Pistorius: "I'm not obligated to do this here"
In the latest financial conflict, the Chancellor supports the Finance Minister's restrictive policies and implores the departments to constrict their budgets. Privately, Defense Minister Pistorius is displeased.
In the federal government's budget conflict, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is vexed about the austerity measures and insufficient support from the Chancellor's Office. "I don't have to do this here," commented the SPD politician at a coalition breakfast with budget and defense politicians in his ministry, according to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" newspaper. The remarks were made in the presence of several attendees, claiming that Pistorius didn't intend for his statement to imply a willingness to depart.
The row apparently began with a debate over a guest article authored by Pistorius for "Handelsblatt". In his op-ed, he pleaded for defense and civil protection costs to be exempted from the debt ceiling. In constitutional terms, the debt ceiling doesn't outweigh the obligation to establish a military for the nation's safety. Pistorius feels the security of the country should take precedence over the debt ceiling.
Scholz's exposition on frugality
Pistorius' party ally Olaf Scholz, however, seems to hold a different opinion. In an interview with "Stern" magazine, the Federal Chancellor backed Finance Minister Christian Lindner and urged individual departments to remain within the spending limits previously set. "I am confident that everyone recognizes their responsibility, and we can accomplish this together," said Scholz, without directly addressing Pistorius or other ministers.
Pistorius has advocated for an additional 6.5 billion euros to be added to the defense budget by 2025. The current budget stands at approximately 52 billion euros. In light of the dangers posed by Russia and the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, the defense minister maintains that this added cost is necessary to obtain NATO's two percent objective. Scholz, however, isn't inclined to support him.
As per the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" newspaper, high-ranking Bundeswehr officials reportedly expressed dissatisfaction at the margins of a parliamentary event for the reservists' association, revealing their discontent with Scholz and the SPD not fully comprehending the gravity of the state of affairs. They bemoaned that the gravity of the situation wasn't acknowledged.
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- Despite the Defense Minister's plea for exemption of defense and civil protection costs from the debt ceiling in his 'Handelsblatt' article, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz aligns with Finance Minister Christian Lindner's budget policy and encourages departments to adhere to their spending limits.
- Following the coalition breakfast, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of Scholz's party, expressed his discontent with the austerity measures and the lack of support for the defense budget from the Chancellor's Office.
- The Ministry of Defense, led by Pistorius, has proposed an additional 6.5 billion euros to the defense budget by 2025 to meet NATO's two percent objective, a request that has not been favorably received by Chancellor Scholz.
Source: www.ntv.de
