Merz sees new era for European defence with German spending surge

Record ID: 1985532

  • Title: Merz sees new era for European defence with German spending surge
  • Date: 18th March 2025
  • Summary: Paetongtarn Shinawatra was the Pheu Thai Party's most visible candidate for prime minister in Thailand's national election in May 2023. Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and niece of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. She campaigned hard in the vote-rich rural strongholds of the Shinawatra family, consisten
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: CDU Friedrich Merz Germany Lars Klingbeil SPD debt reform parliament
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA003963218032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Germany's planned surge in borrowing to fund defence spending and revive growth heralds a new era for European security, the country's likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Bundestag lower house of parliament on Tuesday (March 18).
    "We have for at least a decade felt a false sense of security," said Merz, adding the post-war peace dividend had been used up long ago and a total rebuilding of Germany's defence capabilities was needed.
    "The decision we are taking today on defence readiness .. can be nothing less than the first major step towards a new European defence community, which also includes countries that are not members of the European Union," he said.
    Germany's lower house of parliament is set to vote on Tuesday on the borrowing that could boost Europe's largest economy and stimulate growth across the region.
    The agreement by the parties hoping to form its next government includes a 500 billion euro ($545 billion) special fund for infrastructure and plans to unshackle defense investment from the country's debt rules.
    (Production: Oliver Barth, Stephan Schepers)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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