Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Germany’s military has too little of everything and even its barracks are “pitiful” as some lack WiFi and working toilets, despite a planned overhaul in the wake of the Ukraine war, a senior MP said Tuesday.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced Berlin to drop its pacifist stance and announce massive new funding to boost its chronically underfunded armed forces.
Eva Hoegl, a German lawmaker and parliamentary commissioner tasked with scrutinizing the military, painted a bleak picture and urged the government to speed up efforts of modernization, according to an AFP report.
German lawmaker presented annual report on military
The lawmaker, who belongs to the ruling Social Democrats, said that the Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) had too little of everything, and it had even less since February 24, 2022, referring to the date on which Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine.
Hoegl added that this applied to training, exercises, and equipment in the field, as she presented her annual report on the military.
Berlin has contributed massive amounts of armaments to Ukraine, ranging from air defense systems to missiles; however, some fear this could leave Germany’s own military short of supplies.
Hoegl said that while German soldiers supported efforts to support Kyiv, but stressed that weaponry needed to be replaced quickly.
The centerpiece of the German government’s efforts to bulk up its military is a $107 billion fund unveiled in 2022 by the country’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz — but Hoegl said none of it had been spent yet.
She added that unfortunately, she had to note that in 2022, not a single euro or cent of this special fund had been spent and urged for the money to start reaching troops soon.
She also called for upgrades in troops’ living quarters, saying that “our barracks up and down the country are in a pitiful condition”.
The lawmaker added there was a lack of functioning toilets, clean showers…troop kitchens, care facilities, ammunition depots, indoor sports facilities, and armories. And last but not least, WLAN (wireless internet).
Germany’s new defense minister Boris Pistorius is calling for an extra 10 billion euros, arguing that without the funds it will be impossible to modernize the armed forces.
