The challenge therefore targets an already public ambition of the chancellor
According to the local press, a speaker addressed about a thousand people to oppose Germany having “the largest…
Pierre-Louis Crescitz
europe, allemagne, devant, friedrich merz, vidé, armée, puissante, guerre
Key facts
The protest therefore targets an already public ambition of the chancellor: to make the Federal Republic the leading conventional military power on…
According to the local press, a speaker addressed about a thousand people to oppose Germany having"the largest conventional army"in Europe. That wish…
The protest therefore targets an already public ambition of the chancellor: to make the Federal Republic the leading conventional military power on the continent. It places the debate not on a technical adjustment, but on the political meaning of such a rank.
According to the local press, a speaker addressed about a thousand people to oppose Germany having"the largest conventional army"in Europe. That wish had been expressed in 2025 by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"Whoever does not know their history and has not reflected on it risks seeing it repeat itself, without being able to recognize its features as it approaches,"he said in this statement. The argument invoked is that of memory: ignoring the past, according to him, would prevent one from identifying its return.
Dig deeper
Who is Friedrich Merz?
Friedrich Merz is the chancellor of Germany, from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the country's major conservative party.
What is the Federal Republic?
It is the official name of Germany, a federal state whose chancellor heads the government.
What does a "conventional" army mean?
It refers to conventional land, air and naval forces, excluding nuclear weapons.
Why does this ambition touch on German memory?
The military history of the 20th century, from Nazism to the division of the country, makes any plan to become Europe's leading military power again highly sensitive in Germany.