Germany Battles Past Ghosts as Merkel Urges Wider World Role

Europe‘s dominant country is stepping out from its own shadow. Seventy years after Germany‘s defeat at the end of World War II, Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s government is signaling a willingness to assume a bigger role in tackling the world‘s crises without fear of offending allies like the U.S.

Spurred into more international action by the refugee crisis, Merkel prodded Europe on Wednesday to adopt a „more active foreign policy“ with greater efforts to end the civil war in Syria, the source of millions fleeing to safety. As well as enlisting the help of Russia, Turkey and Iran, Merkel said that will mean dialogue with Bashar al-Assad, making her the first major western leader to urge talks with the Syrian president.

Germany‘s position as Europe‘s biggest economy allowed Merkel and her finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, to assume a leading role during the euro-area debt crisis centered on Greece, but the change in focus to beyond Europe‘s borders is very much political. After decades of relying on industrial prowess -- now under international scrutiny as a result of the Volkswagen scandal -- globalization and the necessity to keep Europe relevant are opening up options for Merkel to make Germany a less reluctant hegemon.