SAIS INTERVIEW WITH NORBERT RÖTTGEN, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE CDU/CSU PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, GERMAN BUNDESTAG; FORMER MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, NATURE CONSERVATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY

by Peter Pinto and Noah Rosendahl

During his visit to SAIS Europe, Dr. Norbert Röttgen spoke about the pressures reshaping Europe's political order and the responsibilities that fall on citizens and leaders in a time of renewed conflict and democratic fatigue. As one of Germany's leading foreign policy voices and a former Minister for the Environment who now serves as Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group, he has played a central role in German debates on security, transatlantic relations and the future of liberal democracy. His public lecture set out the strategic challenges facing Europe while the interview that followed gave a deeper look into how he interprets the return of war to the continent and the internal strains weakening democratic resilience.

This moment, he argues, demands clarity about the world Europe now inhabits and the willingness to accept responsibility for shaping the future rather than assuming stability will return on its own. The discussion moved from external threats to internal pressures, from the meaning of peace for younger generations to the qualities needed to lead in an environment defined by uncertainty and geopolitical competition.

Dr. Röttgen began by explaining that democracy is under pressure from both outside and within, placing the war in Ukraine at the center of this shift. He said:

"There are different attacks on our liberal democracy today, very different ones, from abroad and from inside. From abroad, for example, the war Russia is waging against Ukraine, of course, has its battlefield in Ukraine and of course a prime objective of Putin is to eradicate Ukraine as a state. However, at the same time, this war is also against political liberalism and democracy as a political order. If Putin were to be successful and win this war, democracy in Europe would certainly be under attack as well, because it would embolden Russia and Putin to apply any means available in order to come through with Russian imperialism and with a program which is certainly the most anti-liberal and anti-democratic you could imagine."

He then described a new and concerning dynamic that links external authoritarian actors with extremist groups inside Western democracies, arguing:

"We are seeing a deliberate and overt cooperation between, the American vice president and right--wing extremist parties across Europe, such as the AfD in Germany. This is from the vice president of the former leader of the free liberal world! This makes a stark difference to the previous experiences Europe had with both America and Russia."

He connected these developments to profound social shifts within Europe, describing how long term economic and technological disruption has weakened the sense of stability that sustained democratic systems. He observed:

"People experience such a degree of insecurity, a feeling of being let down in their personal status and interests, that there is a huge opportunity for extremism to attack a system that is allegedly not working for ordinary people. And this is fruitful soil for particularly right-wing and left-wing populist extremist parties that are surging in the polls, and they are doing so in most European countries."

These pressures, he argued, have made political fragmentation more common and long-term coalition building more difficult. Rather, the stability that defined Europe's postwar political systems can no longer be assumed, because the social foundations that supported it have weakened in ways that are visible across almost every democratic state.

The interview then turned to how younger generations should understand the return of war to Europe. Dr. Röttgen reflected on the assumptions that shaped his own understanding of peace:

"I was born in 1965, and my generation and even the older generation and younger people were deeply convinced, and we did not put it into question in any way, that war in Europe is a matter of the past, of history. We studied history, and we tried to learn the lessons from history, but nobody expected that land war, as we saw it during so many centuries in Europe, could return to Europe anymore in our time, because we thought we had learned the lesson out of two world wars."

He then described how Russia's actions overturned that assumption:

"Now we have to recognize and to really understand, fundamentally understand, that with the decision of Putin to go to war against Ukraine, after annexing Crimea ten years earlier, war has returned to Europe."

He framed this as a decisive moment for Europe's political future:

"There is a historic crossroads before us. Either we do not stand up and support Ukraine, for Ukraine's sake but also for the sake and in the name of Europe and peace and freedom in Europe, then war will prevail and we will not recognize the Europe we have seen over decades in the postwar era. Or everybody, but particularly the younger generations, understand that this is a fateful moment for our history, for our lives."

For Dr. Röttgen, this challenge is both strategic and civic. He stressed that democracy depends on citizens who understand what is at stake and who remain willing to participate in its defense, saying:

"Democracy cannot exist without democrats and without democratic citizens that are ready to engage, and even to defend their democracy. And this is what this moment is about."

In the final part of our conversation, he reflected on the qualities young leaders need as they enter public service, international institutions, civil society, or the private sector. He explained that strong education is essential:

"What is certainly needed is intellectual capacity. You have to study, you have to learn, you have to intellectually deal with the past and the present challenges, and there is an excellent opportunity here at SAIS to do that."

He then added that academic preparation alone is not enough:

"It is not only about intellectual ability, but also about citizens' quality. After an excellent education, which you are enjoying here, this also bears a responsibility, not only to further your own career but to recognize yourself as a member of your country, as a citizen of your country, of Europe, and as a world citizen."

He closed with a reflection on responsibility and agency:

"Those who are students here have the potential to shape developments. We are not submitted to any kind of natural disasters or to the future, but the future is in our hands. To see this opportunity to shape developments, and not allow ourselves to be only submitted as an object of history, this is what is required. The better educated, the more responsible, the more empathy they have, the greater the trust we can place in a future in peace, freedom, and prosperity."

Dr. Röttgen's visit offered a clear reminder that Europe's security and democratic stability depend on civic commitment and strategic awareness. His reflections pointed to the importance of understanding this moment not as a temporary disruption but as a defining period that will shape Europe for decades. For students preparing to enter public life, his message emphasized responsibility, engagement and the belief that democratic futures depend on the choices citizens make.

Authors:

Peter Pinto, MAIR student (B'25'26) at Johns Hopkins SAIS

Noah Rosendhal ,MAIA student (B'25, B'26) at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe