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Berlin urges Paris to boost defense spending by cutting other costs

Germany urges France to increase defense spending to meet NATO's 5% of GDP target by 2035 amid France's fiscal constraints and strained Franco-German relations.

  • On February 16, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticised France for insufficient defence spending, urging Paris to turn European sovereignty calls into concrete capabilities at the Munich Security Conference.
  • France's high debt and budget pressures mean Macron's plan for a €36bn defence boost by 2030 may require difficult domestic decisions, Wadephul said.
  • Berlin has already exempted defence spending from debt limits and budgets foresee more than 500 billion for defence between 2025 and 2029, while NATO member states pledged 5% of GDP by 2035 but progress has lagged.
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41 Articles

Right

The German minister's slap at the Elysée: "Before speaking of autonomy, do the tasks.""We are able to defend ourselves only with the United States, not alone: the words of the German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, in times when the power of reason had the prevalence over propaganda fantasies would be even trivial, and instead they make news.

Center

In Germany's view, France's defence spending efforts are insufficient, and it has therefore called on the country to invest more in defence and less in social affairs. Nicolas Doze tells us more. (International).

Lean Left

France urgently needs to increase defense spending to make European self-sufficiency a reality, even if it comes at the expense of other spending, such as social spending, said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

Lean Left

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepoul stated for months that France should allocate more defence funds, even if this would entail a reduction of other types of costs.

·Romania
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Bias Distribution

  • 38% of the sources lean Left
38% Left

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Le Figaro broke the news in Paris, France on Monday, February 16, 2026.
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