Leaders | Not enough Wende

A year after he promised a transformation, Olaf Scholz has done too little

Energy policy has radically altered; defence, much less so

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses an extraordinary session, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, February 27, 2022. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch — Image: Reuters

Feb 23rd 2023

FOR DECADES, Germany aimed to engage with Russia. It was a policy that allowed cheap hydrocarbons to flow westward and power Europe’s mightiest industrial machine. Luxury cars, manufacturing equipment and consumer goods flowed out around the world—increasingly to autocratic China. The hope was that the benefits of trade would over time transform the hungry Russian bear into a well-fed pussycat, saving Germany hundreds of billions of euros in defence expenditures while filling its corporate coffers. Everyone would win.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Not enough Wende”