Germany Olaf Scholz distances himself from Trump's five percent target
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has distanced himself from US President Donald Trump's call to spend five percent of gross domestic product on defense.
13.01.2025, 15:17
SDA
"Five percent would be over 200 billion euros per year, the federal budget is not even 500 billion," said Scholz on the fringes of an election campaign event in Bielefeld. "That would only be possible with massive tax increases or massive cuts to many things that are important to us."
However, Scholz promised that Germany would adhere to the current NATO target of at least two percent of GDP. "I guarantee that we will continue to spend two percent of our economic output on defense," he said. "Anyone who says that's not the way to go must also say where the money will come from."
Trump demands five percent
NATO set itself the two percent target in 2014. Germany reached this mark in 2024 for the first time in decades - with the 100 billion euro debt-financed special pot for the Bundeswehr.
However, Trump demanded five percent from the allies last week. The German Green Party's candidate for chancellor, Robert Habeck, is also in favor of going far beyond two percent of economic power when it comes to defense spending. He is calling for 3.5 percent. The election manifestos of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats include at least two percent.
Bielefeld in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia marked the start of Scholz's campaign tour, who is planning more than 30 talks with citizens before the federal elections on February 23.
