On February 27, 2022, the German government announced a sea change in its security and foreign policy in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that then Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to as a Zeitenwende. Although the government’s official translation for that term is “watershed,” the original German is a bit more nuanced, signifying a turn of the times and a historical geopolitical shift. The announcement was followed by a remarkable U-turn in defense, economic, and energy policy that was praised by many. At the same time, it left others feeling that it lacked an overarching strategy with concrete solutions.
This situation presented DGAP with a unique opportunity – in keeping with its mission – to actively shape Germany’s foreign policy through research and counsel. The goal was (and remains) to initiate necessary discussion on the fundamentals of a new Euro-Atlantic security order that goes beyond day-to-day political developments: Germany and Europe should jointly develop a vision for a new order. This led to numerous publications, discussion groups, and events on the topic.
This dossier brings together DGAP’s wide-ranging expertise on the Zeitenwende that was intended to support political decision-makers in the strategic implementation of their policies through in-depth analysis, assessments, and debates. The aim was also to provide food for thought for a unified European security order.
In the podcast BerlinsideOut, produced specifically for this purpose, Ben Tallis – then senior research fellow and head of the DGAP project “Action Group Zeitenwende” – and journalist Aaron Gush Burnett discussed the development of Germany’s Zeitenwende policy and how it was perceived at home and abroad with informed guests. Listen to the podcast here: dgap.org/en/BerlinsideOut.
