Outwardly, the Grand Coalition was harmonious in its mid-term review, Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the workload of the government alliance. Internally smoldering, according to SPIEGEL information, a dispute between Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on a commitment to the two-percent target of NATO. From the ranks of the opposition it sets sharp criticism for the disunity within the government.
"The scary back and forth of the Federal Government in foreign and defense policy is unbearable," said the FDP defense policy Agnes Strack-Zimmermann the SPIEGEL. The Chancellor must finally clearly admit to the two-percent target "and stop this kindergarten". Finance Minister Scholz described Strack-Zimmermann as a transparent maneuver. "Just because Olaf Scholz wants to become SPD chairman, Germany must not be a security risk for his allies by his election campaign," said the FDP politician.
Scholz insisted that in the government's program for the second half of the legislature no clear commitment to increase defense spending to two percent of gross domestic product is anchored and prevailed against the will of Kramp-Karrenbauer.
Anton Hofreiter, the group leader of the Greens, holds little of the two-percent target. The Bundeswehr needs better equipment. But "blind upgrading and more money over a system full of procurement scandals to tip would be absolutely crazy," said Hofreiter to the SPIEGEL. Therefore, it is generally good that Scholz "this billions fantasies in the way". In the way, one must, however, "to the head". Meanwhile, the federal government shines "more by mutual shininess and public humiliation than by cooperative government action," said Hofreiter.
And how does NATO react to the missing two-percent promise? In the Brussels headquarters, there are tight-lipped and refers to the joint appearance of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Chancellor Merkel. But some people do not like what happened on Thursday in Berlin. Anyway, nobody would be surprised by the announcement that they would only generate 1.5 percent of GDP by 2024, according to a member of NATO. But that Kramp-Karrenbauer has now committed to the year 2031 as a target for the increase to two percent, is better than nothing.