A Panzerhaubitze 2000, a Leopard 2 main battle tank and a Puma infantry fighting vehicle (from left) at a demonstration in Munster.
(Photo: Reuters)
Berlin The Bundestag could decide this week to change the Basic Law and set up a 100 billion euro shadow budget for the Bundeswehr. “There is a common will to complete the process this week,” said the negotiator of the Union faction, Mathias Middelberg (CDU), the Handelsblatt.
The traffic light coalition does not have the two-thirds majority required for the amendment to the Basic Law and is therefore dependent on the votes of the Union. The Union faction will vote for the compromise with a large majority, announced the deputy leader of the parliamentary group, Middelberg. The former threat by parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) not to compensate for negative votes from the ranks of the governing coalition was unnecessary.
The agreement ends weeks of conflict within the traffic light and with the Union. Ampel and Union want to stipulate in the Basic Law that a special fund of 100 billion euros will be made available exclusively for the Bundeswehr. This is what it says in the drafting aid for the “Law on the financing of the Bundeswehr and the establishment of a ‘Bundeswehr special fund'”, which is available to the Handelsblatt.
In it, Germany should also commit itself to achieving the NATO goals and providing the necessary financial resources. Accordingly, there is no longer any explicit mention of NATO’s two percent target. Middelberg explained that this gives the flexibility to provide more or less money, depending on how the gross domestic product develops or the goals are formulated within NATO.
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“With the help of the special fund, two percent of the gross domestic product will be made available on a multi-year average of a maximum of five years based on the current government forecast for defense spending according to NATO criteria,” says the wording aid, together with the note on what should happen after the five years: ” After the special fund has been spent, the federal budget will continue to provide the financial means to guarantee the capability profile of the Bundeswehr and the German contribution to the NATO capability goals then in force.”
Ten billion euros for cyber defense
In addition, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has assured Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that he will provide money for cyber security and cyber defense from the regular federal budget. Ten billion euros are under discussion. Funding for this was very important to her, reported Middelberg. A concept has yet to be developed.
On Sunday evening, Ampel and Union met for a sixth and final meeting in the Federal Ministry of Finance. Participants were Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), Finance Minister Lindner and Foreign Minister Baerbock on the part of the coalition. They had all brought state secretaries with them.
>>Read here: Bundeswehr: Germany’s military is so poorly equipped
The Union was represented by Middelberg, CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt and foreign politicians Johann Wadephul (CDU) and Florian Hahn (CSU). “It was a good conversation,” said Middelberg. “We were through quickly.” Since formulations had already been worked out in advance, there were no longer any long debates.
However, the conversation was interrupted for an hour because Baerbock had to consult with their party leaders for a long time. It was about formulations in the press release, as reported by Middelberg. There were no longer any concerns on the part of the SPD and the Union. The group broke up shortly before midnight.
In the press release, the Federal Ministry of Finance stated that “an initiative to accelerate procurement would be launched immediately and before the parliamentary summer recess”. The business plan with concrete procurement projects for the special fund will be decided with the establishment law. “Its realization will be accompanied by an advisory body of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag,” it said.
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