What's inside Germany's first-ever national security strategy?
Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday adopted a national security strategy for the first time. From air defence to pandemic prevention, here's what the new plan entails.
The document, prepared under the auspices of Germany’s Foreign Office, lays out measures to "strengthen our security against external threats".
Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, and the events that followed, greatly influenced many of the security strategies the government has outlined: "'Zeitenwende (changing times) is a determining factor here," the paper states.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also highlighted the security strategy as an important contribution "to safeguarding the security of people in Germany in the face of a changed environment.”
So what does the new strategy entail?
The German government laid out a number of goals in its strategy, which was released on the same day that Germany committed to spending nearly €4 billion to purchase an Arrow 3 air defence system.
READ ALSO: Germany approves funds to purchase nearly €4 billion air defence system
The first point was that Germany should reach NATO's two-percent spending target "on a multi-year average" - a longstanding goal which the country repeatedly struggled to achieve prior to the war in Ukraine.
Counterespionage, measures against sabotage and cyber defense are to be strengthened within the country, while defense technology is to be bolstered at the European level, it went on to say.
Furthermore, the paper stated, rules on arms export control are to be standardised across the EU.
The area of defense includes strengthening the Bundeswehr (Germany’s army), civil defense and civil protection, as the paper states. It goes beyond military measures to securing things like clean water supply and medicines in an emergency situation.
Resilience involves defending "our free democratic basic order against illegitimate influence from outside,” it continued.
To this end, "one-sided dependencies in the supply of raw materials and energy" should also be reduced and supply relationships diversified, it said, pointing to an over-dependence on China and - prior to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine - Russia.
READ ALSO: Germany takes aim at China in first national security strategy
In the area of sustainability, the focus is on combating the climate, biodiversity and ecosystem crises, strengthening global food security and global pandemic prevention.
‘Security without compromise’
In adopting the strategy, the cabinet had made an unusual and important decision, Scholz said in a presentation Thursday alongside four other cabinet ministers.
The government’s central task is now to “ensure the security of its citizens without compromise,” the paper went on to say.
Germany should focus not just on its own government, but also forming transnational partnerships, added Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens).
"The security strategy will only work if we anchor it on a European and transatlantic level," said Baerbock.
She called for much closer cooperation with partners on other continents.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) stressed that Germany's security required a "360-degree perspective."
READ ALSO: How prepared is Germany in the event of a military attack?
All governmental departments must make their contribution to this, he said, including Transport and Digital Affairs, and Education and Research.
Germany’s government had already agreed to draw up the strategy in their coalition agreement - that is, even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, the drafting of the strategy had repeatedly been delayed, among other things because of an ongoing row between Foreign Office and the Chancellor's Office about whether a National Security Office should be created. It was left out of the final draft.
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The document, prepared under the auspices of Germany’s Foreign Office, lays out measures to "strengthen our security against external threats".
Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, and the events that followed, greatly influenced many of the security strategies the government has outlined: "'Zeitenwende (changing times) is a determining factor here," the paper states.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also highlighted the security strategy as an important contribution "to safeguarding the security of people in Germany in the face of a changed environment.”
So what does the new strategy entail?
The German government laid out a number of goals in its strategy, which was released on the same day that Germany committed to spending nearly €4 billion to purchase an Arrow 3 air defence system.
READ ALSO: Germany approves funds to purchase nearly €4 billion air defence system
The first point was that Germany should reach NATO's two-percent spending target "on a multi-year average" - a longstanding goal which the country repeatedly struggled to achieve prior to the war in Ukraine.
Counterespionage, measures against sabotage and cyber defense are to be strengthened within the country, while defense technology is to be bolstered at the European level, it went on to say.
Furthermore, the paper stated, rules on arms export control are to be standardised across the EU.
The area of defense includes strengthening the Bundeswehr (Germany’s army), civil defense and civil protection, as the paper states. It goes beyond military measures to securing things like clean water supply and medicines in an emergency situation.
Resilience involves defending "our free democratic basic order against illegitimate influence from outside,” it continued.
To this end, "one-sided dependencies in the supply of raw materials and energy" should also be reduced and supply relationships diversified, it said, pointing to an over-dependence on China and - prior to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine - Russia.
READ ALSO: Germany takes aim at China in first national security strategy
In the area of sustainability, the focus is on combating the climate, biodiversity and ecosystem crises, strengthening global food security and global pandemic prevention.
‘Security without compromise’
In adopting the strategy, the cabinet had made an unusual and important decision, Scholz said in a presentation Thursday alongside four other cabinet ministers.
The government’s central task is now to “ensure the security of its citizens without compromise,” the paper went on to say.
Germany should focus not just on its own government, but also forming transnational partnerships, added Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens).
"The security strategy will only work if we anchor it on a European and transatlantic level," said Baerbock.
She called for much closer cooperation with partners on other continents.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) stressed that Germany's security required a "360-degree perspective."
READ ALSO: How prepared is Germany in the event of a military attack?
All governmental departments must make their contribution to this, he said, including Transport and Digital Affairs, and Education and Research.
Germany’s government had already agreed to draw up the strategy in their coalition agreement - that is, even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, the drafting of the strategy had repeatedly been delayed, among other things because of an ongoing row between Foreign Office and the Chancellor's Office about whether a National Security Office should be created. It was left out of the final draft.
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