German Defence Minister faces resistance in bid to boost military budget

"I don't have to do this here [lead the Ministry of Defence - ed.]," Pistorius was said to have stated on Tuesday during a meeting of representatives from the parties forming Scholz's coalition government, as reported by "SZ". According to the editorial team, citing several participants of the meeting, Pistorius "got a bit angry" but ultimately did not threaten to resign.

The reason for the dispute lies in the conviction of the head of the department, who believes that defence spending should not be subject to the debt restriction enshrined in the German constitution. The prohibition on budget deficits cannot have a higher constitutional rank than the task of maintaining the armed forces, argues Pistorius. Scholz has called on his minister to exercise restraint in spending.

Pistorius is demanding an increase in the budget for the Bundeswehr by £5.6 billion. This year, the Bundestag allocated £45.1 billion for the military. Including additional funds from a special £86.8 billion fund, enacted after Russia's attack on Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence has £62.5 billion at its disposal this year. This fund has been almost entirely allocated in recent years.

The Defence Minister would like to spend annually on the Bundeswehr the equivalent of 2% of GDP in the coming years. However, Scholz is opposed to lifting the "debt brake" for military spending, which prohibits increasing the budget deficit.

Pistorius also lacks SPD support for another important military project. He would like, following Sweden's example, to register young people of conscription age to "know who can be relied upon in case of need". Scholz and other leading Social Democrats prefer a system based on voluntarism and financial incentives. "To live in peace, deterrence is necessary," Pistorius is quoted as saying by "SZ".

German commentators have sided with the minister in the dispute over the defence budget. "Scholz is unjustly blocking Pistorius," writes Georg Ismar in the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung". The dispute between the Chancellor and the minister is evidence that the SPD does not recognize the seriousness of the situation and that the SPD is undergoing a "leftward shift," he adds. The Chancellor should more decisively support the Defence Minister instead of submitting to the savings diktat of Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

"Pistorius is under pressure," reads the weekly "Der Spiegel". Commentator Jan Puhl noted that Pistorius is still the most popular minister in the government, but his position in the coalition is becoming increasingly difficult. "It looks like he is unable to push through his priorities"; his ideas do not fit the "peaceful slogans" used by the Chancellor to win European elections, writes Puhl.

The Defence Minister is strong only if the head of government allows it. Olaf Scholz is doing everything to ensure Boris Pistorius does not become too strong, writes Frank Specht in the business circles' newspaper "Handelsblatt".

The blame for the lack of progress in implementing the "epochal change" (Zeitenwende) lies with the person sitting in the Chancellor's chair. "Head of Government Olaf Scholz proclaimed the "Zeitenwende" after the outbreak of war in Ukraine but has contributed too little to its realisation," assessed the commentator.

"It is not surprising that Pistorius is irritated. The minister is said to have cursed at a meeting with MPs. According to the rules of logic, including political logic, the allocated money (for defence) will not be enough. Everyone knows it, including the Chancellor. Scholz should not stab his best and most liked minister in the back, as it will harm not only him but above all the country's defensive potential," comments Stephan-Andreas Casdorff in the "Tagesspiegel".