One SPD MP, who spoke to POLITICO on condition of being granted anonymity, said Wadephul’s announcement was “not wise,” arguing that the proposed 5 percent target is “not conceptually underpinned” and risks undermining the fragile consensus for higher defense spending.
“There is broad agreement — across the SPD, CDU/CSU and the Greens — that Germany’s share of GDP spent on defense must rise significantly,” the MP said. “But that unity should not be jeopardized by rash announcements.”
According to the same MP, the government had previously agreed to wait until the NATO summit to name a spending target. “Wadephul’s move was not coordinated within the government,” the lawmaker added.
But conservatives backed Wadephul, a Christian Democrat, who made the remarks Thursday morning at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey. “Germany is ready to follow this target,” the minister said, adding that the country is “prepared to take a leading role in securing Europe’s future.”
The CDU/CSU’s Erndl stressed that while the final figure will be determined at the June summit, Wadephul’s comments “reflect the consensus within both NATO and the coalition.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has previously said he wants the alliance to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on defense, with another 1.5 percent on related security goals like military mobility.
