Merz supports easing EU fiscal rules to boost defence spending

The next stop on the presentation tour of the new chancellor abroad is Brussels. He intends to end the "European-political languagelessness" of Germany.

With A Whirlwind Tour And A Bulging In-Tray, Germany's New Chancellor Steps Out

Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, visits Brussels on May 9 for meetings at the European Union and NATO following a whirlwind first few days in office amid a bulging international in-tray.

Germany's new chancellor calls for defence exception to EU debt limits

As Europe looks to boost its military capabilities, Germany’s Merz urged the EU to rethink fiscal limits and warned that Europe must be able to defend itself long-term.

Merz supports easing EU fiscal rules to boost defense spending

EU members are bound by spending rules obliging them to keep the public deficit below 3% of economic output and debt at 60% of GDP. But the EU can suspend the rules in exceptional circumstances and crises, as it did during the coronavirus pandemic when states had to prop up their embattled economies.

Merz supports easing EU fiscal rules to boost defence spending

Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday said that Berlin supports relaxing strict EU fiscal rules to let member states ramp up defence spending as he sought to establish his European credentials on his first foreign visits.

The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in particular with difficulty, made a visit to Paris on Wednesday and then to Warsaw, where it was declared in favour of a relaxation of European budgetary regulations that would allow Member States of the European Union (EU) to invest more in defence, reports the AFP.