Germany's remilitarisation: Friedrich Merz signals Germany’s readiness amid Iran tensions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday during a visit to the Bundeswehr training base in Munster, Lower Saxony, dressed in military attire, emphasised that Germany’s "compass remains focused" on a strong NATO alliance. He read from a previously prepared script that Germany was ready to exercise military power against Iran, and he also said that “Iran must come to the negotiating table.” This comes as US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw troops from Germany.

“We are working here, and at other key locations in Germany, side-by-side with the United States and our NATO allies,” Merz said, pointing to joint training and cooperation with American forces. "This work is carried out shoulder-to-shoulder, for our mutual benefit and in a deep transatlantic partnership,” he added.

In Munster, Merz avoided directly referencing Trump; however, he hinted at the remilitarisation of Germany, emphasising continuity and alignment with Washington. He highlighted that Germany's increased defence spending and modernisation of the Bundeswehr were part of the effort to reinforce European security and the transatlantic alliance.

Germany's remilitarisation

Meanwhile, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday, April 19, revealed a new defence strategy, one with less reliance on the US and more on Europe. The strategy sets out a three-phase expansion of troops and capabilities, with Germany aiming to become Europe’s strongest conventional force. He stressed that the US is shifting its focus towards the Indo-Pacific, so Germany is concentrating on defending the European continent by meeting NATO capability targets and enabling allied operations.

The plan lays out broad phases, such as in phase 1, "rapidly maximising" the Bundeswehr's readiness and endurance by 2029, essentially preparing it for any sustained military operation. In phase 2, the expansion of NATO across all domains aligned with its targets and finally, in phase 3, transforming the base into a hub of military industrial cooperation and a hub of technological innovation. The goal is to turn Germany into the largest conventional military power in Europe.

Germany has already announced a €100 billion special fund for the Bundeswehr, constitutional reform to loosen the debt brake for defence spending, accelerated procurement reforms, and a renewed military service system to expand troop numbers and reserves. However, there is also a change in the doctrine; the capability is not decided based on the number of tanks or aircraft, but based on the effect that the Bundeswehr can deliver from long range to short range to air and missile defence.

Also Read: Trump signals US troop cuts in Italy, Spain amid rift over Iran operations

Is Germany threatening military action against Iran?

According to a recent poll by ARD, a consortium of Germany's public-service broadcasters, 58 per cent of bipartisan Germans oppose a war in Iran, while 25 per cent support it. Germany has previously claimed that it will not be drawn into a war with Iran. But following Merz's comments about the US being “humiliated” in Iran, lacking a clear exit strategy, and the quagmire will be similar to that of Afghanistan and Iraq, Trump hit back with a threat of reduction of US troops and abandoning Europe to defend itself alone against Russia. Merz's comments in the Bundeswehr reaffirming the transatlantic alliance come just after Trump's threat. Merz, who is considered a moderate and is more susceptible to the US-Israeli lobby than his counterparts in London and Paris, which is evident in his direct support of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. So even though it is unlikely for Germany to be dragged into the war, it is not impossible.

However, Germany's remilitarisation has been discussed by analysts since 2022, eventhough they remain sceptical about it. On February 27, 2022, just three days after Russia invaded Ukraine, then Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that this was a Zeitenwende (“turning point”) for Germany. Russia eventhough hysterically laughed off the German armament and said it would take a decade for Germany to become a threat. But it remains wary of the military posture of Berlin, as Merz continues to distance itself from Russian energy.