Actually, the Ministry of Defense should buy new ships and aircraft with the money for armament procurement. But according to a budget expert from the Greens, that didn’t quite work out. The money was spent, but not everything flowed into new material.
According to Sebastian Schäfer, a finance politician from the Greens, the Ministry of Defense did not manage to spend billions on armaments procurement last year. “Although household cosmetics give the impression that all budgetary funds are draining away, nothing is getting to the troops,” said Schäfer, who is responsible for the defense budget, in Berlin.
The money was therefore spent, but not as planned for armament projects, but for expenses such as material maintenance. “Last year, almost two billion euros were not spent on military procurement as planned. That corresponds to almost 20 percent of the funds made available for investments in armaments projects – i.e. for airplanes that fly and ships that set sail,” said Schäfer.
The procurement structures for the necessary acceleration are obviously not prepared, according to the Green Housekeeper. It must now be ensured that procurement becomes more efficient and effective. “We haven’t seen any outflows from the special fund either. So far, no subsequent purchases have been made for the weapon systems that were quite rightly handed over to Ukraine – so far no contracts have even been concluded for them,” criticized Schäfer. And: “This means that the turning point remains a mere announcement.”
The implementation of the “turning point” was also criticized by the opposition this week. Union faction leader Friedrich Merz accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of a lack of speed in the expansion of the Bundeswehr after his government statement. The defense budget has fallen despite the announcement that he intends to spend more than two percent of gross domestic product on defense, said the CDU leader on Thursday in the Bundestag.
Of the 100 billion euro special pot, the so-called special fund for the Bundeswehr, only 600 million have been spent. “What actually happened in the second half of 2022 that the promises you made are also implemented?” asked the CDU leader. With regard to the Russian attack on Ukraine, Merz added that for “years, if not decades”, security in Europe will no longer have to be organized with Russia, but against it. “And for that, Mr. Chancellor, decisions have to be made and not just government statements made.”
