{"id":14325,"date":"2025-03-20T17:15:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/germanys-new-leader-plans-a-huge-boost-in-defense-spending-but-can-he-deliver\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T17:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:15:44","slug":"germanys-new-leader-plans-a-huge-boost-in-defense-spending-but-can-he-deliver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/germanys-new-leader-plans-a-huge-boost-in-defense-spending-but-can-he-deliver\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany&#8217;s new leader plans a huge boost in defense spending, but can he deliver?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><em>Berlin \u2014<\/em>\u00a0In a landmark shift, Germany is set to embark on its most ambitious defense spending initiative since World War II. <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/germany-election-who-is-friedrich-merz\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Friedrich Merz<\/a><\/span>, soon to take the reins as Germany&#8217;s new chancellor, has unveiled plans for a nearly 1 trillion euro boost to the country&#8217;s military budget, signaling a dramatic transformation in the country&#8217;s post-war defense posture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Germany&#8217;s parliament, the Bundestag, voted in favor of the bill on Tuesday. The investment plans mark a turning point after years of underinvestment and hesitation in German defense policy, and a fundamental reimagining of the country&#8217;s role in European and global security.<\/p>\n<p>Merz&#8217;s proposal envisions major arms deals, including to obtain new fighter jets, and expanded military aid for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"German parliament discusses \u20ac500-billion fund and revamp of borrowing rules ahead of the formation of a new parliament, in Berlin \" height=\"412\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2025\/03\/20\/ce903bf9-19b1-4a10-b250-2837a2a73b99\/thumbnail\/620x412g2\/4b2f358f2e8a4e2aab91df433f5e3785\/merz-germany.jpg?v=765ef194a4bf4701e45ec9d5712af42f 1x, https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2025\/03\/20\/ce903bf9-19b1-4a10-b250-2837a2a73b99\/thumbnail\/1240x824g2\/d2d2a14895c255cca8e4cfca1822e57c\/merz-germany.jpg?v=765ef194a4bf4701e45ec9d5712af42f 2x\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">Germany&#8217;s chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz speaks during an extraordinary meeting of the German Bundestag to discuss a \u20ac500-billion infrastructure fund and a revamp of borrowing rules aimed at modernizing the military and stimulating economic growth ahead of the formation of a new parliament at end of March, in Berlin, Germany, March 13, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Liesa Johannssen\/REUTERS<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the heart of the incoming leader&#8217;s strategy is a commitment to spend &#8220;whatever it takes&#8221; on defense. Merz, who will most likely be inaugurated at the beginning of April and tasked with forming a new coalition government with other parties, has brokered a deal with two likely coalition members to raise hundreds of billions of euros in extra defense spending, focusing on two key areas:<\/p>\n<p>First, he plans to create a 500 billion euro special fund for infrastructure projects over the next decade, and to revise Germany&#8217;s strict &#8220;debt brake&#8221; rules to allow defense spending above 1% of GDP to be exempted from constitutional budget constraints. Merz argues it&#8217;s essential, &#8220;considering the dangers to our liberty and peace on the continent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The other key aspect of Merz&#8217;s spending plan is an additional 3 billion euros worth of military aid for Ukraine. The commitment would build on Germany&#8217;s existing support, which has included deliveries of IRIS-T air defense systems, Patriot missiles, Gepard anti-aircraft guns, Leopard tanks, and Marder infantry fighting vehicles.<\/p>\n<h2>Can Merz make good on his defense spending plans?<\/h2>\n<p>There are questions about Germany&#8217;s ability to follow through on Merz&#8217;s ambitious proposals, especially given its history of consistently falling short of NATO&#8217;s 2% GDP defense spending target. Germany actually met that 2% goal in 2024 for the first time since the 1990s, perhaps heralding a shift in its approach to defense policy.<\/p>\n<p>Economic pressure, both domestic and global, could prove a significant obstacle to the spending plan&#8217;s implementation. Germany&#8217;s economy has struggled to recover since the <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">coronavirus pandemic<\/a><\/span>, and there are concerns about the impact of such massive spending increases on the country&#8217;s fiscal stability.