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TheZeitenwende speech was an address delivered to theBundestag byOlaf Scholz, theChancellor of Germany, on 27 February 2022. His speech was a reaction to theRussian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Scholz described the attack as a "historic turning point" (German:Zeitenwende, literally: "times-turn", referring to the change from one age or era to another) and announced that in response his government would use a €100 billionoff-budget fund to significantly increase military spending, reversing Germany's previously cautiousdefence policy.
Scholz's speech was well-received by most German and international politicians, and was endorsed by the leader of the oppositionFriedrich Merz.[1] The speech represented a major turning point for Germany’s policies in the areas of energy,relations with Russia, and security.[2]
In the early months of 2022, Russia built up a military presence of around 150,000 troops near the Ukrainian border while demanding a commitment from the Western military allianceNATO that Ukraine would not be admitted to its membership. Western governments rejected this demand and reacted by increasing theirmilitary aid to Ukraine. Germany, whose government was led by the recently elected chancellorOlaf Scholz, was criticised for taking a cautious approach to the crisis. The criticism focused on Scholz's refusal to specify whether certification ofNord Stream 2, a gas pipeline financed by the Russian energy corporationGazprom, would be suspended in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine. On 15 February, Scholz met the Russian PresidentVladimir Putin for talks in Moscow. Scholz's visit was interpreted by some commentators as a sign of German weakness towards Russia.[3] On 22 February, Scholz announced that his government would prevent the pipeline's certification after Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine.[4]
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched aninvasion of Ukraine from its built-up positions in southern Russia and Belarus. The invasion was described by Putin as a "special military operation" to aid theDonetsk People's Republic and theLuhansk People's Republic, two separatist territories in Ukraine'sDonbas region that had requested Russia's help. Western leaders harshly condemned the attack.[5]
As a country poor in natural resources and economy greatly relying on export, Germany was particularly affected.[6]
On 27 February, Scholz addressed theBundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, to outline his government's reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He announced a fundamental restructuring of the country's cautiousdefence policy: Scholz vowed to set up an extraordinary fund of €100 billion to be invested in the modernisation of the German armed forces, theBundeswehr.[7] He also promised that defence spending would exceed 2% ofgross domestic product (GDP), a requirement of NATO membership that Scholz'sSocial Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) had traditionally opposed.[7] Scholz justified his departure from established defence policy with the threat posed by Russia to peace in Europe. He described the new political situation on the continent as a "historic turning point"German:Zeitenwende, literally:times-turn),[8] saying:
Wir erleben eine Zeitenwende. Und das bedeutet: Die Welt danach ist nicht mehr dieselbe wie die Welt davor. Im Kern geht es um die Frage, ob Macht das Recht brechen darf, ob wir es Putin gestatten, die Uhren zurückzudrehen in die Zeit der Großmächte des 19. Jahrhunderts, oder ob wir die Kraft aufbringen, Kriegstreibern wie Putin Grenzen zu setzen. Das setzt eigene Stärke voraus.[9]
We are living through a watershed era. And that means that the world afterwards will no longer be the same as the world before. The issue at the heart of this is whether power is allowed to prevail over the law. Whether we permit Putin to turn back the clock to the nineteenth century and the age of the great powers. Or whether we have it in us to keep warmongers like Putin in check. That requires strength of our own.[10]
In 2024, the country reached NATO’s target of spending two percent or more of its GDP on defense.[11] Politicians and commentators generally regard German policy since the speech as a reversal of its earlierWandel durch Handel (“peace through trade”) approach to Russia.[12][13]
By September 2022, Germany had sent "30Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, 10Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers and threeMARS multiple rocket launchers, as well as various lighter weapons," to support Ukraine.[14] This represented the first time since theWorld War II that the country had sent weapons into a conflict zone.[15]
Through 2022, the government continued to delay the provision of heavy weapons, resisting opposition pressure to provide German-madeLeopard battle tanks andMarder infantry fighting vehicles.[14] On 5 January 2023, Scholz partially reversed this policy: he issued a joint press release with Joe Biden, thePresident of the United States, announcing that their countries would supply Ukraine with Marders andBradley Fighting Vehicles respectively. Scholz also committed to sending aPatriot air defence system as a reaction to Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure.[16] Later that month, in response to mounting pressure to provide tanks, Germany announced it would allow allied states to export Leopard tanks to Ukraine and would supply 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks from its own Bundeswehr inventory.[17] By late March 2023, 18 such tanks had arrived Ukraine.[18]
