Security Implications of Germany’s Federal Election—An Interim Assessment
Speaker(s): Dorondo, D. (Western Carolina University)
Date: 4 November 2021
Speaker Session Summary
SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. David R. Dorondo (Western Carolina University) as part of its SMA EUCOM Speaker Session.
Germany’s latest political elections were among the most impactful political moments in Europe since the end of the Cold War. The election will have a direct impact on three mutual security concerns for Germany and the EU: a) energy security, b) the size and capability of Germany’s army, and c) nuclear proliferation. Germany’s election marks two significant changes for Germany’s government. Firstly, for the first time in 16 years Angela Merkle will not be Germany’s chancellor, and Germany will have its first “stop light coalition” of political parties. The “stop light coalition” refers to the flag colors of the major political parties involved: a) the Social Democratic Party of Germany (red), b) the Free Democratic Party (yellow), and c) the Greens. These two changes have created a new political environment in Germany.
The concern over energy security revolves around the recently completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs from Russia to the Baltic Sea. While it is physically completed, it has not passed certification. This pipeline is viewed by many in Europe as giving Russia too much political leverage in Europe. The size and capability of Germany’s armed forces is another issue of contention in the Bundestag. Some German politicians argue that Germany needs to increase its military’s size to meet its current commitment as part of NATO. Several new members of Germany’s government argue for the destruction and disarmament of Germany’s and other countries’ nuclear arsenals. These security issues along with others will drive the German political discourse for the near future.
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David Dorondo Biography
Dr. David R. Dorondo earned the degree of B.A. with honors in history from Armstrong State College in 1980 and the M.A. in German and European diplomatic history from the University of South Carolina in 1984. From 1984 to1987, he was a member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford and wasadmitted to the degree of D.Phil. from the University of Oxford in1988. He earned a Fulbright Fellowship to attend theOtto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg in the Federal Republic of Germany for the academic year 1985-1986, having already spent theyear 1981-1982 at the same institution as a graduate exchangestudent. Since 1987, he has served as a member of the Department ofHistory of Western Carolina University and teaches both graduate andundergraduate courses in modern European military and politicalhistory and the history of international relations. He is a member ofUS Strategic Command’s Deterrence and Assurance Academic Allianceand serves as a subject-matter expert for, and contributor to, the USJoint Staff J39 Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA). He has writtenor translated four books on modern German military and politicalhistory and has contributed to numerous professional journals,military encyclopedias, and periodicals.
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