Germany seeks ‘long-term’ EU exemption for defence spending

Stay in view of the free updates
Simply subscribe to German policy Myft Digest – it is delivered directly to your inbox.
Germany called on the European Union to exempt defensive spending from its financial bases longer than Brussels, which represents a major shift in Berlin’s cruel position on deficit and debt under the counselor in Friedrich Mirz.
On Wednesday, the German ambassador to the European Union told the European Union that Berlin wanted to reform the debts of the European Union and its inability to allow increased defense spending, according to four officials who were informed of the discussion.
ASK, which is the complete opposite of the formerly -economy Berlin’s position on public spending and borrowing, goes beyond 4 -year exemption earlier this week by European Commission President Ursula von der Lin.
A person familiar with the discussion said: “Berlin wants to make great defensive expenses possible in the medium and long term by adapting the rules.”
A German rulersThe spokesperson refused to comment.
The move came after Mirz pledged on Tuesday that his country would do “everything that requires it” to defend European peace and security, including a plan to allow the unlimited national borrowing of funding German defense Spending. This step increases pressure on other European Union governments to follow its example.
In recent days, European leaders have accelerated plans to increase the continent “reinforcing” the continent, as developed by von der Layen, including by relaxing financial rules and perhaps creating an international government fund with the participation of the United Kingdom.
A wave comes at a time when US President Donald Trump stopped military support Exchang With Ukraine and after his administration, it was suspected of the old American security guarantees of the continent.
In an unusual position for a man who has long opposed his party changes on strict borrowing bases in Germany, Mirz announced on Tuesday plans to reduce the constitutional debt brakes in the country significantly and establish a 500 billion euros fund aimed at enhancing infrastructure and stimulating the economy in the country.
The plan will be transferred through The outgoing BundestagWhere Mirz and his allies still get a super-wage-and they were welcomed as the “total change of the game” by the defenders of financial reform.
But the conservative leader still needed to support the Green Party, whose reaction was angry at Mirz’s transformation and criticized him for refusing to agree to the brake repair while he was in opposition. Mirz was to meet with representatives of the Green Party on Wednesday.
Germany’s transformation comes on the eve of the Emergency Summit for European Union leaders in Brussels, where other capitals will be subjected to severe pressure to follow Mirz’s progress in radically increasing military spending.
A senior European Union official said in preparations for the summit that Berlin’s move “is a clear indication that we have turned the page in terms of defensive investments in Europe.”
“The Europeans have finally obtained the memo, Merz and Von Der Leyen and others who now see existential risks to European security. The more the most introductory Trump proved to Ukraine and NATO, the more likely we see it in the financial reduction of defense,” said Mujtaba Al -Rahman, the director of Europe in the Euroasia Group.
Seven European Union member states, including the main economies of Italy and Spain, are less than the NATO defensive standard of NATO by 2 percent of GDP. Only four – Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Greece – spend more than 3 percent, which are seen as the naked minimum armament in Europe.
Merz’s Volte-Face came up at a time when Von Der Leyen encouraged the other 26 storms in the European Union to do the same and use 4 years of exemption from the financial rules of their military budgets.
“A new era for us. Von der Layen wrote in a letter to the 27 European Union leaders on Tuesday:
Von der Lin also suggested that the committee collect 150 billion euros, which can be spent on the capitals of the European Union as loans to invest in the arms industry, as well as to redirect other European Union funds to this effort.
Von der Layen urged the leaders: “Filling the massive resources in Europe”, to launch our industrial and fruitful strength and direct them to the goal of security. “
Many countries, including Italy, require a change in the financial rules to increase their flexibility to increase defense spending. Von der Layen said, if all capitals benefit, it will collectively contribute to about 650 billion euros over a period of four years. The European Union member states spent a total of 324 billion euros on the defense last year.
Rodrich Kisioter, a member of Merz’s CDU, said that allowing defensive spending outside the financial rules was “a reference to Spain, Portugal, to Italy to do more. It is a very useful work inside Europe to motivate those who leave more.”
https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Ff79a9ebe-7cdd-43b1-a0c7-a04706d71d5e.jpg?source=next-article&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&width=700&dpr=1
2025-03-05 14:27:00