“This money is needed” – the military commissioner wants to replenish the special fund
Eva Högl believes that the defense budget should be provided with ten billion euros more per year
Source: dpa/Wolfgang Kumm
Projects such as the Tornado successor could not be financed from the current budget, says Defense Commissioner Eva Högl. Instead, she proposes replenishing the special fund for the Bundeswehr when it is used up.
Dhe Bundestag Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl (SPD), has suggested replenishing the special fund for the Bundeswehr when it is used up. A project like the successor to the tornado jets cannot be financed well from the current budget because it is only related to one year, she told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter News”. Therefore, the form of financing via the special fund is correct. “You could think about replenishing it when it’s used up to fund projects over the year – without restricting Parliament’s participation rights.”
On February 27, 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) heralded a “turning point” against the background of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In the course of this, a special fund of 100 billion euros was approved for the modernization of the Bundeswehr.
Högl reiterated that the defense budget must generally be provided with ten billion euros more per year. The special fund is intended for large, special projects. But the day-to-day operations of the Bundeswehr are also suffering from a lack of funds. “Ten billion euros more a year for the department – that’s a reasonable demand,” she said. “This money is definitely needed. The NATO goal of spending two percent of gross domestic product on defense must not be lost sight of.”
Army Inspector Alfons Mais had recently emphasized that the special fund would not be sufficient for full equipment. However, the lieutenant general noted progress in the procurement process. “I see a lot of pressure to move forward with the replacement purchases at the highest speed,” Mais told the German Press Agency in February. In addition to replacing material that was handed over to the Ukraine, the “material growth towards full equipment” is important. “However, the special fund alone will not be enough.”
Immediately after the Russian attack on Ukraine, Mais had criticized the years of neglect in the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr with unusual sharpness. The Bundeswehr is “more or less blank,” he wrote, causing a stir.
2023-05-02 08:22:49
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