German defence budget slammed as inadequate by military leader
The chairman of the Bundeswehr Reservists' Association, Patrick Sensburg, has criticised the proposed increase in the German government's defence budget for 2025 as insufficient. "The increase is too small. It's disappointing," he told the RND portal on Saturday.
"Defence Minister Boris Pistorius asked for an additional £6-7 billion. He received £1 billion. This will not prepare us for war," he emphasised, adding that there will be gaps at every turn. "It worries me greatly," he confessed.
Criticism directed at the German authorities over military spending
Sensburg noted that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had promised a defence budget of £70 billion for the year 2028. However, the current governing coalition does not agree with this. This year, the budget amounts to just under £45 billion.
Lindner explained on Friday that it is the minister's job to demand what he considers necessary. However, decisions are made by others. According to RND information, Pistorius wants to speak only after the government adopts the budget.
The dispute between the parties of the German governing coalition - SPD, Greens, and FDP - over the 2025 budget had been dragging on for months. On Friday, an agreement was reached.
The government is expected to approve the budget draft in mid-July. The first debate in the Bundestag is planned for mid-September, and the budget will be adopted in November or December.
