Money for the Bundeswehr
Dispute with the Defense Minister? Scholz reiterates his support for Pistorius
Boris Pistorius and Olaf Scholz on a visit to the Bundeswehr
© Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants additional money for the Bundeswehr, but there is said to have been no support from Olaf Scholz. The Chancellor is now countering this representation.
“The Minister of Defense can rely on the fact that for all the planning that he is now undertaking, or has already undertaken for the most part, (…) he can always assume that these two percent will be made available,” Scholz further emphasized. “That’s a lot of support,” said the Chancellor.
Olaf Scholz supports Lindner’s savings plans
In connection with the debates within the coalition about the 2025 federal budget, Pistorius had called for additional funding of at least 6.5 billion euros for the Bundeswehr. However, Scholz did not support this, but publicly supported Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), who strictly rejects allowing ministries to spend more than previously provided for in the financial plan. Pistorius was then quoted from an internal group as saying: “I don’t have to do this here.”
Even though the defense minister later made it clear that his words were not intended as a threat to resign, they were widely interpreted as an expression of a deep rift between him and Scholz. In view of the tense security situation, Pistorius had previously spoken out in favor of exempting from the debt brake those additional burdens resulting from the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. He was not supported by Scholz on this point either.