display

Berlin (dpa) - Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer sees herself as a lesson from the Corona crisis in the demand for a central control point for Germany's security.

«I am of the opinion that something like a Federal Security Council is needed for such situations.

We need a place where you can bring the organizations and authorities together, where joint situation reports are created, where you can coordinate things, ”said the CDU head of the German Press Agency in Berlin.

"I think that Corona has proven that a Federal Security Council could be such a place."

At the same time, she defended the decision in favor of a European-coordinated procurement of vaccines.

"The pandemic does not stop at these borders," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.

The fight against Corona is "only ever as good as we can manage it in Europe".

In this respect, the situation in the European Union is different from a state like Israel, which regulates things on its own.

"I think it is right that we said very clearly during the vaccination that we have to do it together in Europe," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.

display

After the crisis, it is important to draw conclusions from the corona pandemic.

The time has come as soon as the immediate need has been overcome.

Disaster and civil protection as well as cooperation between the institutions is certainly one area.

The Bundeswehr certified her that she was doing a "great job" with administrative assistance.

Kramp-Karrenbauer contradicted expectations that a cut in defense budgets would be the right way to deal with the consequences of the economic crisis.

"When we talk about major armaments projects, we also talk about national industrial policy," she said.

“From my point of view, it makes no sense that we tried to stabilize the economy with large economic stimulus packages last year and are now withdrawing orders where the state is itself a client, for example in the armaments sector, and thus ourselves helping to put jobs at risk are."

The budget for the new year for the Bundeswehr is around 47 billion euros (2020: around 45.2 billion euros).

How things will continue afterwards will be decided by the future government after the general election in September.

There are already calls for a savings program.

display

"First of all, I am fighting to ensure that we get the money we need for the Bundeswehr and thus for our security," said Kramp-Karrenbauer on the current situation.

"Incidentally, we have also promised to do so with a view to international obligations, for example in NATO."

Large armaments projects should not be at the expense of the equipment for the individual soldiers.

"In the past, it was often the opposite and it was wrong," she said.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210107-99-927253 / 2

Ministry of Defense