Pistorius angry about defense budget - Kühnert advises taking a breather

After the coalition agreement - Pistorius angry about defense budget - Kühnert advises taking a breather

After the agreement among traffic light coalition leaders on a budget proposal, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the modest increases for the Bundeswehr clearly. "Yes, I received significantly less than I registered. I find that frustrating because I can't push certain things through as quickly as the Zeitgeist and threat situation require," Pistorius said, who visited the Arctic Defender 2024 exercise in Alaska and then planned to travel to the NATO summit in Washington. General Inspector Carsten Breuer now expects guarantees for a significant increase in the coming years. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert, however, hopes for at least a temporary end to the budget debate.

The defense budget will only grow by approximately 1.2 billion Euros

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) resolved the long-standing budget dispute in the early hours of Friday and agreed on key points for the federal budget 2025. The debt brake will be maintained, and a budget crisis, for example, due to military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, will not be declared. This was important for the FDP and its Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

The defense budget of around 52 billion Euros is expected to grow only by about 1.2 billion Euros. Pistorius had demanded significantly more and an exception for these expenditures from the debt brake. There is considerable criticism, even within the traffic light coalition. Pistorius commented on the budget proposal: "We'll see what develops in the next weeks and months. I'll have to adapt and make the best of it."

General Inspector: What good is equipment if soldiers can't use it?

"Given the threat situation, we need to sustain our efforts," said General Inspector Breuer to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung." The 100-billion-euro special fund will be legally bound by the end of the year. With the acquisition of new weapons systems, operating costs have also risen. "What good is new equipment if the soldiers can't use it?" He warns that Russia could turn against NATO countries around 2029, so deterrence is crucial. "The Russian armed forces plan to grow to 1.5 million soldiers, which is more than the total number in the EU."

The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND): "We need a discussion about how much security is worth to us and what we're willing to sacrifice when we anchor the two percent long-term in the budget." Intended is the NATO requirement for its member states to contribute at least two percent of their Gross Domestic Product to defense.

SPD General Secretary wishes for "little summer break"

Kühnert, however, hopes for peace in the debate. "Concrete discussions about corrections to the budget only make sense once the draft budget of the cabinet has been passed. That will be the case on July 17," Kühnert told the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post." "At least until then, the Berlin political scene and the people in the country should be given a little summer break."

Kühnet considers the compromise of the traffic light coalition's leadership as a "good foundation" for further budget consultations. "Of course, the German Bundestag will make smaller and larger adjustments to the budget in the fall, that's completely normal," he told the "Rheinische Post." The Bundestag is expected to address the budget for the first time in September. The adoption of the budget usually takes place in November/December.

The Greens anticipate difficult negotiations in the Bundestag

The Greens have already made it clear that they expect difficult negotiations in the Bundestag, and in several areas. Leading financial and budget politicians are calling for higher investments. "The railway must be better financed," said the Green budget expert Sven-Christian Kindler to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung." The government must guarantee the sanitation of the most important routes. Green fraction vice Andreas Audretsch told the paper: "Germany cannot afford to save money." All ways for more investments must now be truly exhausted, whether in individual budgets, with the railway or via the KfW.

1. Despite the traffic light coalition leaders' agreement on a budget proposal, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed his dissatisfaction with the modest increases for the Bundeswehr.
2. The defense budget will only grow by approximately 1.2 billion Euros, which is less than what Defense Minister Pistorius had demanded.
3. General Inspector Carsten Breuer expects guarantees for a significant increase in the defense budget in the coming years due to the threat situation.
4. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert hopes for a temporary end to the budget debate, at least until the draft budget of the cabinet is passed.
5. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck, and Finance Minister Christian Lindner agreed on key points for the federal budget 2025, maintaining the debt brake, and avoiding a budget crisis due to military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
6. General Inspector Breuer highlighted the need to sustain efforts given the threat situation, ensuring soldiers can use new equipment and warning about Russia's potential turn against NATO countries around 2029.
7. The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, pointed out the need for a discussion about how much security is worth to Germany and what sacrifices are necessary to meet NATO's defense requirement.
8. SPD General Secretary Kühnert urged for a "little summer break" for the Berlin political scene and the people in the country before engaging in concrete discussions about budget corrections.
9. The Greens, including budget expert Sven-Christian Kindler and Green fraction vice Andreas Audretsch, expect difficult negotiations in the Bundestag due to the need for higher investments in various areas.
10. The German Armed Forces will benefit from a modest increase in the defense budget at the NATO summit in Washington, where Defense Minister Pistorius will attend after returning from the Arctic Defender 2024 exercise in Alaska.
11. The debate over the defense budget and its allocation is likely to continue in the Bundestag, with adjustments predicted to be made in the fall, and the actual adoption of the budget planned for November/December.

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