Baerbock: War makes it necessary for peace and freedom in Europe to “defend with weapons”
The Bundestag, the federal parliament, has today given the green light for a financial package of 100,000 million euros to modernize and equip the Bundeswehr, the federal army, in Germany’s largest rearmament operation since the days of the Cold War. To that end, it approved a constitutional reform on Friday with a large two-thirds majority in the chamber and the support of the three ruling parties – Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberals (FDP), as well as the conservative opposition formed by Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavarian social Christians (CSU). Of the 683 deputies who voted nominally in favor of this reform, only 96 voted against and 20 abstained, practically all from the two parties at the extremes of the political arc, the post-communists of the left and the ultra-nationalists of the Alternative for Germany ( AfD). The unusual consensus between the tripartite and the main party to drastically rearm the national armed forces has the background of the war in Ukraine.
The Chancellor, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, had already announced on February 27, three days after the Russian invasion, that this extraordinary budget would be drawn up in response to Ukraine’s military aggression. “We are assuming our historic responsibility,” Federal Treasury Secretary and FDP President Christian Lindner said in the debate ahead of the vote. The reform of the Basic Law makes it possible to leave the large package of 100,000 million euros for military purposes outside the national budgets in order to meet the constitutional obligation not to incur new debt and to reduce the accumulated debt. “This is when Germany says: we are there when Europe needs us,” underlined German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who noted that Russia’s war against Ukraine is “creating a new reality in Europe” that necessitates the defense of peace and freedom with arms.
The Defense Minister, the Social Democrat Christine Lambrecht, described the so-called “extraordinary assets of the Bundeswehr”, as the financial package for military purposes in Germany has been christened, as a “good investment in the peace and security of our country”. Lindner had previously accounted for the cost for lack of alternatives “at this critical economic stage” due to the fallout from the war and the fallout from the sanctions against Moscow. Friday’s vote was preceded by three months of arduous negotiations between the three-party government and the conservative opposition. Everyone was clear about the urgency of the measure, which they wanted approved before the summer holidays.
The shopping list to equip the Bundeswehr with modern equipment is long and 100,000 million euros goes a long way. The bulk of the extraordinary financial package will go to the Luftwaffe, the German air force, for which 40.9 billion euros has been budgeted, with which it will exchange its old Tornado fighters for modern F-35 aircraft of American manufacture. These single-seaters, of which Germany plans to purchase 35 units, can carry nuclear warhead missiles and will help bolster NATO’s deterrent capabilities. Also decided is the purchase of 60 CH-47F Chinook heavy helicopters, as well as the development and production with Spain and France until 2027 of the new FCAS (Future Combat Air System) fighter aircraft. The Luftwaffe will also be equipped with new Eurofighter ECR for electronic warfare, as well as Heron-armed drones, light support helicopters, naval reconnaissance aircraft and the Twister preemptive space alarm system, which requires satellite launches.
For the Bundesmarine, the Federal Navy, 19.3 billion euros is being earmarked for the purchase of type 130 corvettes, F126 frigates and 212CD attack submarines. In addition, it is planned to purchase multi-purpose fast attack craft and modern rigid inflatable boats for combat divers. The naval force will also be bolstered with new naval missiles, anti-submarine systems and modern sonar currently under development. With a budget of 16,600 million euros, the army will be able to acquire new battle tanks to replace the veterans «Marder» and the armored personnel carrier «Fuchs», as well as to modernize the weapons of its tanks «Cougar». It is also planned to replace the BV206 snow-covered armored vehicles and provide funds for the development of a successor to the “Leopard-2” tank, a project already underway with France as a partner.
The collapse of the financial package will allocate another 20.7 billion euros to the digitization of the Bundeswehr with new communication systems, a new logistics and strategic center, electronic command and information systems and investments in communication and reconnaissance satellites. Another section with 2,000 million euros will aim to modernize the equipment of the troops with new uniforms and footwear, as well as digitized night vision goggles and combat helmets, while another 500 million euros will be allocated to research and development projects of navigation , as well as for surveillance and control of large regions using artificial intelligence. The package is being financed with extraordinary debt, which will not be repaid until 2031.
Source: La Verdad
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