The Monocle Minute

Germany remains in sore need of a defence overhaul but chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats are almost certain to lose Germany’s next federal election in February, leaves a rather ineffective legacy in this regard. He will be remembered for one moment. The Zeitenwende speech, given just three days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, promised a sea-change in Germany’s approach and massive new investments in defence. It’s a speech so infamous that it has its own Wikipedia page – and yet, outside of the funds provided, Scholz hasn’t been the leader to usher in the change he promised. That leaves Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democrats and Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, to take on the mantle.

This is as it should be: Germany’s conservatives have long seen themselves as the party of defence. The fact that a Social Democrat ushered in the Zeitenwende was always somewhat grating, not least because it exposed that the last conservative leader, Angela Merkel, had failed. By contrast, Merz is now campaigning as the leader who will finish the job that Scholz couldn’t.

Merz will have broad bipartisan backing on defence, as multiple officials have now indicated they would be willing to ease up on Germany’s deficit rules in any new budget. Indeed Scholz deserves credit for transforming a Social Democratic party that used to be sceptical of Germany taking a leading military role. The once-pacifist Greens, under Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, have undergone a similar rethink. That said, Merz will still have to convince ordinary Germans that are fearful of a war-footing and fend off the extremes, on the right and left, that promise peace (read: capitulation).

Barring any unforeseen developments before the 23 February elections, which the Christian Democrats currently lead by double digits, it will be up to Friedrich Merz to complete Germany’s military transformation. Europe needs a leader who will face down future threats from Vladimir Putin and confidently answer the looming Trumpian charge that the continent isn’t doing enough to defend itself. Here’s hoping Merz is up to the task.

Christopher Cermak is Monocle’s senior news editor. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

South Pole penguins aren’t typically known for inspiring the instruments of surveillance and warfare but that hasn’t stopped one Berlin-based drone maker from trying. Enter underwater-robotics manufacturer, Evologics, which unveiled its new autonomous unmanned vehicles (AUVs) at Euronaval, the world’s largest naval-defence trade show, earlier this month in Paris. Named Quadroin and Greyshark, the drones are designed for underwater surveillance with a focus on mine detection and infrastructure security.

While the AUVs boast a hardy maritime capability – the Quadroin can remain submerged for 10 hours and the Greyshark has a range of 1,100 nautical miles – their aerodynamic builds were influenced by the streamlined shape of penguins. Antarctica’s most famous inhabitants are well known for their ability to propel themselves at speed through the continent’s icy waters, reducing drag by releasing turbocharging microbubbles and making use of wing-like flippers. With Europe looking to flex its military muscles, they’ll take creative solutions from the unlikeliest of places. Just don’t look to penguins for any upgrades in the marching department.

American investors are on a spending spree in Europe, from snapping up grand properties in the Algarve to buying football clubs around the continent. Now they might be purchasing critical infrastructure too: Stephen Lynch, a US entrepreneur who’s lived in Moscow and worked with state-owned Russian companies in the past, is reportedly eyeing up Nord Stream 2 AG, the Swiss operator of the natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany, which faces bankruptcy proceedings in the new year. Lynch plans to “de-Russify” the pipeline, placing it under US control and preparing it for reactivation after a possible Ukraine peace deal.

The move reflects a broader trend of US investors, who can combine risk tolerance with strategic vision, entering unusual European markets. But the deal has caused some consternation: critics question the ethics of private control of critical infrastructure and the opportunistic nature of investment at a time of war. Expect this American readiness to enter markets that make others squeamish (Europeans tend to be deterred by geopolitical or regulatory risks) to grow with the arrival of the Trump administration.

Maymana, founded by Naïma Berrada in 1985, has become a beloved Moroccan pastry shop known for its gazelle horns and other traditional treats. What began as a one-woman venture now has 510 employees, 70 per cent of whom are women. The bakery’s distinctive gold-lettered branding can be seen across the streets of Rabat’s upscale Souissi neighbourhood and in Casablanca’s international airport.

More recently, Maymana’s delicacies, including chocolate-covered dates and honey-based sweets, are now available in places from France to Qatar, including a new shop opening in Doha last month. Its pastries are a top choice for corporate gifts in Morocco, where gifting holds great cultural significance. Maymana’s tarbouche boxes have proven especially popular thanks to an elegant design featuring faux-leather and gold tassels. Perhaps a European airport location is what’s needed next?

Read about Maymana in the latest issue of‘Monocle: The Entrepreneurs’, available online and on newsstands now.

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