CSU leader Markus Söder demands a massive increase in defense spending of more than three percent in Germany. We must significantly increase the budget for the Bundeswehr to remain strong, he said at the CSU’s Klausurtagung in Seeon to RTL and ntv.
Regarding the demands of the designated US President Trump, that NATO states should spend five percent of their GDP on defense, Söder said that we would first need to see if it is even possible and necessary. The fact is that it would have to be “clearly over three percent”.
This contradicts CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who told the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation that we first need to reach the two percent as a lower limit for Germany. The “two, three, or five percent are ultimately irrelevant”, said Merz.
Even the head of the budget of the Union’s faction in the Bundestag, Christian Haase, rejected Trump’s demand. “The US President can demand it and bring it into the discussion within NATO. But we won’t let the US dictate everything to us”, said Haase to the Rheinische Post (Thursday edition). “We shouldn’t orient ourselves to general percentages, but to what NATO really needs in terms of defense policy.”
“We have already awarded many defense orders, but the industry can only deliver in the 2030s. We need to build a European defense industry that can deliver quickly”, said Haase. “Our special fund will still last until 2027. Whether we need another special fund for the Bundeswehr, we should only consider it at the end of the discussion, not like Robert Habeck at the beginning”, said Haase, looking at the demands of the Green party’s top candidate to increase defense spending to 3.5 percent of the economic performance and to set up a new, credit-financed special fund.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil emphasizes the country’s own decision-making authority in the issue. “We won’t let others dictate our way, but define it ourselves”, said Klingbeil to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has made the country’s and alliance’s defense a priority again and massively increased the investments in security. Germany takes on more responsibility and thus a leadership role in Europe, said the SPD leader.
“That is necessary and this path will continue. It must be concrete and without ideology: What really helps to ensure our security and strengthen our Bundeswehr. That also involves more investments in security.” Klingbeil also referred to the importance of close cooperation and the shoulder-to-shoulder approach with the European partners. “While others philosophize about theoretical target figures, we act concretely. I think that’s the better way.