Merz describes debate about defense percentages as “secondary”

Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU) does not consider fixed GDP percentages to be effective when financing defense spending. “Whether it is two 2.5 or 5 percent, to be honest, that only has a secondary meaning for me,” said the CDU chairman at an event organized by the Hamburg Business Journalists Club.

The crucial thing is “that we have the money necessary to put the Bundeswehr back in a position to fulfill its mission.” And the mission is national and alliance defense. “And we’re pretty far from that.“

At a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, US President-elect Trump demanded that the partner countries invest five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) instead of the previously targeted two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP), thereby triggering a debate.

Merz also questions the use of the money

Merz said that we shouldn’t just talk about money, but also about how the funds are used. For example, procurement for the military is very bureaucratic, very national and only slightly European. This is a huge waste of resources. “We have to standardize standards in Europe,” said Merz. Much more is also possible with digitalization. “I would like to see that at least parallel to this necessary increase in funding. Otherwise the increase in funds really doesn’t make any sense.”

So far, within NATO, the member states should each spend two percent of their gross domestic product on defense. However, a number of states are still not complying with this. Only since Russia’s attack on Ukraine has there been a rethink. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) recently advocated defense spending of 3.5 percent of GDP.