German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday pledged to turn the Bundeswehr into “the strongest conventional army in Europe.”
It was part of his first major speech in parliament after his election as chancellor on May 6.
Merz also announced plans to make Germany more competitive on the global stage, as well as a sweeping economic recovery package and a tough new migration policy.
What did Merz say?
Merz said that Germany’s allies were expecting Berlin to up its defense spending.
“This is appropriate for Europe’s most populous and economically powerful country,” Merz told parliament. “Our friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it.”
US President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO allies spend more on defense, suggesting that Washington could abandon members of the military alliance do not share the financial burden.
“The German government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become Europe’s strongest conventional army,” Merz said.
The chancellor called for Germany to take on additional responsibility within the European Union and the NATO military alliance.
“Our goal is a Germany and a Europe that are so strong together that we never have to use our weapons,” Merz said. “To achieve this, we will have to assume more responsibility within NATO and the EU.”
“Strength deters aggressors, while weakness invites aggression,” he added.
Merz emphasizes Ukraine support
The chancellor said he believed that “anyone who seriously believes that Russia would be satisfied with a victory over Ukraine or with the annexation of parts of the country is mistaken.”
He reiterated Berlin’s support for Ukraine in fending off Russia’s invasion, but stressed that Germany was “not a party to war, and we don’t want to become one.”
“This terrible war and its outcome will not only determine the fate of Ukraine. Its outcome will determine whether law and justice continue to apply in Europe and the world — or whether tyranny, military violence, and the naked law of the strongest will prevail.”
“What is at stake in Ukraine is nothing less than the peace order of our entire continent.”
Germany is one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters, with the Bundestag approving a €3 billion ($3.25 billion) package in additional military aid for Kyiv for 2025 in March.
Bundeswehr faces recruitment, equipment issues
The Bundeswehr has repeatedly pointed to issues with recruitment and insufficient equipment.
In December, Eva Högl, the German parliament’s commissioner for the Bundeswehr, said that the army had “too little of everything.”
Earlier this year, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that European countries must become more proactive on security matters and hailed a permanent Bundeswehr deployment to Lithuania that is to be combat-ready by 2027.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
