The future American president’s statements on Tuesday, September 7, asking his partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to devote 5% of their gross domestic product to their military spending have sparked many reactions. This is also the case in Germany, where Berlin was often criticized by Donald Trump during his first term for its insufficient spending. Today, Berlin meets the 2% criterion that NATO had set itself.
2 mins
Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson kicked in at midday, reports our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut. When questioned, he considered that these questions should be debated within NATO. But there is little doubt that the chancellor will not have tasted the exit of Donald Trump.
Candidates for the chancellorship are already clashing on this theme. The leader of the Greens for the next legislative elections, the Minister of the Economy Robert Habeck, pleaded in an interview with Spiegel for a German defense budget of 3.5% of gross domestic product compared to 2% today. “ We need to spend almost twice as much on our defense so Putin doesn’t dare attack us “, affirmed the current Minister of the Economy and Climate, saying he wanted to “ prevent new wars. »
The environmentalist then blamed Olaf Scholz for ruining the Bundeswehr when the Social Democrats governed with Angela Merkel.
“ Who will pay the bill? »
Olaf Scholz publicly criticized his vice-chancellor. “ The idea seems somewhat insufficiently matured to me “, declared the current head of government in a magazine interview Stern. “ Almost double the defense budget again, increasing it from almost 80 billion euros to 140 billion euros, without saying where this money will be directed and where it will come from. Who will pay the bill? ? The citizens ? », added Olaf Scholz.
The SPD, on a more pacifist course than the Greens, denounced Donald Trump’s demands: “ This is madness. We don’t need more, we need fewer weapons “, declared a Social Democratic leader. On the right, liberals and Christian Democrats are less upset, but also consider the demands of the future American president to be exaggerated.
They believe that Germany will have to do more in the future. The special fund of 100 billion adopted after the start of the war in Ukraine for the Bundeswehr is soon exhausted. Germany’s current budget will not be enough to cover a significant increase in military spending.