The Zeitenwende, State Traditions, and the Developmental Imperative in German Energy Policy.

This article argues that contemporary German environmental and energy policy has been shaped by the dominance of the Rechtsstaat—or "Legal State"—tradition. Although German authorities have articulated laudable climate goals and related hopes for greater energy independence—most recently in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's 2022 declaration of a Zeitenwende in German security and energy policy—the weakness of the developmental imperative, coupled with the power of interests central to the country's export-led growth model, have undermined the investments required for achieving these aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]