Defense budget - Fierce criticism of Bundeswehr spending in the budget compromise
After the hard-won household compromise of the traffic light coalition, there is massive criticism regarding the anticipated only slight increase in the defense budget. The Bundeswehr Association is demanding significant improvements. It refers to the new military threat situation in Europe and Germany's responsibility in the world. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasizes, however, that the Bundeswehr will receive more money with the budget draft than in the past.
The coalition leaders had put an end to the protracted budget dispute in the early hours of Friday and agreed on a draft for the German budget 2025. The debt brake is being maintained, and no fiscal emergency situation, such as military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, was declared. This was important for the FDP and its Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
However, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius could not push through his demand. The SPD politician wanted to achieve an increase in the defense budget from around 52 billion Euros by more than six billion Euros. He was only granted an increase of 1.2 billion Euros.
Bundeswehr Association reacts shocked
The chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, André Wüstner, reacted angrily: "With this budget, the federal government may well want to get through this legislative period, but the Bundeswehr, as an essential part of our security architecture - and thus all of us - pays the price for that," he told the German Press Agency. A increase of 1.2 billion Euros is "absolutely not sufficient for the current threat situation and certainly not for Germany's responsibility in the world."
"The troops are surprised, mostly shocked. After the Bundeskanzler's statement during the Munich Security Conference 'Without security, everything is nothing,' no one would have expected such a concealment of the defense budget," Wüstner added. "Despite the proclamation of the Zeitenwende, unfortunately, no recognition of the times has taken place."
Parliament demands correction
Everyone knows that the so-called special fund of the Bundeswehr of 100 billion Euros is already fully committed to contracts this year. "We need the growth of the defense budget to cover the dramatically increasing operational costs - from power generation aggregates to fuel and special tool sets to personnel," Wüstner emphasized.
He demanded for the budget negotiations in the Bundestag starting in September: "The parliament must significantly step up." If this does not happen, "then it's ZeitenWende - ZeitenEnde."
Scholz defends the budget compromise
The Federal Chancellor defended the budget compromise, which, as he admitted during a citizen dialogue in Weimar, was "hard-won." The coalition is doing something for children and families by increasing child benefits and the child supplement, Scholz said. They are investing in the infrastructure of the country, such as roads and railways. And also in the most modern infrastructure for the internal and external security of Germany, money is flowing.
The Chancellor emphasized, "we are providing the necessary money for the security of our country, and that is why we will also equip the Bundeswehr better than it was in the past."
Even within the traffic light [traffic light coalition is the name of the current German government], criticism exists. SPD budget expert Andreas Schwarz spoke in the "Tagesspiegel" about a "disappointing result." "The outcome of the government's budget negotiations does not correspond to what we need in the defense sector." Now, parliamentarians had the task of "making significant improvements."
Alarm sounded from the opposition as well
Improvements are also considered necessary by the Union. "What we need now are quick real re-prioritizations in the budget that enable a sustained and increased defense budget," said CDU security expert Roderich Kiesewetter to the "Augsburger Allgemeinen."
The president of the Reservists' Association, Patrick Sensburg, criticized the small increase in the defense budget with the words: "That won't make us battle-ready." The former CDU Bundestag member warned at the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND): "There will still be gaps everywhere."
Lindner sees a "normal budget process"
Finance Minister Lindner takes it calmly that the Bundeswehr will have to get by with less money than hoped. "The defense minister is getting more money than in the previous budget, but he is getting less money than he publicly demanded," he told Bild. "That's just the normal budget process."
A minister working with passion for his department and demanding the maximum is argued for by Lindner. "The task of the Finance Minister and the federal government as a whole is then to check what is desirable and what is really necessary."
The financing of the Bundeswehr beyond 2025 should also lead to heated debates. Then, the money from the special fund will be spent. Chancellor Scholz confirmed in Weimar that the regular defense budget should amount to 80 billion euros from 2028 onwards.
A financing solution for this has not been found yet. "That's significantly higher than our problem of the last two, three days or the last night," said Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) in the ARD "Tagesthemen" on Friday evening. And: "We'll make it through until 2025. After that, it will get tighter."
- The Bundeswehr Association, led by Chairman André Wüstner, strongly criticizes the anticipated minimal increase in the defense budget, stating it is insufficient for the current threat situation in Europe and Germany's global responsibilities.
- Wüstner, expressing concern for the German Armed Forces, mentions that the special fund of 100 billion Euros designed for the Bundeswehr is already fully allocated for contracts this year.
- He asserts that a significant increase in the defense budget is necessary to cover operational costs, including power generation, fuel, special tools, and personnel.
- Wüstner further emphasizes that the parliament must significantly intervene during the budget negotiations commencing in September if the current budget is not improved, otherwise, "ZeitenWende" (turning point) could become "ZeitenEnde" (end of times).
- Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany and leader of the SPD party, defends the budget compromise, highlighting investments in child benefits, infrastructure, and the Bundeswehr's modernization.
- Scholz concedes that the budget negotiations were challenging, but maintains that the coalition is enhancing Germany's security and equipping the Bundeswehr better than previously.
- The SPD budget expert, Andreas Schwarz, identifies the outcome of the budget negotiations as "disappointing," advocating for parliament to make substantial improvements in the defense sector.
- Criticism of the budget compromise also emerges within the traffic light coalition from Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU security expert, who calls for quick budget re-prioritizations for sustained and increased defense funding.
- Similar sentiments are shared by Patrick Sensburg, president of the Reservists' Association, who maintains that the small increase in the defense budget will not make the Bundeswehr battle-ready and warns of persisting gaps.
- Christian Lindner, Finance Minister and FDP leader, remains calm about the Bundeswehr receiving less funding than initially requested, attributing the budget process to the standard duties of the Finance Minister and the federal government.
- Marketing the upcoming debates surrounding the financing of the Bundeswehr beyond 2025, Chancellor Scholz confirms a planned regular defense budget of 80 billion euros from 2028, acknowledging the need for a financing solution as the special fund will be depleted in the interim.
