Germany must bolster military 'to be taken seriously,' says CSU leader
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In an interview published on Saturday, Markus Soeder outlined an ambitious vision for the Bundeswehr's modernization, calling for substantial investments in weaponry and defense systems.
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German Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz talks to the media at a joint news conference with Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP)
Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Soeder has urged Germany to significantly boost its military strength, arguing that the country neededs a more robust defense force to be respected on the global stage.
In an interview published on Saturday, Soeder outlined an ambitious vision for the Bundeswehr's modernization, calling for substantial investments in weaponry and defense systems.
"The Bundeswehr needs to be fully equipped. This implies an army of 100,000 drones, 800 new tanks as well as 2,000 Patriot [air defense systems] and 1,000 Taurus cruise missiles … as a protective shield similar to the [Israeli mobile air defense system] Iron Dome," he told Welt am Sonntag.
Soeder stressed that military and economic strength are essential for Germany's international credibility and insisted that Berlin should allocate at least 3% of its GDP to defense.
His remarks come in the wake of the Munich Security Conference, where European leaders debated the continent's growing security concerns and reliance on the United States. Soeder also advocated for a special defense budget to finance these military upgrades.
He expressed support for the idea of a shared European nuclear deterrent, which has been championed by CDU/CSU bloc leader Friedrich Merz. "Feasible," he said of the proposal, which involves collaboration with France, the UK, and other allies to establish a nuclear defense umbrella for Europe.
Read more: US $138bln nuclear modernization plan fuels nuclear arms race concerns
The call for stronger European defenses aligns with US President Donald Trump's continued pressure on NATO members to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. However, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently reassured European allies that there were no immediate plans to reduce America's military presence on the continent.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, speaking at the Munich conference last month, claimed that Europe's challenges are largely self-inflicted rather than caused by China or Russia. He pointed to the annulment of elections in Romania and the potential for similar instability in Germany as key areas of concern.
