Germany at Risk: Why Trump’s Return to the White House Spells Trouble for Berlin

Germans don’t like the results of the US election and the country is in a mess — an early election is just the start of it

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As Donald Trump prepares to assume the U.S. presidency once again, the implications for Germany are profound. Deutschland, a central pillar of Europe’s political stability and its largest economy, faces significant challenges stemming from Trump’s confrontational foreign policy, disdain for NATO, and transactional approach to international relations. And that is before the existing problems caused by internal problems, stemming from a lack of investment in infrastructure and new tech to a bureaucracy that is ferocious and appallingly counterproductive.

Trump’s return has already shaken the foundations of transatlantic cooperation, exposes Germany to greater economic and security threats, and tests its ability to navigate an increasingly hostile global landscape.

A Chilly Transatlantic Alliance

Under Trump’s first presidency, the U.S.-German relationship became deeply strained. Trump’s frequent disparagement of NATO, calling it “obsolete” and accusing Germany of freeloading on defense spending, created friction within the…