Germany is rushing measures to finance a huge hike in spending on defence and military aid for Ukraine through its outgoing parliament.
The country scrambled to form a government amid signs of a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy.
Germany cannot wait for the next Bundestag, the country’s lower house of parliament to come together in late March, a top lawmaker from the conservative CDU/CSU bloc told public radio Deutschlandfunk early on Monday.
The bloc is set to take power in Berlin.
“We cannot lose time until the new Bundestag convenes.
“Ukraine cannot wait for weeks. The free world cannot wait for weeks,’’ Johann Wadephul said.
Germany, under the departing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has taken a back seat as Britain and France attempted to soothe relations with U.S. President Donald Trump.
This is following the stunning Oval Office showdown with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky last Friday.
Friedrich Merz, the presumptive next German chancellor, wanted a government in place by the Easter holidays.
His preference is for a coalition between his centre-right alliance made up of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) and Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD).
But Berlin must get its act together quickly and take on a leading role in Europe to support Ukraine, said Wadephul.
“We will do everything we can to convince the American administration of the need to back Kiev against Russia, he insisted, adding that Merz will seek to build a good personal relationship with Trump.’’
European leaders were dismayed at the stunning showdown in the White House on Frida.
This saw Trump dressed down Zelensky and threaten to withdraw U.S. support for Ukraine if he does not agree to a peace deal with Russia.
Britain and France have taken the lead in attempting to mend ties, with Germany under outgoing Chancellor Scholz unable to provide leadership at a crucial time for Europe.
Wadephul said a new emergency fund modelled on the 100 billion euros (104 billion dollars) pot for the German military that was passed shortly after Russia’s invasion on Ukraine.
This happened three years ago and its under discussion in Berlin.
Such a move would require a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, due to the country’s tight constitutional rules on government borrowing, known as the debt brake.
However, more than one-third of seats in the incoming parliament are set to be taken by lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and The Left.
The two parties CDU/CSU bloc had ruled out working with.
One option to bypass the issue would be to pass the reforms under the current Bundestag.
“We are ready for that, and we hear many voices, including from the Greens and the Free Democrats, that there is also recognition and readiness to support this,’’ said Wadephul.
The CDU/CSU alliance’s spokesman on foreign policy and defence said.
Wadephul acknowledged his party’s sceptical position towards changes to the debt brake.
“We must not spend more money as if there were no tomorrow, in spite of all the challenges we are currently facing.
“Which is not to say that we are not prepared to hold talks. This is happening behind closed doors,’’ he argued. (dpa/NAN)
