‘Germany NOT paying their fair share!’ Humphrys grills German minister on defence spending

In her New Year’s Eve address, German Chancellor hailed ’s rising defence and overseas aid budgets as evidence it was taking centre stage in global affairs for the first time in the post-War era. Mrs Merkel pledged last month to raise the country’s defence budget from 1.2 percent to 1.5 percent of its GDP by 2024 following criticism from US President . In response to the comments, German foreign office minister Niels Annen insisted it is time for the “international cooperation” that will make Germany “more active on the scene”.

 Radio 4 Today programme host John Humphrys referenced the comments and began to grill the German minister. He said: “Does that mean you are going to spend more on defence? Because at the moment Germany, like most other members of NATO, are not paying their fair share.”

In response, Mr Annen said: “We are already doing this. Not just in this budget – we have been increasing our defence contributions constantly and we will continue to do do.”

My Humphrys quickly fired back and said: “Yes but you are not planning to reach two percent by 2024, are you? And that is the target. That is what you are meant to be doing.”

The German minister responded and said: “I don’t think this is the consensus in the German parliament. There is a strong consensus that we need to spend more on defence.

“But our philosophy also includes the need to do more to strengthen international cooperation.

“Look, the United States is withdrawing from very important aspects of their policies.

“Talking, for example, at the support of the international system of humanitarian international aid and preventative measures. And Germany has been beefing up its efforts on this part again.

“So, we believe, that we need to do more for collective defence.”

Mrs Merkel also used her annual New Year’s Eve address to take aim at Donald Trump as she pledged her country would fight more powerfully against the slide towards nationalism.

The German Chancellor vowed to help transform the EU into a “tougher and more decisive” unit and to maintain close ties with Britain despite Brexit.

Germany took up a two-year seat on the UN security council on New Year’s Day as relations between Berlin and Washington sink to their lowest since the 1970s.

The 64-year-old announced last October she was giving up her party leadership and retiring as chancellor before 2021 after a disastrous shooting at the polls in state elections.

And she used what may be her last New Year’s Eve addresses to call for unity and a return to the values of “openness, tolerance and respect which made our country strong”.

She said: “We have to take a stand for them, even when it is uncomfortable and arduous.”