BERLIN, July 24 (Xinhua) -- New German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called for more money and recognition for the Bundeswehr in her first government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday.
"The defense budget must continue to rise" if the Bundeswehr was to show the capabilities that were demanded of it, said Kramp-Karrenbauer after being sworn in as new German defense minister.
"Then we need 1.5 percent in 2024, and then we need a reliably constantly growing path up to there, that is what I am going to do," the minister announced.
Germany was "a reliable ally who should shoulder a fair share of the common tasks" in the NATO defense organization, Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized.
Rolf Muetzenich, leader of the German Social Democratic (SPD) parliamentary group, criticized Kramp-Karrenbauer's demands, noting that after budget increases, the Bundeswehr now had 45 billion euros (50.1 billion U.S. dollars) at its disposal.
"Before talking about theoretical questions, one should work with the concrete figures and, in particular as a new minister, take a closer look at the weak points in procurement, but also in-house, before making new demands," said Muetzenich.
Criticism also came from the German Green Party, whose spokesperson for defense Agnieszka Bruegger spoke of a "pointless coalition dispute" over NATO' two percent target.
What was needed now was a political leadership that was "completely unglamorous and solidly dedicated to the immense problems of the Bundeswehr" and that would take German soldiers with it, Brugger said.
Christian Lindner, leader of the German liberal Free Democrats (FDP), supported Kramp-Karrenbauer as new German defense minister, saying that "we trust you to lead us".
Nonetheless, the current financial plans for the Bundeswehr were insufficient and "there is a lot to do," added Lindner.
German Minister for Finance Olaf Scholz had set the defense budget for 2020 at 44.9 billion euros and 44 billion euros by 2023 planned. This would reduce the NATO quota from 1.37 percent of economic output to 1.24 percent.
During her speech on Wednesday, Kramp-Karrenbauer noted that increasing Germany's defense spending was "not about wishes from outside" nor about armament but "about equipment and personnel, it is about our Bundeswehr".
