A statement that breaks a major taboo in European politics comes from the former German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer. At 77 years old, one of the emblematic figures of the German Greens openly argues that Europe needs to prepare for a potential common nuclear deterrence, as the security guarantee offered by the United States can no longer be considered certain.
“Europe needs to take this step, because American protection is no longer secure,” Fischer said in an interview with the Tagesspiegel daily.
However, he categorically rejects the idea of a solely German atomic bomb, insisting on a collective solution at the European Union level.
Fischer justifies his position through the lessons of recent history. Germany, he says, has the responsibility to take on a leadership role in Europe, but never alone. “It would be a major mistake for Germany to treat the nuclear weapons issue as a national matter. Germany must never act alone again. We need our European partners,” emphasizes the former diplomat.
His speech marks a clear break from the pacifist tradition associated with the Greens. Fischer openly acknowledges this paradigm shift. If he were young today, he says, he would enlist in the Bundeswehr. “Times have changed. We are threatened. We must defend ourselves.” In this new context, disarmament is no longer an option, and the strengthening of military capabilities becomes, in his opinion, indispensable for the security of the continent.
Only force and deterrence can prevent an attack from an aggressive neighbor, warns Fischer, acknowledging that such a position would have been unthinkable for him throughout his political career. “I never imagined I would come to say this.”
The former minister’s conclusion is a bleak one: Europe has indulged too long in the illusion of eternal peace. The deficits accumulated in the field of defense must be quickly recovered, through a broad and accelerated rearmament.
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