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Lindner, the nation&#8217;s former finance minister, harshly criticized Merz&#8217;s plan to boost defense spending and loosen the &#8220;debt brake,&#8221; warning that Germany could soon have &#8220;a trillion euros in higher debt, without having been economically strengthened by it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But for Germany&#8217;s relationship with the United States, a defense spending revolution \u2014 and even a clear commitment to one \u2014 could represent a turning point. Washington has long pressured Germany, and its other NATO allies, to take on a greater share of the fiscal and military burden of supporting the transatlantic defense alliance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-video embed--type-content_video is-video embed--float-left embed--size-medium \"><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n                              <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/video\/trumps-fraught-relationship-with-nato\/\" class=\"embed__headline-link\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__icon\"><br \/>\n            <svg viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n              <use xlink:href=\"#icon-video\"\/>\n            <\/svg><br \/>\n          <\/span><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__headline\">Trump&#8217;s fraught relationship with NATO<\/span><\/p>\n<p>          <span class=\"embed__video-duration\">04:23<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                      <\/a><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>President Trump has recently called for NATO members to spend at least 5% of their GDPs on defense, a significantly higher proportion than even the U.S. spends. He&#8217;s also indicated that the U.S. <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-nato-article-5-collective-defense-europe-doubt-us-treaty-commitment\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">could disregard the Article 5 collective defense clause<\/a><\/span> in NATO&#8217;s founding treaty, refusing to help defend allies that fail to meet his spending targets. His rhetoric has fueled the urgency behind Germany&#8217;s military expansion plans.<\/p>\n<p>The planned increase in German defense spending could bolster NATO&#8217;s deterrence capacity, particularly in Eastern Europe, where Russia&#8217;s aggression has put member nations on edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Germany has already committed to providing 35,000 troops and more than 200 ships and aircraft to help implement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nato.int\/nato_static_fl2014\/assets\/pdf\/2022\/6\/pdf\/220629-infographic-new-nato-force-model.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NATO&#8217;s new force model<\/a>, and additional funding could see those contributions enhanced.<\/p>\n<p>The success of Merz&#8217;s initiative will be closely watched by Germany&#8217;s allies. Failure to deliver on the ambitious plans could strain relations with the U.S. and other NATO partners as Western Europe tries to show a united front in the face of the threat from Russia.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- data-recirc-source=\"chartbeat\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation component--type-recirculation-collection\">\n<p>                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/ukraine-in-turmoil\/?intcid=CNI-00-10aaa3a\" class=\"component__view-more component__view-more--sm\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><br \/>\n            More<br \/>\n            <svg viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" class=\"icon__caret-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n              <use xlink:href=\"#icon-caret-down\"\/>\n            <\/svg><br \/>\n          <\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/aside>\n<p>    <!-- tags --><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/search\/author\/anna-noryskiewicz\/\" class=\"content-author__name\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Anna Noryskiewicz<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author__bio\">\n<div class=\"content-author__full-information\">\n<p class=\"content-author__text\">Anna Noryskiewicz is a CBS News journalist based in Berlin, Germany, who covers politics, conflict and crime in Europe and beyond. Anna worked previously for a range of global outlets including BBC News, NPR and Al Jazeera. She speaks five languages, including  Mandarin, German, Polish and Russian.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/germany-defense-spending-friedrich-merz-trump-pressure-nato-ukraine-russia-war\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Berlin \u2014\u00a0In a landmark shift, Germany is set to embark on its most ambitious defense spending initiative since World War<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[157,763,990],"class_list":["post-14325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-donald-trump","tag-germany","tag-nato"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Germany&#039;s new leader plans a huge boost in defense spending, but can he deliver? - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Under pressure from Trump and with Russia menacing, Germany&amp;#039;s incoming leader plans to revamp the country&amp;#039;s defense posture. 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