Our speaker Stefanie Babst, former NATO Chief Strategist from 2012 to 2020, is an outstanding expert in risk management and one of the few women in Germany with an impressive career in international politics. With a total of 22 years at NATO in Brussels, including as Head of the Strategic Planning Staff, she held the highest-ranking position of a German woman on NATO's International Staff.
As a sought-after speaker at international events and a frequent guest in the media, Stefanie Babst contributes her extensive expertise. She recently spoke at length with ZDF about the state of NATO. She analysed the current challenges, assessed the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO and assessed the threats posed by external actors such as Putin and internal conflicts such as the US presidential candidate Trump.
Babst spoke about the challenges for NATO in the face of problematic members who make it difficult to reach a consensus. She also explained what measures are needed to make NATO fit for the future. The discussion also covered Germany's role within NATO. She mentioned the extensive list of tasks that Germany will have to fulfil in order to maintain its operational capability, and not just to a limited extent.
