Government Tensions Erupt Over Defense Spending Proposal

In a significant development within the newly formed government, tensions flared on Thursday morning when Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced Germany's commitment to increasing defense spending. His declaration came during a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Antalya, Turkey, where he stated that Germany would support U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for NATO member states to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense--translating to over 200 billion euros annually.

Currently, Germany's defense spending stands at approximately 90 billion euros, or 2% of its GDP. Wadephul's comments were received with shock by fellow ministers and officials in Berlin, as they had not been coordinated with Chancellor Friedrich Merz or Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil.

Wadephul conveyed this message to NATO partners, emphasizing Germany's readiness to fulfill its obligations. This aligns with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's proposal that all member countries invest 3.5% of their budgets into military expenditures and 1.5% into critical infrastructure that can withstand military operations.

Immediately following Wadephul's announcement, urgent messages circulated among government officials, leading to a crisis in the coalition. Klingbeil was caught off guard en route to address the Bundestag, while Merz was engaged in confidential meetings and equally surprised by Wadephul's unilateral decision. High-ranking officials at the Foreign Office also expressed their disbelief.

The situation prompted a flurry of diplomatic efforts to manage the fallout, with Merz reassuring Klingbeil that Wadephul's statements had not been pre-approved. Both leaders sought to calm concerned lawmakers, particularly those from the SPD, by clarifying that no final decision on spending figures had been made.

In a subsequent statement, Klingbeil indicated that while Germany would indeed increase its defense expenditures, the precise figures would be determined in light of the upcoming NATO summit in June, where member nations are expected to agree on new financial commitments.

Meanwhile, Jens Spahn, head of the Union's parliamentary group, stepped in to address the situation on behalf of the CDU. He stated that the coalition was united in its goal to significantly enhance public spending. Should the NATO summit establish a new target for defense expenditures, the Union would consider those figures as binding, reiterating that this was the agreed approach within the coalition.