“The result indicates that large parts of the population are open to an increase in taxes and duties to finance further measures to expand national security and defence,” the authors say. The 25 percent increase in troop strength is particularly favoured by among supporters of the parties SPD and the Greens, as well as the CDU. Liberal supporters are mainly in favour of a 50 percent increase.
Various media have reported on the study, which is entitled “The Value of Security and National Defence: A Measurement of Societal Valuation Depending on Party Preferences in Germany” and was published in “Wirtschaftsdienst – Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik”.
The defence sector gains respect
“Society in Germany recognizes that the free democratic order of prosperity is not free”, says Dr Stefan Stenzel, CEO of the technology company VINCORION. “We in the defence technology industry feel that appreciation is slowly increasing.” However, it has already been pointed out for 30 years that security has its price. “Now this realization is slowly being acknowledged.”
It is not yet entirely clear, he says, how sustainably the proclaimed “Zeitenwende” in Germany is anchored in political Berlin.
Stenzel: “Defence is still not the highest priority.” But when it comes to procurement, he says, there must be a willingness to move at speed – similar to the LNG deliveries, where new terminals for liquid gas were quickly set up.
Equip the defence sector
Stenzel underlines the need to better equip the defence department. He calls for a more substantial increase than that identified in the study by the HWR Berlin. “The 100 billion euros in special funds are not sufficient to fill the gaps created by the savings of the past years. The defence budget must increase annually not by ten or eleven million, but by 20 to 30 billion euros.”
Stenzel emphasizes that he does not derive this from the two-percent target, but from the requirements of operational capability. Only with such a budget could Germany procure the urgently needed number of weapons, material, ammunition and spare parts for the armed forces – in order to equip the soldiers of the Bundeswehr well.
Read the HWR Berlin study.
