A Massive German Army and the Dream of a Europe Led by Merz
In February 2025, Friedrich Merz became Germany’s new Chancellor after a series of internal political crises that unfolded in the last quarter of 2024. Merz’s election came amid a highly complex and unpredictable global situation. In Europe, the Russia-Ukraine conflict had dragged into its third year, with increased involvement from countries like China, North Korea, and Iran, escalating the international scope of the war.
This conflict led to unprecedented increases in commodity and energy prices, with Germany relying on Russia for about 60% of its energy supply. Globally, tensions between Israel and Iran intensified after the events of October 7, 2023, while the trade war between the United States and China escalated following Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. These developments negatively impacted transatlantic relations, especially with Trump demanding that countries spend 3–5% of their GDP on defense, leading to deep divisions within the European Union.
So far, Germany lacks a clear foreign and defense policy, particularly under its newly formed government. However, Chancellor Merz’s initial hardline steps signal specific future directions in these areas.
1. Building the Strongest Army in Europe
In May 2025, Chancellor Merz announced in the Bundestag his intention to create “Europe’s strongest army.” These remarks reflect his desire to move beyond Germany’s recent domestic political turmoil and focus on tackling regional challenges, especially the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called these comments “very concerning,” drawing parallels with the events that triggered the two world wars due to Germany.
Merz announced a €1 trillion budget allocation for defense and infrastructure. The government plans to purchase 2,500 GTK Boxer infantry fighting vehicles and 1,000 Leopard 2 tanks, worth €25 billion. Germany aims to bolster its military capabilities in the face of mounting pressure from Russia, particularly as Ukraine’s ability to fight has declined following cuts to U.S. aid.
The German army currently includes 185,000 active soldiers and over 34,000 reservists, a number likely insufficient to constitute Europe’s strongest army. In April 2025, Germany deployed 5,000 troops to Lithuania — marking a significant shift in German defense policy, as it was the first time since World War II that permanent troops were stationed abroad. The government also announced a plan to recruit 11,000 additional soldiers, though former Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously indicated the army needed 60,000 more to meet NATO demands.
2. Restoring EU Unity by Strengthening Franco-German Relations
The European Union suffers from disunity due to disagreements among member states, particularly over military and financial support for Ukraine. In this context, the Franco-German alliance plays a pivotal role in unifying European positions. Merz has stated that his top priority is “creating unity within Europe and strengthening the role and power of European countries to gradually reduce dependence on the United States.” This signals a desire to lessen reliance on the U.S. and apply unified pressure on Russia to de-escalate the conflict.
On May 7, 2025, Merz made his first official foreign visit to France, where both sides affirmed their commitment to joint efforts in enhancing European security and defense. Merz also endorsed the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint German-French project aimed at reducing dependence on U.S. weaponry. However, the project faces challenges after Dassault, the French company involved, declared it would act independently in developing its second phase. Merz’s government is pushing to enhance cooperation with France within this framework, with a long-term vision of establishing a joint European army.
Conclusion
Although Merz has been in office for only about six months, he has already demonstrated Germany’s ambition to play a greater role in ensuring the security of its neighbors and its willingness to closely cooperate with allies and partners to achieve common goals. Germany’s priorities seem clearly focused on European issues — especially the Russia-Ukraine conflict — rather than deep involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, which had been a focus under his predecessors.
Author: Bui Gia Khai – Researcher in Politics and International Studies from Vietnam, focusing on Vietnam, the U.S., China, India, Israel, Germany, geopolitics, and nationalism.