Merkel defends low defense spending: peace instead of war!

Merkel defends low defense spending: peace instead of war!

On Tuesday evening, an exciting stage talk from RND took place in Schwerin, in which the former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was a guest. At a time when the discussion about defense spending and the NATO guidelines are highly topical, she defended the decline in German military spending in the past two decades. Merkel explained that an expenditure rate of 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for defense would have made it difficult to recreate the new federal states. This statement illustrates how complex the debate about armaments financing is and which historical contexts play a role here.

particularly remarkable was Merkel's reference to the "peace dividend", which made it easier for them in the 1990s. She made it clear that the negative perception of low military expenditure was not justified as major failure. This is done against the background that the NATO states have now decided to increase their defense spending to five percent of GDP by 2035-a clear indicator of the changing security policy situation in Europe, provoked by the reactions to the Ukraine conflict and Russia's aggressive foreign policy.

NATO requirements and German defense

The new NATO requirements stipulate that the member states should now spend 3.5 percent for defense and another 1.5 percent for defense-relevant infrastructure. This marks a significant increase in the previous two percent goal, which was only binding in 2014. These guidelines were decided at the NATO summit in the Hague, where the heads of state agreed on the growing threats from Russia, especially after the Ukraine march 2022, such as ZDF reports .

Germany plans to double its defense spending by 203 billion by 2029 - a project that corresponds to around three percent of GDP. Chancellor Friedrich Merz pointed out that this increase does not happen from obedience to claims from the United States, as being raised by Donald Trump. Rather, it is a necessary reaction to the current security challenges. Merz also demanded sharper sanctions against Russia and emphasized how important closer cooperation between the secret services is.

positions and political discussion

Merkel distanced himself from the rhetoric of the current Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius (SPD), who demands that Germany have to become "warfare". Instead, Merkel advocates an approach of "peace", which she sees as the cornerstone of a strong defense. "The war in Ukraine cannot end without dialogue," she emphasized, emphasizing the need to have talks with Russia. This view can be considered counterproductive, given the intensifying situation and the extensive income that NATO threatens to increase its member expenditure.

Nevertheless, the general mood remains mixed among the NATO countries. Countries such as Poland and Estonia are already far beyond the two percent goal and thus show a high level of commitment. The Czech Prime Minister Fiala has even stimulated discussions about an increase to 3 percent. These developments illustrate how unsettled NATO partners are considering the current geopolitical challenges. A look at the perspective of the Federal Republic also shows that the German defense spending in 2024 on the part of the federal government is estimated to be 2.12 percent of the BIP, which is attributed to the use of special funds - one step in the right direction, but not yet enough to fulfill the new requirements of NATO completely.

Overall, the discussion about defense spending is profound and shows the variations in the political attitude between stability through armor and the need for dialogue. Angela Merkel clearly advocates diplomatic renewal, even at a time when the collateral in Europe is more than ever under the test. So the debate is far from over, and it remains to be seen how the outstanding measures will affect the security architecture of Europe.