Merz on need for reforms in Germany: Russia is waging war not only against Ukraine, but also against Europe
The leader of the CDU/CSU bloc, Friedrich Merz, made a speech in the Bundestag with multibillion-dollar proposals to finance Germany's defense and infrastructure, noting that these changes are due to Russia's aggressive policy, which "is waging a war not only against Ukraine but also against Europe."
This is reported by The Guardian, Censor.NET informs.
Merz focused on broad threats such as attacks on critical infrastructure, arson, espionage and disinformation campaigns, which are part of Russia's attempts to divide the EU and undermine European unity.
He promised that Germany would defend itself against these attacks using all available resources. According to him, the country must "rebuild its defense capabilities, partly from scratch."
Read more: Germany has updated its list of military aid to Ukraine: Gepard, Vector drones and ammunition
Hinting at his future policy as chancellor, Merz emphasized that defense contracts should be awarded to European manufacturers, which would be a paradigm shift in German defense policy.
He also called for the creation of a "new European defense community" that would be open to EU countries and other partners such as the UK and Norway.
Merz said that the proposed changes should be part of broader reforms, notably in the area of technology and regulatory reduction, including a review of EU planning procedures.
