<p>Europe’s defence posture is evolving rapidly — but is the pace of change sustainable? In this episode, IISS experts examine global and regional defence spending trends, the EU’s emerging industrial initiatives and the implications of Germany’s policy shift.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Host <a href="https://www.iiss.org/people/defence-and-military-analysis/meia-nouwens/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meia Nouwens</a> is joined by <a href="https://www.iiss.org/people/defence-and-military-analysis/fenella-mcgerty/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fenella McGerty</a>, <a href="https://www.iiss.org/people/defence-and-military-analysis/ester-sabatino " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ester Sabatino</a> and <a href="https://www.iiss.org/people/european-security-and-defence/ben-schreer/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Schreer</a> to discuss whether current trends represent a pivot in European strategic capability or if policy ambition will be constrained by economic and political realities.&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>Key themes include:</strong>&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Drivers behind global and European defence spending increases&nbsp;</li><li>The EU’s ReArm Europe&nbsp;</li><li>Constraints on joint procurement and industrial scalability&nbsp;</li><li>Germany’s budget shift and prospects for sustained leadership&nbsp;</li><li>Geopolitical uncertainties and potential disruptors&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p>We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on the podcast platform of your choice.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Date of Recording:&nbsp;24 March 2025&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>The podcast is recorded and produced by the<a href="https://www.iiss.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> IISS</a>.&nbsp;</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>