Chancellor Merz Plans 123 Billion Euro German Military Expansion

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is implementing a strategy to establish Germany as Europe's strongest conventional army by 2039. The plan includes planned arms purchases totaling 123.3 billion euros and the deployment of a brigade to Lithuania, the first permanent German deployment outside its borders since 1945. While Germany remains the largest donor of military and financial aid to Ukraine, Merz has scrapped major arms cooperation projects with France to prioritize national and U.S. industries and has resisted calls for European defense bonds.

This military expansion has caused friction with regional neighbors. Poland and France have expressed concerns over German hegemony, while historian Liana Fix warned that such dominance could lead to instability if not anchored in joint defense financing and deeper European unification. Fix noted that the west, particularly the US-led order, seems to be abandoning Germany.

Concurrent political shifts are complicating these security goals. NATO officials warn that the rise of far-right parties, such as Germany's Alternative für Deutschland and France's National Rally, may erode public support for rearmament. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally has specifically argued that France can no longer financially sustain its aid to Ukraine.