In a summer interview for ARD, Friedrich Merz defended the drastic increase in Germany’s military spending. When the moderator asked him how the enormous sums for rearmament and support for Ukraine could be explained to the public, while cuts were being made in other areas, Merz replied:
“What use is the nicest parental allowance to us if we lose our freedom and peace in Europe is put at risk.”
According to Merz, freedom and peace should now have priority.
The extent of this priority is very specific: Germany’s military budget is supposed to rise from 82 billion euros in 2026 to 109 billion euros in 2027, to 153 billion euros in 2028, and to 162 billion euros by the year of the next federal election. At the same time, Merz proposed making procurement cheaper—among other things by drawing on the experience gained from Ukraine in weapons production—and he indicated that the creation of joint German-Ukrainian defense companies could be on the cards.
One can save on parental allowance. Not on rearmament. The German chancellor has set the priorities pretty clearly.
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