"Companies and politicians in Europe must demonstrate decisive action" demands Christian Kullmann, CEO of Evonik [1] . This statement is as true as it is worthless.
In terms of content, the demand is obvious, a no-brainer. But if we go a step further and ask ourselves how this is supposed to happen, we must be prepared to encounter a great perplexity.
To place hope in the current German retro government of self-optimizers rather indicates a lack of imagination, or simply helplessness.
Apparently nobody knows what to do next.
Friedrich Merz, for example, considers Germany "too small" and not influential enough to make a difference. An example of this is his statement that German CO₂ emissions "do not really matter" in the global context. [2] For him, this was an excuse for his inaction. Unsurprisingly, the statement drew some criticism.
Yet this realization, as true as it is mundane, should have been more of an impetus for action. If Germany, after losing two wars, no longer has the same global clout it once had, shouldn't we be looking for the next largest unit?
On the other hand, Friedrich Merz, in a strongman manner, emphasizes the need for Germany to assume more leadership responsibility in Europe. He criticized the country's previous foreign policy as too cautious and called for a more self confident German presence on the international stage [3] .
This is probably the wrong approach, which would quickly be thrown back in our faces by our suspicious European neighbours [4] .
No, the world will not be healed by the German spirit. Our home is Europe, but a Europe that doesn't yet exist, a Europe that has yet to be founded. This Europe must be perceived externally as a monolithic unit and act accordingly. Internally, we should preserve the colourful cultural diversity of the European peoples – unity externally, diversity internally, and perhaps even more of it than before.
This should be a reason for us to take action [5] .
[1] Handelsblatt. (2025, July 21). Evonik CEO sees "global foundation for growth and prosperity in Germany" at an end. Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/evonik-chef-sieht-globales-fundament-fuer-wohlstand-in-deutschland-am-ende-02/100138389.html
- The article, published on July 21, 2025, explains statements by Christian Kullmann, CEO of Evonik, that Germany's current multilateral economic and prosperity system is no longer functioning due to global uncertainties—particularly due to protectionist tendencies in the United States. He calls on Europe and German politicians to act decisively. The source provides perspectives on the current debate about economic policy, globalization, and German economic strategy in times of political and trade tensions.
[2] ZEIT ONLINE. (2025, July 17). Friedrich Merz criticizes climate policy in general debate in the Bundestag. ZEIT ONLINE. https://www.zeit.de/kultur/2025-07/friedrich-merz-klimapolitik-generaldebatte-bundestag-kritik
- This article reports on statements by CDU politician Friedrich Merz in the Bundestag debate on July 17, 2025, in which he criticized the government's current climate policy – with a focus on its economic and social consequences. A relevant source for analysing the party-political debate on climate protection.
[3] Frigelj, K. (2022, December 27). "Significantly clearer than during the Merkel era" – Traffic Light coalition rejects Merz criticism. WELT. https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article242889869/Ampel-weist-Merz-Kritik-zurueck-Wesentlich-klarer-als-zu-Zeiten-der-Aera-Merkel.html
- Frigelj describes the reactions of the traffic light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) to the criticism of CDU leader Friedrich Merz on December 27, 2022. Merz called for more German leadership responsibility in Europe, to which the governing parties responded that they were more clearly positioned than in Merkel's time. Useful for comparing political rhetoric and coalition dynamics.
[4] Walther, H. (2024, March 10). What is Germany's role in the world? Europeans for the planet. https://eufp.de/2024/03/10/wie-ist-eigentlich-deutschlands-rolle-in-der-welt/
- In this blog post, Horst Walther analyses German foreign, security, and economic policy against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis. He criticizes the German government's cautious stance—particularly regarding arms deliveries—and examines Germany's self-image and role in the world. This source is suitable for discussing Germany's geopolitical positioning, political self-discovery, and reactions within the EU to current security needs.
[5] Europeans for the Planet, https://eufp.de/
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