Economic strength, transatlantic relations and pragmatic assertiveness give Germany legitimacy as a central state for economic decision-making in the European Union. However, when it comes to security and defense issues, the country seems to place itself as a reluctant leader. Thus, its role of leader is challenged in the sphere of foreign and security policy. However, since the Snowden Case (2013), Germany stands out worldwide for leading projects with emphasis on the normative issue of cyberspace. Would Germany be a leading country in cybersecurity in Europe? The objective of the present study is to test the hypothesis thatGermany has a leading role in determining cyber threats in the European Union. As cyberspace has both material and immaterial aspects, the article seeks the optics of two theoretical approaches with different ontologies for testing the hypothesis: neoclassical realism and conventional constructivism. A single case research design is used, as it is conducive to deepening the research in terms not only empirical, but also theoretical.
