Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer believes that Europe can no longer rely on the United States for protection. Speaking to the TV station Phoenix, the Green Party politician stated that “America will withdraw from Europe” predicting that this signals a fundamental break with the traditional order and forces Germany into a completely new, unfamiliar role.
Fischer argued that the evidence strongly suggests that Europe must take charge of its own destiny militarily. Pointing to Donald Trump, he noted, “If I read Trump correctly, he has already broken with NATO internally. There is no more reliance on that”.
Beyond the military unpredictability, Fischer criticized past governmental failures, stating that while these subsequent developments could not have been easily predicted, added “individual mistakes” contributed to the current situation. He argued that the belief that the situation was stable proved incorrect, emphasizing that “little is good”. The former foreign minister, who was part of the Red-Green coalition, highlighted that major domestic challenges face German politics, extending beyond military concerns. These include stabilizing the social state’s funding, ensuring the competitiveness of the German economy, and managing digitalization. Calling this a “whole bouquet of challenges” Fischer urged that they must be tackled energetically.
Regarding future leadership, Fischer wished Chancellor Merz more success than the current one “for the interest of the country”. He emphasized that in the coming years, it will be crucial to determine whether Germany maintains its European commitment or pursues a national path, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) advocates. Fischer described this national turn as “a catastrophe” that would jeopardize everything the Federal Republic has achieved since 1949.