Berlin has declared war on Russia and on the average German.

The country’s finance minister showed the 2024 budget to the Bundestag that looks to rein in spending for essentially all departments—except for defense. 

WSWS reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government hopes to pass a budget that earmarks €85.5 billion for military purposes—which is the highest amount in the post-WWII era. 

The report broke down Berlin’s military expenditures. At first glance, the military budget comes in at €51.8 billion—which would have been a modest increase of €1.7 billion. But that figure is not counting the €19.2 billion from the Bundeswehr’s “Special Fund,” and the €5 billion promised to Ukraine. (This does not include the €100 billion special fund for the military upgrade.)

Germany’s latest strategic policy paper released in June stated that Berlin will meet its NATO goal of spending 2 percent of GDP for military spending and go much further and develop a military that will be “one of the most powerful conventional armed forces in Europe in the coming years, capable of reacting and acting quickly and sustainably.”

Under the new budget, Germany will slash its health budget by 75 percent, which will put hospitals at risk for bankruptcy. 

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner presented a draft budget of €445.7 billion, which is down from the estimated €476.3 billion this year, according to Reuters. Germany will spend about €37 billion euros in interest on its debt, which is a tenfold increase compared to 2021, the report said.

“Behind the horizon line, not yet visible to us, there is an iceberg coming,” he said. “We have to change course now, because the iceberg will not change course.”

TRENDPOST: The Trends Journal has reported extensively on the evolution of Germany’s approach to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started first with a sensible de-escalation posture, to then becoming one of the worst, most fierce critics of Moscow’s decision:

● “GERMANY’S SCHOLZ SLAPS BACK AT PROTESTERS, SAYS ENDING WEAPON FLOW TO UKRAINE WON’T END WAR” (7 Mar 2023)

● “GERMANY: NO PEACE PERMITTED, AGAIN AT WAR WITH RUSSIA” (7 Mar 2023) 

● “GERMANY’S CHIEF WAR HAWK CONFIRMS CELENTE’S FORECAST: EUROPE IS AT WAR WITH RUSSIA” (31 Jan 2023)

● “GERMANY RAMPS UP WAR RHETORIC AGAINST RUSSIA” (10 Jan 2023)

● “GERMANY’S SCHOLZ URGES PUTIN TO WITHDRAW TROOPS, BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS; PUTIN CALLS IT A NON-STARTER” (6 Dec 2022)

German MPs have criticized the budget that includes a “growing shadow budget of special funds that do not count towards the budget,” according to Euractiv. 

Peter Boehringer, an MP from the AfD, told the outlet, “This is massive borrowing hidden through special funds.”