Interview with the former Head of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schönbach, on Germany’s new military strategy, the proxy war in Ukraine, and domestic troubles. By Yunus Emre Özgün Caught between a self-inflicted economic disaster and a mandated military buildup, the German state is navigating a geopolitical minefield. In an exclusive interview with UWI Data, retired Vice Admiral Kay-Achim ...
On the document titled “Overall Concept of Military Defense: Military Strategy and Plans for the Armed Forces, Responsibility for Europe” released by the German Ministry of Defense Europe is rearming. Countries, economies, and societies are being fundamentally reshaped to align with this new reality. The latest move has come from Germany. The document titled “Overall Concept of Military Defense: Military ...
Posted by by United World International 13 Min Read April 14, 2026 By Can Çakır, from Germany Germany continues to debate over “mandatory military service”. But there is something new: requirement for men aged 17–45 to obtain permission for trips abroad lasting longer than three months. According to the law that came into effect on January 1, men aged 17–45 ...
Defense spending, fascism and risks on social security. By Mitsuko Sakagami, from Japan Published in Shiso-Undo, March 2026 The fiscal policy of the TAKAICHI Sanae administration is said to be a revival of “Abenomics” by the former prime minister ABE Shinzo, but the situation has changed significantly. Abenomics was built on the “three arrows”—monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and growth strategy—but ...
A Japanese roundtable discussion about the government’s militarization policies and their wider context. Published in SHISO-UNDO NEWS No. 182 Participants:Akira Fujiware (School Worker / Moderator) Shozo Hirono (Activist Group Shiso-Undo) Hiroshi Inagaki (Shiso-Undo Editorial Department) Hideto Osaka (Local Government Non-Regular Worker) Kazuhiro Okie (International Politics Researcher) Kasane Yonemaru (Part-Time Office Cleaning Worker) Aiko Fujimoto (Public Sector Worker) The Takaichi Sanae ...
Impressions from a trip to a country once leading in Europe. I first went to Germany in the summer of 1989. My last visit was in 2016. In 2016, I went to many cities and towns, giving numerous conferences in different regions. In total, I might have travelled close to 20 times to this country. Earlier this month, after a ...
Rapid advancement of building a war state. By Aiko Fujimoto Following the crushing defeat in the Upper House election, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation on September 17, with the LDP leadership election set for October 4. During this period, opinion polls showed that while some believed “there was no need to resign,” more than “he should resign.” Multiple ...
Interview with Lichen Ullmann, coordinator at Vredesactie. Conflict and militarization is advancing in the policies and practices of the European Union and NATO. But social resistance is also increasing. We spoke about the political context of militarization, its connection to Israel and actions against it with Lichen Ullmann, coordinator of the Vredesactie, a Belgian NGO struggling against militarization. Where do ...
The EU’s expectations and scenarios. By Gökalp Erbaş There is much debate about the possible economic effects of Europe’s rearmament. When examining the discussions on this topic, the most critical question seems to be: Has there been a structural change in the economic function of the arms industry from the past to the present? The arms industry actually works to ...
Interview with Hillal Sor, the metalworkers’ trade union Secretary General. From Brussels / Belgium We are continuing our interview made in Brussels, Belgium, with European representatives and their views on NATO and militarization. Today, we asked Hillal Sor for his opinions. Sor is Secretary General of the metalworkers’ Trade Union within the General Labour Federation of Belgium. His trade union ...
Why the bill will fail. By Fernando Esteche The approval of “The One Big Beautiful Bill” by the US Congress in July 2025 reveals a fundamental paradox: the United States responds to its decline not with structural reforms, but with unprecedented militarization and domestic policies that deepen its internal contradictions. The current situation reveals multiple fractures that go beyond traditional ...
Interview with Fabrizio Verde, the Director of l’AntiDiplomatico, Italy Europe’s NATO defense ministers agreed to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. Secretary General Rutte told Chatham House that “even when the war in Ukraine ends, the threat will not go away” and called on “Washington’s European allies” to increase their air and missile defense budgets by 400%. The European ...