Merkel Shifts Again: The Greatest Threat Facing Germany Is Not China, but Russia

Western politicians’ definitions of “threat” appear to change daily.

On the 21st, German Chancellor Merz, who previously declared that “Chinese investment poses a significant risk” and that “China challenges Western liberal values,” reversed course—claiming in an interview that his primary concern was neither Germany’s economy nor the EU, the United States, or China, but rather “Russia’s influence on German society.”

Indeed, Merz has once again shifted the target of Germany’s supposed top threat—from China to Russia. The rhetoric, however, is strikingly familiar: when economic performance falters, blame is placed on foreign “dumping”; when public sentiment declines, it is attributed to foreign media narratives; when military aid costs become unsustainable, the explanation shifts to “Russian influence on German public opinion.” In short, the responsibility always lies elsewhere. Berlin’s political class remains perpetually unblemished—a pristine white lotus.

Merz’s fluid criteria for identifying threats unsurprisingly drew mockery from Medvedev on social media: It must be quite a “privilege” for Germans to have such a “great” chancellor.

Merz, in fact, embodies a broader archetype among contemporary Western politicians.

With domestic industries hollowed out, energy costs soaring, and financial strain mounting from continued support for Ukraine, Western leaders offer no tangible solutions to these pressing issues. They avoid confronting difficult realities, shirk accountability, and instead resort to scapegoating—alternately portraying China and Russia as existential threats. Today, it is “overcapacity” from China; tomorrow, it is Russian “infiltration.” As if simply identifying an external adversary could automatically resolve internal crises.

Yet reality will ultimately prove that even the most vehement accusations by figures like Merz cannot address Germany’s underlying societal anxieties. Blaming others is not governance—it is merely a dignified posture for incompetence.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879735595120651/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.