Pistorius dissatisfied with compromise on Bundeswehr budget
Weeks-long dispute, German government reaches budget agreement. Urgent investments must be postponed again, criticizes Defense Minister Pistorius. Bundeswehr General Inspector warns that Russia could attack NATO states in less than ten years.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius strongly criticized the small increases for the Bundeswehr in the government's budget agreement. "Yes, I have received significantly less than I applied for. That's frustrating for me because I can't get things going as fast as the Zeitgeist and the threat situation require," Pistorius stated before the upcoming NATO summit in Washington.
The compromise of the German government for the state budget of the coming year sees a smaller defense budget than what Pistorius demanded. The defense minister had requested approximately 58 billion Euros, but the compromise only sees around 53 billion Euros. By 2028, the defense budget should then reach around 80 billion Euros.
Bundeswehr General Inspector, Carsten Breuer, now expects guarantees for a significant increase in the coming years. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert, however, hopes at least for a temporary end to the budget debate.
Only 1.2 billion Euros more
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, and Finance Minister Christian Lindner resolved the long-standing budget dispute in the night from Friday and agreed on key points for the federal budget 2025. The debt brake will be maintained, a fiscal crisis, for example, due to military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, will not be declared. This was a major concern for Finance Minister Lindner.
The defense budget of around 52 billion Euros should therefore only grow by approximately 1.2 billion Euros. Pistorius had demanded much more and an exception for these expenditures from the debt brake. There is significant criticism, even from the traffic light coalition. Pistorius commented on the budget draft: "We'll see what develops in the next weeks and months. I have to adapt and make the best of it."
"What good is new equipment if soldiers can't use it?"
"Given the threat situation, we need a continuation," General Inspector Breuer told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung." Breuer noted that the 100-billion special fund would be fully contractually bound by the end of the year, as the operating costs for new weapons systems have also risen.
"What good is new equipment if the soldiers can't use it?" Breuer stated and warned against the fact that Russia could turn against NATO states around 2029. "The Russian armed forces are planning an increase to 1.5 million soldiers, that's more soldiers than in the entire EU." Deterrent measures are therefore all the more important.
"We need a discussion about how much security is worth to us and what we are willing to sacrifice, if we want to anchor the two percent long-term in the budget," also emphasized the CEO of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen. Background is the NATO requirement for its member states to contribute at least two percent of their Gross Domestic Product to defense.
## Kühnt wishes for "little summer break"
The SPD General Secretary, Kevin Kühnt, however, hoped for peace in the debate instead. "Concrete discussions about corrections to the budget only make sense once the draft budget of the cabinet has been passed. This will be the case on July 17," Kühnt told the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post". "At least until then, the Berlin political scene and the people in the country should be allowed a little summer break."
Kühnt considered the compromise of the traffic light coalition as a "good foundation" for further budget negotiations. "Of course, the German Bundestag will still make smaller and larger changes to the budget in the fall," Kühnt told the paper. The Bundestag is then expected to address the budget for the first time in September and make a final decision by December.
Greens expect difficult negotiations in the Bundestag
The Greens have already made it clear that they expect difficult negotiations in the Bundestag, and in several areas at that. Leading financial and budget politicians warned of higher investments. "The railway must be better financed," said the Green budget expert Sven-Christian Kindler to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
The government must ensure the sanitation of the most important routes. Green fraction vice-president Andreas Audretsch told the paper: "Germany cannot afford to save money." All ways for more investments must now be exhausted in reality, whether in individual budgets, with the railway or via the KfW.
- Despite Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' criticism of the small increases in the defense budget, Kevin Kühnert from the SPD hopes for a temporary end to the budget debate.
- General Inspector Carsten Breuer of the German Armed Forces expressed his concern about the threat from Russia and the need for significant increases in the defense budget in the coming years.
- The Green party, including budget expert Sven-Christian Kindler and fraction vice-president Andreas Audretsch, anticipates difficult negotiations in the Bundestag due to the need for higher investments, particularly in the railway system.
