A leading figure in the left-wing party, Jan van Aken, has expressed a willingness to support a constitutional amendment to reform the debt brake. However, his faction will not provide support for an additional special fund for the German military, he stated in an interview with the Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday. Instead, he is calling for comprehensive investments in climate protection and infrastructure, as well as a restructuring of the military.
“We were against the debt brake from the start. It has pushed us into the crisis over the past two years” van Aken said. While other European countries were able to invest during the crisis, Germany is now lagging behind. For projects such as the climate-friendly restructuring of industry and the renovation of dilapidated infrastructure, billions of euros are needed. “This can only be done if the debt brake is suspended or reformed” he emphasized.
Instead of further investments in the military, van Aken is pushing for comprehensive reforms with a focus on homeland defense, which he believes would be sufficient with the current budget. “I say: homeland defense instead of a claim to global power” he stated. “And that’s why we need to stop armaments projects that have nothing to do with homeland defense.” The debates about additional debt, he argued, are more about equipping the military for missions around the world. “I find that wrong, we don’t need that money” he said.