Trump Will Be Happy To Give Berlin Advice

Olaf Scholz and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria are criticizing Robert Habeck for suggesting an increase in defense spending. But Donald Trump will also demand that the Germans arm themselves.

It may not be as strange as banning fireworks, but Robert Habeck’s demand to almost double defense spending did seem to be “kind of half-baked“ to the German chancellor. After all, one would then have to determine how to spend the money and where it should come from. Usually, the Social Democratic Party of Germany has no lack of imagination when it comes to spending. But it has always struggled to come up with ideas when it comes to defense. In 2017, for example, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel didn’t know “where we should park all the aircraft carriers that we would have to buy“ to reach the famous 2% NATO contribution mark.

The German navy still doesn’t need aircraft carriers, but it does need frigates that can actually leave the harbor and submarines that return to the surface. The military is still pretty bare, in terms of weapons systems as well as munitions. In the face of combined air attacks with drones, ballistic missiles, and bombs like those that Vladimir Putin has been using to destroy Ukraine for the last three years, Germany would be essentially defenseless.

Habeck, Devil Incarnate for the CSU

To finance the increase, Habeck had suggested reforming the debt constraint or an additional federal special fund, two paths that until now have not appeared unacceptable to the Social Democrats. But the Union Faction of the CSU and the Christian Democratic Union doesn‘t want to go there (yet). The CSU accuses Habeck of wanting to abolish the debt constraint, not to strengthen defense. At least until February, the Greens party politician Habeck will be something of a devil incarnate for the CSU, so he can say whatever he wants.

But cutting basic income and additional social services will not be enough for the next coalition government to amass the billions needed to become war-ready enough that it doesn’t need to go to war. Donald Trump is already demanding that NATO members spend a give percentage of the gross domestic product on defense. If no one in Berlin knows what the German military is supposed to do with more funding, Trump and/or Elon Musk would surely be glad to make some suggestions.