The German and British governments have lately been making overtures at one another concerning the deepening of their bilateral cooperation in European affairs.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in November 2005 promising a foreign policy anchored in a revitalized transatlantic partnership. Most observers agree that since reaching a low-point in the lead-up to the Iraq war in 2003, relations between the United States and Germany have improved. With recent leadership changes in the United Kingdom and France, and a fragile coalition government in Italy, U.S. officials view Germany under Chancellor Merkel as a key U.S. ally in Europe. Despite continuing areas of divergence, President Bush and many Members of Congress have welcomed German leadership in Europe and have voiced expectations for increased U.S.-German cooperation on the international stage.

This year you have given the Security Conference the motto of "Restoring the Transatlantic Partnership". If we look back in time once again, the Cold War came to an end because, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, freedom won in the whole of Europe and in other parts of the world. All this was and still is accompanied by a gain in both economic and freedom terms which we call globalization. Today we have a hitherto-unknown interconnection of investment, capital, communications and information streams. This means we have completely new, qualitatively new opportunities, but of course also dramatic fears, if I think of Germany, which in many instances is having great difficulties coming to terms with this openness.

Germany’s security is inseparably linked to the political development of Europe and the remainder of the world. The united Germany has an important part in shaping the future of Europe and beyond. As a member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), Germany has proven itself to be a reliable partner. In these international ventures, as well as in the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other such forums, Germany has been working towards the preservation of peace, protection against global threats, promotion of democracy and human rights, sustainable development, and cooperative security.

Twelve years have passed since the publication of the last White Paper on the Security of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Situation of the Bundeswehr. During that time, the international environment has changed dramatically. Globalisation has opened up new opportunities for Germany, too. At the same time, the radical changes in the security environment have created new risks and threats that are not only having a destabilising effect on Germany’s immediate surroundings but also impact on the security of the international community as a whole. A successful response to these new challenges requires the application of a wide range of foreign, security, defence, and development policy instruments in order to identify, prevent, and resolve conflicts at an early stage. With its broad spectrum of capabilities, the Bundeswehr has been making significant contributions towards the achievement of this goal.

Douze années se sont écoulées depuis la publication du dernier « Livre blanc sur la sécurité de l’Allemagne et la situation de la Bundeswehr ». Depuis, l’environnement international a profondément évolué. La mondialisation ouvre de nouvelles perspectives, y compris pour l’Allemagne. Simultanément, la transformation fondamentale du contexte de sécurité comporte de nouveaux risques et menaces qui ont non seulement un effet déstabilisateur sur l’environnement immédiat de l’Allemagne mais affectent également la sécurité de la communauté internationale dans son ensemble. En matière de politique étrangère, de sécurité, de défense et de développement, la maîtrise de ces défis suppose la mise en oeuvre d’une vaste panoplie d’instruments susceptibles de déceler suffisamment tôt les indices de crise ainsi que de prévenir et de régler les conflits. Grâce à son éventail complet de capacités, la Bundeswehr y apporte une contribution essentielle.

As Germany seeks to play a greater role on the world stage, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said in an interview that Berlin would soon double, to 15,000, the number of troops trained for peacekeeping and other missions despite tough restrictions on the ministry's budget.

But what is coming out of Germany? What do we hear? Nothing! Nothing but deafening silence! It seems as though the political class is speechless before an American president who has adopted the liberal triad of political freedom, human rights and economic development as preventive medicine against all kinds of crises. Maybe the silence in Germany is personal.

La alianza maldita anti-mercado libre entre sindicatos de trabajo, el SPD y largos segmentos del CDU encaja bien dentro del estado emocional de las cosas en la Alemania contemporánea. Con la economía de Alemania, sus programas de bienestar social y el mercado de trabajo en una crisis seria, la gente está comenzando a perder su espíritu emprendedor.