Germany’s attempts to bring its society to “war readiness” are being stifled by real-term cuts to the country’s military budget – just hours before Britain’s new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to urge NATO members to boost defence spending.
Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, reportedly wanted about £5 billion a year on top of the ministry’s £44bn budget to boost the country’s defence amid growing tensions between the Western military alliance and Russia. Weeks of negotiations between the governing coalition parties, however, granted the defence ministry just over £1 billion, not enough to cover the 2.2 percent annualised inflation rates of surging weapon prices.
This massive blow came alongside reports Mr Pistorius’ plans to reintroduce a form of conscription in Germany from next year will need to be watered down. Leading ministers of the liberal FDP, part of the governing alliance with Olaf Scholz’s SPD and the Greens, have spoken out against the plan’s compulsory aspects, according to German news outlet Welt wrote.
These reports will likely weaken Sir Keir’s call on NATO members to increase defence spending in response to rising global threats. The freshly-elected UK Prime Minister is attending this week the alliance’s 75th-anniversary summit in Washington alongside other world leaders.
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