Berlin The “turning point” announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at the end of February is still a long time coming. The 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr will not be discussed in the Bundestag this week as planned.
The armaments industry is still waiting for feedback from the Ministry of Defense as to which products the Bundeswehr would now like to have on offer. And there is still a question mark over the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
An amendment to the Basic Law is required to set up the special fund, and the SPD, FDP and Greens are dependent on the support of the Union for the necessary two-thirds majority.
But so far no agreement is in sight. The deputy parliamentary group leader and negotiator of the Union parliamentary group, Thomas Middelberg (CDU), told the Handelsblatt: “We are not facing a short-term deal. It is an internal problem of the traffic light coalition.” A date for another round of negotiations this week is currently being agreed. The topic was therefore taken off the agenda of the Bundestag.
There is a dispute about the use of the 100 billion euros. The traffic light government’s draft law for the special fund, which was passed by the federal cabinet in mid-March, states that the money should be used to strengthen Germany’s “alliance and defense capabilities”. This could include, for example, spending on cyber security or funds to strengthen allies.
The government’s enthusiasm has evaporated
However, the Union insists that the money should only benefit the Bundeswehr. She has therefore submitted a motion that the 100 billion euros should be used “to strengthen the armed forces”. However, this does not meet with the approval of the Greens: “For me, the cabinet’s decision is exactly right,” said their security policy spokeswoman Sara Nanni to the Handelsblatt. “He is up to date in terms of security policy.”
Middelberg criticizes that only the FDP argues consistently. In the case of the SPD, it is unclear whether faction leader Rolf Mützenich shares the attitude of Chancellor Scholz and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD).
And the Greens are uncoordinated. “It would be good if Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock took part in the negotiations herself in order to use her authority,” emphasized Middelberg. So far, only her state secretary has taken part in the talks.
The enthusiasm with which the federal government wanted to tackle the turning point has long since evaporated. Shortly after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Carsten Stawitzki, head of the equipment department at the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVG), invited around 280 representatives of the security and defense industry to a video conference.
His request: The companies should list what they could deliver to support Ukraine, to increase the material operational readiness of the Bundeswehr and in the long term for projects from the special fund.
Numerous companies submitted long lists and have been waiting for feedback ever since. So far, they have received a thank-you email from the Bundeswehr Procurement Office written in official German. Offers to increase material operational readiness are “continuously evaluated here, in particular to determine whether and to what extent” the company’s proposals “can be integrated into the overall Bundeswehr system in the short to medium term,” it says.
Doubts about speedy delivery of Cheetah tanks from Brazil
Possible projects within the framework of the special fund “were subjected to an initial analysis with regard to their suitability and also passed on to the BMVG for further decisions and inclusion in the integrated planning process,” write the officials of the Koblenz authority.
Chancellor Scholz, who had been hesitant for a long time, only exuded enthusiasm when it came to weapons for the Ukraine and announced the delivery of “Gepard” anti-aircraft tanks and – jointly with the Netherlands – twelve self-propelled howitzers 2000. While training has at least started for the howitzers, the question of ammunition for the “Gepard” tanks, which the Bundeswehr had retired years ago, is still unresolved.
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There are said to be larger stocks in Brazil, but the deputy chairman of the Defense Committee, Henning Otte (CDU), doubts a quick delivery: “The cheetah, which Ukraine didn’t want at all, is a fig leaf,” Otte told the Handelsblatt. So far, no one has been able to explain to him how the autocratic Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wants to get the ammunition.
Last Friday, the Union had hoped to learn from the Chancellor’s visit to the Defense Committee how the issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine should proceed. However, this hope was disappointed. Scholz used the limited time available for the meeting, above all, for more fundamental statements, for example on global food security.
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This was not well received in their own coalition either, and several FDP MPs left the meeting early. In addition to the public criticism of Scholz, this in turn caused internal party anger among the Liberals. The defense policy spokesman for the FDP, Marcus Faber, offered to make his office available at the parliamentary group meeting this Tuesday.
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