European nations must immediately stop relying on the United States for military defense, according to German politician Bernd Posselt, who warns that transatlantic security guarantees are no longer guaranteed regardless of who wins future American presidential elections. Speaking to the FORUM 24 daily during a visit to Prague, the former European Parliament member and Christian Social Union (CSU) politician said Europe possesses a larger population than the United States and should pay for its own defense.
Transatlantic Defense and the Shift Away From U.S. Security Guarantees
The security architecture of the West is undergoing a structural transformation as Washington shifts its primary strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific region rather than the Atlantic. Posselt, who also chairs the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft and serves as a leader in the Paneuropean Union, points out that the former CSU leader and defense minister Franz Josef Strauss long maintained that NATO requires an equal partnership between a united Europe and the United States. According to Posselt, the failure to establish a united European defense superpower stems from European hesitation rather than American policy decisions.
Did you know? Bernd Posselt was placed on an official Russian travel ban list in 1999 by Moscow after delivering a sharp parliamentary speech condemning the genocidal war in Chechnya, making him the sole Bavarian politician targeted at the time alongside the late Czech European figure Karel Schwarzenberg.
Political Polarization, the Rise of AfD, and the Irrelevance of Left-Right Divisions
Political fragmentation across Germany presents a severe test for democratic institutions, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining ground in eastern federal states while the Left party secured victories in recent elections in Berlin. Posselt rejects traditional left-right political categorizations as obsolete relics of the French Revolution, arguing that the defining struggle in modern Europe is strictly a binary conflict between democrats and antidemocrats. He notes that pro-European, anti-nationalist democrats on the political left are much closer to the center-right CDU/CSU coalition than the nationalist AfD, which openly calls for the dissolution of the European Union.
German Public Opinion on Ukraine and the Specter of a New Appeasement
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has designated Russia as a clear threat to European security, though his government’s steadfast support for Ukraine has coincided with a dip in public approval ratings. Posselt notes that while public polling and extensive travel across Germany demonstrate that the vast majority of citizens firmly back Ukraine against Russian aggression, pockets of appeasement persist. This pro-Russian sentiment remains particularly concentrated in eastern federal states shaped by the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), where certain groups argue that Russia is too powerful to oppose.
Populist movements across both Germany and the Czech Republic frequently exploit rising living costs and social strains by framing military aid to Ukraine as the root cause of domestic economic hardships. Addressing these populist narratives, Posselt recalls a warning from former Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer that even the most advanced social welfare policies become entirely worthless if Russian Cossacks invade and destroy everything.
Historical Precedents of German-Russian Relations
Historical ties between German states and Russia—ranging from the 1922 Treaty of Rapallo to the 1939 Hitler-Stalin Pact—once fostered a distinct Prussian tradition of maintaining special relations with the Russian Empire. However, Posselt emphasizes that this historical dynamic has changed in modern German politics. Today, political parties like the Greens and the Social Democrats have largely abandoned historical appeasement stances, leaving only a negligible pro-Russian faction within the broader CDU/CSU political family.
Regarding former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Posselt disputes claims that she maintained a naive or sympathetic stance toward Vladimir Putin. He highlights that Merkel was among the first European leaders to realistically assess Putin’s character—noting an incident where Putin brought a large dog into a meeting despite knowing her fear of canines—and points out that Merkel ultimately pushed to halt the controversial Nord Stream pipeline project against the wishes of powerful German industrial lobbies, labor unions, and the Social Democrats.
The Sudeten German Assembly in Brno and Cross-Border Reconciliation
The Sudeten German Assembly took place in the Moravian metropolis of Brno, following coordination with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala of the ODS party. Although the gathering was initially planned to mark the 80th anniversary of the expulsions, organizers postponed the event to avoid becoming entangled in Czech parliamentary elections. When the assembly finally convened under the administration of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, politician Tomio Okamura of the SPD launched political attacks against the meeting.
Despite political turbulence in the Czech Chamber of Deputies, the assembly proceeded successfully with strong support from Czech opposition lawmakers. Attendees commemorated Jewish, Czech, and German victims of 20th-century conflicts, while local Brno restaurants and cafes filled with Czech and German citizens engaging in dialogue and cultural exchange.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the German government under Friedrich Merz facing low popularity?
The current federal administration faces voter friction because high costs have pushed the German social welfare system into a crisis requiring strict budget cuts. While voters generally agree on the need for fiscal savings, resistance to personal impact and internal friction from governing coalition partners, specifically the Social Democrats, have hampered planned systemic reforms.
How does Bernd Posselt view the political threat of the AfD?
Posselt considers the AfD an absolute antithesis to the center-right CDU/CSU coalition and warns that antisystemic parties across Europe receive backing from both Putin’s Russia and the MAGA movement in the United States.
What was the significance of holding the Sudeten German Assembly in Brno?
The meeting marked a milestone in Czech-German reconciliation, allowing participants to jointly honor historical victims of past conflicts while fostering people-to-people ties despite minor political opposition.
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