Germans will cast their votes on Sunday in a snap election that has Brussels on edge. EU officials hope Berlin will quickly reclaim its leadership role as the bloc faces mounting crises.
The EU is already struggling with slow economic growth and rising global competition. On top of that, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a trade war, and European leaders have failed to take charge in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“Sometimes we fear German leadership, but it’s hard to live without it,” one European diplomat told AFP.
Germany’s political turmoil follows instability in France, where President Emmanuel Macron has named his fourth prime minister in a year. The long-standing French-German alliance that drives EU policy has stalled at a time when decisive action is needed, says analyst Yann Wernert from the Jacques Delors Institute.
“We are not seeing strong German engagement in this EU term,” another diplomat added.
With Germany on the sidelines, others have stepped up. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, has pushed for tougher action against Russia. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has focused on migration.
Still, analysts say the EU cannot function properly without its two biggest players.
“Can the EU act without Germany and France? In an emergency, maybe. But it’s better with them,” said a diplomat.
Germany heads to the polls on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition collapsed. The conservative CDU/CSU, led by Friedrich Merz, is leading in the polls.
