Germany’s likely next government seeks higher defense spending as doubts rise about US commitment

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BERLIN (AP) – The potential partners in the next government in Germany said on Tuesday that they would seek to reduce the nation’s bases of increasing debts to allow higher defense spending, an increasing issue of urgency as doubts about the United States' commitment to European papers.

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They also said that they would seek to create a 500 billion euros ($ 533 billion) fund to finance infrastructure in Germany often over the next ten years to restore the largest economy in Europe, which has shrunk over the past two years-to a “stable growth cycle”.

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“All that is required”: strengthening the defense

Friedrich Mirz, who is right -right in the center, who is trying to form a coalition government with socialist socialist Democrats in the legs from outgoing advisers Olaf Schuls, said that the two sides will suggest exempting the spending of more than 1 % of the gross domestic product on the rules that limit the government's ability to borrow money.

He said that they will attend legislation on this and the infrastructure package, which will be funded through loans, to the outgoing parliament in Germany next week. The last weeks have brought a new urgency to the efforts to increase the long -awaited army's strengthening in the country.

“In light of the growing threat situation, it is clear to us that Europe – and with Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany must now make very great efforts, very quickly, to enhance the defensive ability of our country and the European continent,” Mirz told reporters.

“We rely on the United States of America, which stands alongside the obligations of the mutual coalition in the future,” he said in reference to NATO. “But we also know that financing to defend our country and the coalition must now be greatly expanded.”

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Mirz was martyred “the latest decisions made by the US government” as one worker. Not provided details, but it seems that Washington's changing position is largely on Ukraine.

“Everything it takes is also to defend our defense now, in light of the threats of our freedom and peace on our continent,” Mirz said.

Mirz has long been committed to the military and political alliance across the Atlantic Ocean. After winning the German elections last month, he said that “absolute priority” is to strengthen Europe “so that we can really achieve independence from the United States step by step. He said that the Trump administration's comments indicate that “the fate of Europe is very indifferent to the Americans.”

Shortly after Russia launched its large -scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Schults pledged to increase the defense spending of Germany on the current goal of NATO by 2 % of GDP and announced the establishment of a special fund worth 100 billion euros to modernize the army.

Germany met this goal thanks to the box, but it will be used in 2027.

“We are completely unstable, as is the case with anxiety, like large parts of our inhabitants,” said Bavarian governor Marcos Soder, the main governor of Mirz, from the changing American position.

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Germany “debt brakes”

The “debt brakes” in Germany allows the new borrowing of only 0.35 % of the annual gross domestic product, although it can be hung in emergency situations outside the domain of state control. He was suspended for three years after the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Both legislative proposals will require a two -thirds majority in Parliament, where “debt brakes” are installed in the German constitution.

This can be complicated in the newly -elected German parliament, where the far -right alternative to Germany and the hard -left party will have a little more than a third of the seats between them. An alternative to Germany depicts itself as a strong defender for “debt brakes”. This is opposed to the left party, but it is skeptical of military spending.

But until the new parliament, expected in late March, holds the old one. The potential coalition partners will still need support from at least one of the environment vegetables and free -supported businesses to agree to their plans. The latter has quickly criticized plans to create more debts.

Lars Klin Gylogle, the leader of the Social Democrats, said his party and Mirz governors also agreed in the long run to “reformulate” debt brakes “by the end of 2025 to enable more investment.

The two sides must reach an agreement on many other issues before they can make sure to form an alliance, but there is no other political mixture of parties that can form a new government.

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