Europe is at war again. For many in Germany, this development came as a complete surprise. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, forced the Germans to radically reconsider their ideas about the modern world, and this applies to both politicians and ordinary citizens. In which areas the changes in this regard turned out to be especially significant – in DW.
Armament
The very word “armament” had a negative connotation in Germany for decades. Supporters of the buildup of armaments were perceived as “warmongers”. However, in just a few days, many Germans revised their position on this issue.
In recent years, Bundeswehr officers have repeatedly complained about the deplorable state of military equipment: helicopters that do not fly, tanks that do not drive, and warships that cannot leave ports. However, in peacetime, few people paid attention to this criticism. And after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, German Armed Forces Inspector Alfons Mais stated: “The Bundeswehr is practically naked.” As a result, it was decided to conduct a large-scale strengthening and re-equipment of the country’s armed forces. According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, 100 billion euros will be allocated from the federal budget for these purposes in 2022. In the near future, the German Ministry of Finance should present a corresponding concept.
What exactly these funds will be spent on has not yet been decided. Among other things, plans are being considered to develop, together with France and other European partners, new tanks and combat aircraft.
Undoubtedly, the Bundeswehr will reorient itself as the wars move geographically closer to Germany. Twenty years ago, Peter Struck, then Minister of Defense, member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), said: “The security of the Federal Republic of Germany is also protected in the Hindu Kush.” This was the beginning of the mission in Afghanistan, and the Bundeswehr moved to more and more mission areas far from its own country.
It has been six months since the mission in Afghanistan ended, and the end of the mission in Mali is on the horizon. However, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht warns: “NATO territory is under threat. How far Putin will go with his aggression is impossible to say.”
defense spending
The 100 billion euros announced by Scholz for the needs of the Bundeswehr is a one-time payment. However, German defense spending will have to rise on a long-term basis as well. This is what the US and other NATO partners have been insisting on for years. The members of the alliance have set themselves the goal of spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense needs. In Germany, this item of expenditure is now 1.5%, until recently it was even less.
So far, the SPD, the Left Party and the Greens have not agreed with the increase in defense spending. The coalition agreement between the SPD, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens says nothing about this. Against this background, the words of Olaf Scholz that Germany is going to even exceed the bar of 2% in terms of military spending look especially impressive. “From now on – year after year – we will invest more than two percent of GDP in our defense,” the politician said.
Deliveries of weapons to Ukraine
Arms deliveries to conflict regions? This topic has long been a taboo in Germany, especially for the Green Party. Representatives of this party, which was founded during the outbreak of the pacifist movement in the 1980s, support the peacekeeping missions of the Bundeswehr. But at the same time, they invariably advocate very strict restrictions on arms exports.
At first, Germany wanted to limit itself to the supply of military helmets to Ukraine
However, this tradition was broken last year by the then co-chairman of the Green Party, and now the Minister of Economics of Germany, Robert Habeck (Robert Habeck). After his trip to Ukraine in May 2021, he spoke about the possibility of supplying defensive weapons to this country from Germany and thereby caused a storm of criticism from many politicians and the public.
Before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Berlin was going to limit itself to supplying Kiev with 5,000 military helmets. Now it was decided to supply arms to Kiev after all. We are talking, in particular, about 1,000 anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs) and 500 Stinger man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).
“There can be no other response to Putin’s aggression,” Chancellor Scholz stressed in this regard. And German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a member of the Green Party, said in the Bundestag that, despite all the restraint that is still required in the policy of arms exports, Ukraine “should not remain defenseless before an aggressor who brings death and destruction to this country.
Reducing dependence on oil and gas from the Russian Federation
Germany’s dependence on energy supplies from Russia is now higher than Berlin would like. The Russian Federation accounts for slightly more than half of all natural gas imports and 40% of German oil purchases. Both of these indicators should now be reduced, but it will take some time to achieve this goal.
The plans of the German government and previously included increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the country’s economy and the rejection of coal and nuclear energy. At the same time, however, the calculation was made that during periods when the sun and wind are not enough to compensate for the country’s energy needs, it is gas that should fill this gap. In order to prevent an increase in dependence on Russian gas, Germany is now going to build terminals for the shipment of liquefied gas supplied by tankers, for example, from the United States.
In addition, Germany is evaluating the possibility of extending the service life of still operating nuclear and some coal-fired power plants. It is especially bitter for “green” politicians to observe this. After all, it was they who demanded the rejection of this kind of energy as soon as possible. However, today there are no “taboos to think about some topics,” said the German Minister of Economics, the representative of the “green” Robert Habek in this regard.
Increase in public debt
The rearmament of the Bundeswehr and the new energy policy cost the German budget dearly. That is why Berlin intends to increase public debt. And this despite the fact that earlier the government has already taken loans for a huge amount to offset the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Responsibility for this policy lies with German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, representing the Free Democratic Party (FDP). While the FDP was on the opposition bench, it was Lindner who pressed the government for balanced budget planning. However, today he sees no other way out of the current situation, except for an increase in public debt.
Acceptance of refugees from Ukraine
In 2015, when Europe faced an influx of refugees, mainly from Syria, where civil war was raging, Germany showed a willingness to take in a large number of people in need of protection. However, this policy of the then Chancellor of the country Angela Merkel (Angela Merkel) also faced a wave of criticism – both within Germany and on the international stage.
Ukrainian refugees
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, current German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser agreed with her counterparts in other EU member states on a simplified entry procedure for Ukrainian refugees. In accordance with this decision, Ukrainians fleeing the war will be able to obtain asylum in the EU for up to three years without having to go through the usual procedure for obtaining refugee status.
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