The speech was received positively by most German and international politicians. The Bundestag passed a motion of condemnation against the Russian government with the support of all parties exceptThe Left andAlternative for Germany (AfD).Friedrich Merz, the leader of the oppositionChristian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), vowed to support Scholz's defence agenda,[19] while he characterised the previous attitude of the chancellor's party as pro-Russian.Robert Habeck, the Minister for Economic Affairs, endorsed the new policy and admitted to mistakes in Germany's previous assessment of Russia.[7]Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, praised Germany's new commitment to collective security, describing Scholz's promises as "a significant investment in security and freedom for our nations".[19] According to a poll, 78% of Germans supported the proposed policies.[20]
Even though the party shared Scholz's condemnation of Russia, the Left Party criticised the proposed increase in military spending. The party's chairwomanAmira Mohamed Ali accused the chancellor of engaging in anarms race that would prove detrimental to international security.Alice Weidel of AfD contradicted Scholz and asserted that NATO had committed an "historic mistake" in "aggrieving Russia" by entertaining the possibility of Ukrainian membership.[19] As Scholz resisted the transfer of heavy weaponry to Ukraine, parts of the governing coalition began challenging the chancellor in parliament.[14]
Writing forThe Guardian,Patrick Wintour described Scholz's proposals as a "180-degree course correction" and wrote that Germany had become "not just an economic but also a geopolitical powerhouse" overnight.[20]Sergey Lagodinsky, aMember of the European Parliament, argued that, in addition to its increased military spending, Germany needed to learn how to wield military intervention as a tool of foreign policy. He considered the country's close energy ties with Russia "one of the biggest strategic mistakes of the past 20 years".[20] In August 2022,The Economist credited the Zeitenwende speech with facilitating the modification of long-held positions in politics and society. The newspaper reckoned that Germany now had the potential to become a "country comfortable with asserting itself using its armed forces". It also linked Scholz's new defence agenda to a new energy policy that could see Germany become less dependent on Russian gas, a scenario it described as "one of Vladimir Putin's biggest [potential] regrets".[21]
The termZeitenwende became a political catchphrase in the aftermath of the speech[22] and was chosen theGerman word of the year 2022.[23]
Around the anniversary of the speech, some have criticized a perceived gap between Scholz's words and subsequent actions.Minister-President of BavariaMarkus Söder criticized Scholz by stating "everyone is talking aboutZeitenwende, but so far we’ve only seenZeitlupe [slow motion]".[24] Matthew Karnitschnig ofPolitico commented that "it's become clear that the best way to describe Scholz's much-ballyhooed slogan is with a blunt Americanism: bullshit".[25] Confronted with similar criticisms by CNN'sFareed Zakaria, Scholz emphasizedGermany's aid to Ukraine and the successful decoupling from Russian energy dependence, while stating it "is absolutely clear we will go to two percent of GDP [in military spending]" and that starting necessary military production takes time.[26]
As of early 2025, the overall picture is mixed.[6]
In the area of energy, Germany's hydrocarbon dependency on Russia had ended, with little chance of returning to thestatus quo ante bellum. However, the resulting high energy prices had contributed to the economic stagnation.[27] Although Germany had managed to avoid broaddeindustrialization, energy-intensive industry, especially plants directly dependent on natural gas for as a source of heat orfeedstock, had partially fled the country.[28]
Germany had become the biggest European provider of support for Ukraine, but is unlikely to succeed in building up its army to the targeted 203,000 personnel strength. As the off-budget €100 billionSondervermögen Bundeswehr fund money runs out, a creation of a new, and larger size, fund becomes inevitable, with the alternative being a significant expansion of the defense budget.[27]
Although Chancellor Scholz's 2022Zeitenwende speech was accompanied by a €100 billion special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr, implementation has faced significant obstacles. By 2025, critics noted that despite initial procurement efforts—such as F-35A fighters, upgraded Puma IFVs, and naval frigates—the Bundeswehr remained under-equipped and strategically limited.[29]
"Germany reached the NATO spending target of 2 percent of gross domestic product"
"Scholz has announced a €100 billion plan to improve the German military … for the first time since World War II, send weapons to a conflict zone."
"Germany will supply Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks and will allow partner countries to re-export additional battle tanks"
"Germany's much-awaited shipment of 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks has arrived in Ukraine … Germany had promised 14 vehicles but increased that to 18."
Alle reden von Zeitenwende, aber bisher ist es nur eine Zeitlupe
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