German Defense Chief Calls for Loosening of Debt Restrictions
- Pistorius wants debt brake reform to fund military overhaul
- Free Democrat coalition partners oppose changes to mechanism
Boris Pistorius, right.
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German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius threw his weight behind calls for reform of rules that restrict new borrowing by the federal government to help fund a radical overhaul of the nation’s armed forces.
In an interview with public broadcaster ZDF late Monday, Pistorius said the Bundeswehr’s financial needs can’t be met solely by reallocating money from elsewhere in the budget once a special fund worth €100 billion ($109 billion) is exhausted in 2027.