Wer bestimmt die neue Weltordnung? Mit Robert Habeck

Summary

In this interview, Robert Habeck argues that climate change and geopolitical competition are increasingly intertwined. As Arctic ice melts, previously inaccessible sea routes and strategic areas are opening up, creating new points of tension among Russia, the United States, and other powers. He does not expect a major war to begin in the Arctic, but warns that accidents or provocations could escalate. He says Russia has spent years strengthening its northern military bases and fleet, while Russian rhetoric about the Arctic echoes claims it made about Ukraine before the invasion.

Habeck criticizes Germany’s past assumption—particularly during the Merkel years—that major energy projects were merely economic decisions. He says Germany and some other European countries ignored warnings that dependence on Russian gas could become a political vulnerability, including warnings against Nord Stream 2. He also admits that, during the first six months of the war in Ukraine, he resisted sanctions on Russian gas because he feared Germany would run short of energy. He says he still feels responsible for that decision, while noting that Putin did not cut off gas supplies until September. Germany used the intervening months to secure costly alternatives and avoid a severe winter supply crisis.

Looking ahead, Habeck voices concern about the possibility that a future US–Russia arrangement could pressure Europe to resume buying Russian gas. He presents this as a scenario policymakers should prepare for, not as an established agreement. He also warns that attacks on energy and communications infrastructure, and other forms of hybrid warfare, could exploit vulnerabilities and deepen public distrust.

Habeck describes the current period as a prolonged “time of monsters”: the old international order has weakened, and he does not expect the previous status quo to return soon. He says Germany is particularly vulnerable to disinformation and political interference because of its internal divisions and uneven shared historical experience. In his view, undermining trust in democratic institutions can weaken not only Germany but Europe as a whole.

On domestic politics, Habeck argues that the rise of right-wing populism cannot be explained by any single issue. When one concern fades—such as migration, climate policy, or support for Ukraine—another can take its place. He sees a deeper problem in people’s insecurity about their economic and social prospects, especially the perceived loss of upward mobility. Rebuilding confidence, he says, will require renewing industrial society and supporting future industries, although the benefits may take years to materialize.

He also warns that political parties and other institutions tend to prioritize their own survival, even when leaders recognize the need for difficult long-term reforms. Political communication and personal appeal matter, he says, but replacing an unpopular leader alone will not resolve structural problems. To counter populism, democratic politicians need to offer a credible governing alternative and explain the stakes more effectively. In the case of Ukraine, he suggests that personal accounts of the human cost of war may convey more than large casualty figures.

Habeck ends on a cautiously optimistic note. He points to the falling cost and expanding use of renewable energy and electrification, the capacity of democracies to reform themselves, and the possibility of a stronger European political identity and common foreign and security policy. Asked about returning to politics, he says that, as things stand, he does not intend to return or run again as the Greens’ chancellor candidate, though he acknowledges that he remains politically engaged.

Presenters and Contributors

• Jan Schipmann — Host
• Robert Habeck — Guest