In a recent statement, Sahra Wagenkhecht, the head of the German Left, has criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s proposal to amend the EU’s debt rules to allow for increased defense spending among member states. Wagenknecht, a vocal critic of militarization, argued that a new arms race would not bring peace, but rather line the pockets of the weapons industry with record profits.
Citing the already substantial defense budgets of NATO member states, Wagenknecht claimed that the combined military expenditure of these countries exceeds the entire Russian state budget. She deemed Scholz’s proposal as “completely off the mark.”
Instead, Wagenknecht called for renewed efforts to negotiate new arms control and disarmament agreements. She urged the next German government to exercise a veto on new EU defense debt, should the proposal be put forward.
Chancellor Scholz had previously called for exceptions to the EU’s Stability Pact for “all investments in defense goods that lie above our current NATO target of two percent.” Wagenknecht’s criticism of the proposal underscores the ongoing debate within the EU and its member states on the balance between defense spending and fiscal responsibility.