Germany: Scholz caught up with the last arms contracts of the Merkel era

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) arrives for his cabinet meeting at the Chancellor's office in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. AP - Omar Messinger

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1 min

In the last days of her reign, Angela Merkel's government approved at the last minute more than 4 billion euros in sales of weapons of war to its foreign clients, the main beneficiary of which is Egypt.

Stupor and criticism, especially in the ranks of the new coalition currently in power.

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With our correspondent in Berlin,

2021 is a record year in terms of sales of arms and military equipment by Germany.

The country has garnered a total of 9 billion euros, including 4 billion approved

in the last days of the Angela Merkel government.

Concretely, this involves the issuance of export authorizations, expected by German companies to deliver frigates and anti-aircraft defense systems to Egypt, in particular.

Critics were heard, because the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz was precisely the finance minister of the previous government, which hastily approved these exports.

The new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna Lena Baerbock, says she wants a tougher law on arms exports, in particular to control the real recipients.

In this sense, the fear of some is to see Egypt, second customer in the acquisitions of German armaments, to send its purchases to Libya or Yemen, war zones where it has interests and where the rights of the man are regularly flouted.

►Read again: In Germany, Olaf Scholz officially succeeds Angela Merkel

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• Olaf Scholz

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• Egypt

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