by Chris Becker
A hallmark of NATO, the European Union and US foreign policy in Europe has been about containing the economic and political behemoth of Germany whilst defending the Western half of the continent from external threats. In the post WW2 era this has worked, save for the creation of the Euro which effectively handed fiscal and monetary policy to Berlin in the form of a much cheaper Mark.
For the Germans it also meant a stark reduction in defense spending, with only 1.1% of GDP allocated, compared to Australia’s 2% allocation.