Following pressure from the U.S., Germany is increasing its defense spending in response to the Russia threat.
The coalition government in Germany, comprised of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and the Social Democrats, has reached an agreement on new incentives for voluntary military service after a tense debate last week, driven by the growing threat posed by Russia to Europe.
These incentives include covering the cost of driving licenses, which can amount to thousands of dollars, and raising the starting pre-tax salary to approximately $3,000 per month.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative CDU party, stated his aim to transform into “Europe’s strongest conventional army,” according to Jens Spahn, the parliamentary leader of Merz’s CDU party. Spahn told reporters, “We want to recruit as many young people as possible to serve the fatherland.”
Spahn also indicated that if voluntary recruitment doesn’t yield sufficient personnel, conscription might be necessary, requiring the passage of new legislation.
David Wurmser, a former intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a former senior advisor for nonproliferation and Middle East strategy for Vice President Dick Cheney, told Digital that “Europe is finally beginning to contemplate defense in a more serious way.”
“While not explicitly stated, Europeans have largely relied on the American security umbrella and dismissed the possibility of war, leading to minimal defense spending and a self-perception as a moral authority advocating pacifism and unattainable moral perfection. It is positive that they are now compelled to seriously consider their defense needs.”
He further noted that “it is crucial for the United States to recognize the eastward shift in the center of gravity of European civilization. Germany’s apparent early recognition, ahead of Britain and France, of the threat it faces and the consequent need for a stronger defense symbolizes this shift.”
Wurmser stated that “Germany’s actions symbolically represent a long-overdue realization that is not yet universally accepted – that the events of February 2022, and the ongoing conflict in the are merely localized manifestations of a much larger, dangerous, and potentially deadly global competition led by nations opposed to Western civilization.”
He explained, “This axis represents a fusion of communist, Islamist, and fascist ideologies. This unlikely alliance is primarily rooted in a hatred of Western civilization. The West’s survival depends on recognizing this, and Germany’s actions represent a small, initial step in that direction.”
more for its military defense of Germany during his first term.
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