BERLIN — Military spending in Germany must keep rising, the country’s new defense minister said Wednesday, underlining her commitment to long-term targets and telling critics that the country’s own security needs require more funds, and that the move isn’t simply a response to foreign pressure.
NATO members in 2014 agreed to ‘‘aim to move toward’’ increasing defense spending to 2 percent of their gross domestic product by 2024, though Germany has already said it doesn’t expect to meet that goal. The United States has criticized the low level of Berlin’s spending.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who also leads Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party, told lawmakers after being sworn in as defense minister that she is committed to aiming for the 2 percent target, and that Germany must reach 1.5 percent by 2024. She said spending needs to remain on ‘‘a reliable constantly growing path.’’
Kramp-Karrenbauer said that Germany is and will remain ‘‘a reliable ally,’’ but that the 1.5 percent aim reflects ‘‘our minimum needs.’’
‘‘To say it very clearly: This is not about wishes from abroad, this is not about rearmament,’’ she said. ‘‘It is about equipment and personnel.’’
Germany’s military spending is expected to hit 1.35 percent of GDP this year, compared with 1.23 percent in 2018. However, a budget proposal earlier this year suggested that it would drop back again by 2023, angering the United States.
The junior partners in Merkel’s fractious coalition, the Social Democrats, question the 2 percent spending target.
The leader of the party’s parliamentary group, Rolf Muetzenich, said that the German parliament controls the country’s budget, and that ‘‘no alliance and no international organization can presume that right for itself.’’
Muetzenich said Kramp-Karrenbauer appeared to think resolving security issues was simply ‘‘a question of money.’’ He said would advise her to address weaknesses in her new ministry before asking for more spending and referring to ‘‘a supposed 2 percent target.’’
Kramp-Karrenbauer succeeds Ursula von der Leyen, who was elected last week as the next president of the European Union’s executive commission.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
