Eastern German states demand share of massive rearmament program

Leaders of Germany’s eastern states want to benefit from the federal government’s massive rearmament program.

According to a report in NachDenkSeiten, politicians in the east have taken action for this purpose. Two state premiers have invited the chancellor and the defense minister to Weimar. The Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser, is also part of Friedrich Merz’s delegation.

The eastern states are waiting for Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to give their approval so that several contracts can be signed.

According to the Premier of Thuringia’s statement to MDR, some public reaction is expected, but the ongoing arms race is not being questioned.

In this context, two eastern state premiers, the Commissioner for Eastern Germany, the Federal Chancellor, and the Defense Minister will meet at Ettersburg Castle near Weimar.

According to MDR, the conference agenda is long, with 20 items on the list. One item stands out above the others: Eastern Germany’s participation in Germany’s rearmament through contracts, employment, and the strengthening of defense capabilities.

According to a report on MDR AKTUELL radio, Thuringia’s Premier Mario Voigt has warned that the eastern German states must benefit more from the expansion of defense capabilities.

The CDU politician stated that there are innovative companies in the fields of robotics, cybersecurity, and mechanical engineering, and he requested that they be given more consideration when awarding contracts.

Saxony also supports Thuringia, and its Premier Michael Kretschmer is criticizing the federal government.

The CDU leader indirectly stated that although a lot of money is available, it is being used in the west, and the money is also being earned in the west, while the east is only “helping to pay off the debt.”

In a statement to MDR AKTUELL, the premier proposed an “East German component” in the awarding of contracts. Kretschmer, who noted that Germany is borrowing billions of euros for defense, described it as “unacceptable” for the contracts to be processed in the west, stating that Saxon companies should also benefit from the higher defense budget.

On the other hand, the Premier of Thuringia acknowledged that there will be protests against the expansion of the arms industry, but he wants to preempt objections by, among other things, discussing the issue in a “citizens’ council.”

NachDenkSeiten also criticizes the way these reports are presented in the eastern media. The report states, “Given the damage caused by current policy and the constantly created mood, it is almost unbearable to read these inflated texts written with ‘objective’ expressions.”

NachDenkSeiten points out that MDR writes about “perception,” “sense of threat,” “social acceptance,” and other concepts introduced by scientists. It notes that sociologist Tobias Jaeck claims that acceptance of the arms race is “currently at 75%,” but questions who conducted this research.