BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany holds elections on February 23, with its army’s battle-readiness less than when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 – a precarious position as Europe faces a new geopolitical era under U.S. President Donald Trump.
The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) led by Friedrich Merz are expected to win, but there are wide divisions between some parties on defence. Here is a summary of parties’ plans for the armed forces and for German policy on the conflict in Ukraine.
CDU/CSU
* Help Europe defend itself but anchor it firmly in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
* Defence spending at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), the current NATO target
* Re-introduce military service, which was suspended under a previous CDU government in 2011
* Create an internal market in the European Union for defence goods with common export rules
* Streamline defence procurement processes
* Merz conditionally supports equipping Ukraine with longer-range Taurus missiles, a step the current government has not taken, but there is no explicit commitment in the manifesto
SPD
* Defence spending at minimum 2% of GDP
* Modernise the armed forces
* Leader Olaf Scholz in 2022 launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) of joint procurement for air defence. It was opposed by France
* Station U.S. medium-range weapons in Germany, a move strongly opposed by Russia
* Develop Germany further as a hub for NATO logistics
* Station a German brigade permanently on NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania
* Introduce voluntary military service
* Maintain diplomatic, military, financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine, and support a bilateral security agreement signed in 2024
* Send military aid to Ukraine with a policy of “prudence and judgment” but make sure Germany does not become a party to conflict with Russia
* Do not equip Ukraine with Taurus missiles
* Establish a European defence union, with joint procurement, manoeuvres and standardised training
GREENS
* Germany and Europe to take greater responsibility for their own security
* Lift military spending beyond 2% of GDP through more state borrowing. Leader Robert Habeck has suggested 3.5%
* Voluntary military service
* Streamline European defence through joint development, production and procurement
* Equip Ukraine with Taurus missiles, though the manifesto does not make an explicit commitment
FDP
* Germany and Europe to take greater responsibility for their own security
* Defence spending at least 2% of GDP but raise it if NATO lifts its target
* Explicit manifesto equipment for immediate delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine
* Make Germany’s military the strongest conventional armed forces in Europe
* Improve funding and equipment for the military, with attractive salaries and benefits
* Reject re-introduction of general conscription but maintain a professional volunteer army
* Keep a national database of men and women fit for military service
AFD
* Prioritise national sovereignty over EU centralisation
* Re-introduce compulsory military service
* German military be run on traditions and “German values”
* Immediately lift sanctions on Russia
* Halt arms deliveries to Ukraine
* Keep Ukraine a neutral state outside of the EU and NATO
* Reject the eastern expansion of the EU and NATO
BSW
* Against Germany meeting NATO’s 2% spending target or higher
* No use of special funds or more state borrowing to fund the army
* No re-introduction of conscription
* Go for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine without pre-conditions
* No more taxpayer money for weapons to Ukraine
* Reject the use of military force to solve conflicts
* Create a European security structure that includes Russia
* Stop stationing nuclear weapons in Germany
(Compiled by Matthias Williams; edited by Sara Ledwith)
