OutGage in Berlin – Merz ‘Minister causes armor problems

Germany wants to spend five percent of the gross domestic product for defense in the future. Run! That would currently be more than 200 billion euros. A huge sum that blows everything what has been. Antalya’s announcement of the Neo-Minister of Foreign Affairs Wadephul (CDU) went around the world and inevitably reached politically Berlin. The headlines apparently caused surprise there.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself announced on Wednesday that the Bundeswehr wanted to make the “conventionally strongest army in Europe”. The horses then continued with his most important diplomat. Wadephul literally announced NATO partners during an informal meeting: “I come up with the message from Berlin that Germany is willing to fulfill the obligations.” What is meant is an application for five percent by 2032. This is a central question from US President Donald Trump.

SPD -Baas Klingbeil goes outside
The Coalition Partner SPD now presses the expectation brake. Nobody denies that it will be “massively upgraded” in the future, but you don’t want to participate in numerical games yet. NATO top should first be waited in June. “I advise that no one now pretended and speculated about figures”, SPD -Baas Lars Klingbeil, SPD -Baas Lars Klingbeil, the minister compared to the “Redaction Network Germany (RND)”.

He emphasized: “In our coalition agreement we agree that we will invest en masse in the Bundeswehr and our defense capacity. In June there will be a common line with our partners at the next NATO top. We will orient this.”

Even the driver Merz, who again wants to “suppress” with the Bundeswehr, strives for damage limitation: the federal Chancellor has submitted confidential dates, was just as surprised as the SPD, as the SPD, as a Wadephul on the world stage, a giga budget for armor announced. Even in the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, employees with a high place were surprised.

Chancellor must calm parliamentary members
Merz and Klingbeil have been trying to calm angry SPD parliamentary members since Thursday morning. “The coalition agreed to significantly increase the costs of the defense. If NATO top sets a new goal for the amount of defense issues in July, this is the binding state for us. It is agreed and therefore the statement of the Foreign Minister must be understood,” said Cdu Parliamentary Group Lahn.

The “mirror” reports that global influence was underestimated by the promise of Wadephul. After all, there is no cabinet decision, not even a decision of parliament.

In the end, the plan could work. In Germany, the basic law was changed in such a way that large amounts can be invested in defense without the debt brake in -house. But it is also clear that an enormous effort would be needed to achieve this goal of five percent. Until now, Europe’s largest economic power has regularly failed in two percent.

This brand was first exceeded last year – but with a lot of creativity. NATO would also cost that, according to “RND”, had nothing to do with the direct national defense. The inclusion of pension purchases from former GDR soldiers. This practice is anything but unique: in the United States, the defense spending is massively raised by salaries and pensions for soldiers, and the costs for the Carabinieri in Italy.

Rechen -Tricks must determine a new budget
In addition to conventional upgrading, the five percent destination can also be based on arithmetic tricks. The Wadephul statements are based on a model of NATO boss Mark Rutte.

The Dutch want to split the intended quota. 3.5 percent have to flow into “real” upgrade (rockets, tanks, etc.). The rest can come from other pots as long as a defense reference can be made. That means: if a street is renovated on which tanks have already been transported, this can be reported to NATO.

At least the US President Trump, the five percent of the five percent of 1.5. Because a hard five percent rate is simply not creative for many members. Positive signals in the field of creative accounting come from the US. The American NATO ambassador Matthew Whitaker said before the ministerial meeting in Turkey that it was more than just rockets, tanks and shadows, but also things such as military mobility, necessary infrastructure and cyber protection.

According to NATO, the advance of Wadephul takes “real leadership”. In June it will be decided whether the self -purchased role was also a visionary or just the expiry of internal power games.