Members of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party criticized U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s intentions to demand that NATO allies increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Rolf Mützenich, leader of the Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary faction, called Trump’s plans unreasonable and suggested that improving the efficiency of European defense spending would be a better approach.
“I think it’s foolish to base security policy on arbitrarily chosen figures,” he said in a comment to dpa.
“The issue isn’t about percentages, but about how we can pool and coordinate defense spending within the EU to make it as effective as possible,” Mützenich noted. He explained that such an approach would reduce the need for individual countries to rely primarily on their own resources.
“This would enhance our security more than debates about percentages pulled out of thin air,” he added.
It’s worth noting that Donald Trump has reaffirmed his intention to demand NATO allies increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. In 2024, Germany, along with several other nations, will for the first time meet NATO’s existing target of 2% of GDP. Poland, the leading NATO member in terms of defense spending relative to its economy, is currently spending less than 5% but supports Trump’s call.
