Germany’s rearmament needs stronger European ties, Guardian columnist argues

Germany’s expanding military ambitions risk unsettling European neighbours unless Berlin embeds them in stronger shared institutions, Paul Taylor argued in a Guardian column published on 8 October 2026. The European Policy Centre fellow cited researcher Liana Fix’s warnings that German military dominance, uncertainty over US security commitments and the far-right AfD’s rise could deepen allied concerns.

Taylor reported that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government had rejected joint European defence borrowing and abandoned fighter and tank projects with France. Planned purchases worth €123.3bn, notified to parliament the previous month, predominantly favoured German and US suppliers. He also acknowledged Germany’s Nato commitments, assistance to Ukraine, brigade deployment in Lithuania and weapons cooperation with Britain.

The debate concerns how European defence spending is organised, not simply its scale. Taylor noted that France and Britain also protect domestic arms manufacturers. Fix’s proposals—shared defence borrowing, closer industrial cooperation and greater military integration—seek to reassure Germany’s neighbours while tying its growing capabilities to common European structures.