US President-elect Donald Trump’s call for NATO members to boost their defense spending to 5% of GDP has ignited a heated debate in Germany. The proposal, far exceeding the current 2% target, has been met with skepticism from many German political figures.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the former head of the FDP’s defense committee, dismissed Trump’s figure as arbitrary, stressing that such decisions should not be made casually. “We are not haggling at a marketplace,” she remarked. Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition CDU, argued that a set target isn’t the point, suggesting Germany should focus on the necessary measures to ensure its own defense.
Others, like Marcus Faber, head of the FDP’s defense committee, find a 3% target more reasonable and achievable, given the need for consensus among NATO’s 32 member states.
In the face of these suggestions, left-wing figures like Sahra Wagenknecht are calling for a shift in Germany’s foreign policy, advocating for greater independence from the US and a more robust partnership with France.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, prior to Trump’s comments, had already rejected a significant boost in defense spending, dismissing the proposal from Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck as unrealistic and financially burdensome. Scholz warned that such an increase would ultimately be borne by German citizens, framing the idea as “half-baked” and impractical.
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