign Policy Rethink: Germany Weighs Stronger Military Role
By Ralf Neukirch and Gordon Repinski
January 28, 2014 – 03:07 PM

Last Tuesday's meeting between German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius could hardly have been more harmonious. Dark-gray suits, white shirts, blue ties -- the two looked as if they had even coordinated their clothing as they faced the press. Steinmeier said he already felt at home after visiting the French Foreign Ministry for the third time in two weeks. Fabius politely praised his friendship with dear "Frank-Walter."

Relations between Berlin and Paris are better than they've been in a long time, and that's evident not just in the effusive exchanges of pleasantries. The French now want to follow the German example in economic policy, after two years of resisting it. Berlin in turn wants to provide Paris with stronger support in military missions in Africa in future. "Europe can't leave France on its own," said Steinmeier.

That's a big step not just for France, but for Germany as well. The new German government, inaugurated just a month ago, is charting a new course in foreign policy. The central question under Steinmeier's predecessor, Guido Westerwelle, was: "How can we keep out of armed conflicts?" Westerwelle favored a culture of military restraint, which meant leaving unpleasant tasks up to others.

Now, two ministers from Chancellor Angela Merkel's new coalition, which pairs her conservatives with the center-left Social Democrats, have set about abandoning Westerwelle's legacy. Steinmeier and Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen believe that an economic powerhouse like Germany can't continue to stand on the sidelines. They want to show Germany's allies that the country can be relied upon. "We can't look away when murder and rape are taking place daily," von der Leyen told SPIEGEL in an interview.