Ahead of the NATO summit, European allies have a clear but nuanced expectation regarding how Germany should contribute its new military strength to the alliance. This insight comes from a survey commissioned by the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, which is close to the FDP party, and conducted by Ipsos across eight European countries; these findings were reported by the “Tagesspiegel”.
Generally speaking, 52 percent of respondents feel that Germany has an obligation to commit more significantly to European security. This demand is most strongly voiced among Germans themselves (60%), but strong support is also evident in Turkey (57%). Similar majorities exist in the Netherlands (54%), Poland (52%), Sweden (51%), and France (50%). Only in Italy and Great Britain was this desire slightly less pronounced (49% in Great Britain).
Even more widespread is the agreement that Europe as a whole will be safer if Germany strengthens its military capabilities through high-billion investments into the Bundeswehr. A total of 56 percent of respondents agree with this assessment. The Netherlands holds the highest view on this matter at 68%, closely followed by Sweden (64%), Great Britain (62%), and France (61%).
However, when asked whether Germany’s new strength-which Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) claims should be built into the strongest conventional army in Europe-should result in a military leadership role for Germany, no clear majority emerges. According to the study, 42 percent of respondents neither supported nor rejected a German leadership position within NATO. Poland viewed this prospect most critically at 43%, with only 23% calling for Germany to take a military leadership role in the alliance.
The study’s authors conclude that effective and partnership-oriented leadership by Germany lies in responsibility and collaboration. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, an FDP security expert chairing the Defense Committee of the European Parliament, told the “Tagesspiegel” that leadership means dependability and cooperation-not dominance or unilateral action. She added that the survey confirms what she consistently hears during meetings across Europe: partners are not afraid of a strong Germany.
Despite this consensus on military capacity building, there is widespread opposition to the idea of German nuclear upgrades. Across Europe, approximately three in ten respondents supported long-term German nuclear weapons, while four in ten rejected them. The biggest reservations, however, exist within Germany itself: 55 percent of German citizens reject sovereign nuclear deterrent capabilities, versus only 29 percent who support them.
