The German Greens’ candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock on Thursday referred to as for Germany to be extra lively on international coverage, however expressed skepticism about NATO’s goal of spending 2 % of GDP on protection.
“I believe it’s very a lot not solely acceptable but additionally wanted that Europeans, subsequently Germans, must take extra duty for their very own safety,” Baerbock instructed an Atlantic Council occasion.
However she mentioned she had “doubts” in regards to the NATO goal “as a result of it’s associated to” GDP. “Which means in a disaster like now the place every little thing is insecure, rationally we must make investments much less as a result of 2 % of a GDP which decreases will not be the identical as when the financial system is rising.”
Baerbock additionally mentioned Germany had been too “passive” on international coverage prior to now.
“I imagine one of many issues of the European Union of the final years is that we didn’t have an lively international coverage … and that is because of the lack of an lively German international coverage,” she mentioned. “It’s not about Germany telling the others what to do, but when we’re behaving very passively, it’s exhausting for the others” to behave, she added.
Requested about her prospects of successful the German election in September, Baerbock mentioned: “Presently we’re on the prime [of the polls] … however we nonetheless have 5 months to the elections … So every little thing remains to be doable.”