Political scientist Herfried Münkler suggests the conflict in Ukraine may prove to be a defining moment for Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), akin to a “Helmut Kohl moment” in German political history.
Speaking to “Stern” magazine, Münkler observed a growing assumption of leadership by Merz on the European stage. This, he contends, is evidenced both by the renewed focus on bolstering Germany’s military capabilities for national and collective defense and by a proactive engagement of key European partners – including British Labour leader Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron – regarding the situation in Ukraine.
Münkler anticipates that Merz’s strategic approach will, in the medium term, contribute to a greater degree of hierarchical structure within European politics. He predicts a shift away from a system requiring unanimous agreement among 26 member states, toward a more streamlined decision-making process led by a core group of European leaders. This, he believes, could ultimately resolve the long-standing question posed by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger regarding a single point of contact for engaging with Europe – a concern Kissinger famously voiced by asking, “What’s Europe’s telephone number?”
