Kiesewetter States: Winning a War Requires Incurring Debt
The current situation in Ukraine requires more aid from its allies than ever before to fend off Russia's assault. CDU foreign affairs expert Kiesewetter has voiced his opinion, urging the federal government to pull out all the stops - even if it means accumulating debt.
Christian Democratic Union foreign policy expert, Roderich Kiesewetter, has urged the government to declare a state of emergency in regard to the conflict in Ukraine. "The only way to win this war is through debt," Kiesewetter stated in a conversation with Spiegel. Ukraine is in desperate need of assistance. To finance defense and support for Ukraine without being affected by the debt brake, Kiesewetter suggests considering this as a "crisis situation."
Kiesewetter has also expressed his confusion over the fact that the government declared the pandemic a state of emergency, which allowed them to exceed the prescribed credit limits for a 200 billion euro cap on power and gas prices, but the war has not fulfilled the criteria for an emergency situation. "It's possible for Ukraine to be victorious, but only if we back Ukraine one hundred percent - militarly, financially, and politically," Kiesewetter said.
Article 115 of the Basic Law states that the Bundestag can declare a state of emergency in instances of natural disasters or significant emergencies. In such a situation, credit limitations can be disregarded.
To date, the FDP has been steadfastly opposed to this idea within the ruling coalition, while the SPD and Greens are more open to it. The deputy leader of the FDP's parliamentary group, Christoph Meyer, argued against Kiesewetter. "By next year, we anticipate we'll have almost a billion euros in tax revenues," he said. "Therefore, funding for defense isn't a concern. Rather than burdening taxpayers with debt, we must prioritize our expenses."
FDP Vice President Christoph Meyer has called upon the leader of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, to clarify the party's stance on the debt brake. The budget expert urged, "Merz now needs to clarify what will be more important in the CDU: The position of the state premiers and Kiesewetter, advocating for discarding the debt brake and creating new emergency situations, or the steadfast commitment to fiscal responsibility Merz has publicly declared."
Greens foreign policy expert Anton Hofreiter, on the other hand, has proposed a 500 billion euro European defense fund in response to the danger from Russia. "These funds should finance defense projects involving at least three member states, so long as at least 80% of the invested money goes to European companies," Hofreiter stated in an interview with Funke newspapers.
He further suggested that these funds should be utilized to bolster European infrastructure. To finance the fund, Hofreiter proposed a model similar to the Corona reconstruction fund: "The EU Commission would borrow money from the capital markets."
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The CDU, led by Kiesewetter, advocates for bypassing the debt brake to provide aid to Ukraine, viewing it as a crisis situation necessitating extraordinary measures. Despite this, the FDP, represented by Christoph Meyer, maintains that tax revenues are sufficient for defense funding and opposes incurring additional debt.
Source: www.ntv.de
