When Olaf Scholz and his “Ampelkoalition” entered government, many observers expected some policy shifts after 16 years of Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrats but most believed that the new government would not introduce ground-breaking changes. The assumption was that it would focus on the ongoing COVID pandemic and Germany’s economic recovery as well as fulfill campaign promises related to climate change, housing, and the minimum wage. But, rather than change from within, the war in Ukraine has caused a fundamental shift in German foreign and security policy.
