Germany’s New CDU-SPD Government Ramps Up Militarization, Austerity, and Repression Amid Public Backlash

After federal elections in Germany last month, a new coalition government composed of conservative-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) is set to rule the country. They want to implement a hike in military spending.

The incoming German government, under Friedrich Merz (CDU) as chancellor, intends to invest hundreds of billions of euros in further armaments and plans to exempt all borrowing for armaments from the debt brake.

At the European level, a further 800 billion euros are also to be invested overnight in weapons and armaments. Even the planned special infrastructure fund of 500 billion euros by CDU / SPD is to be largely spent not on hospitals or schools, but on roads and railways, i.e., on civilian war infrastructure.

CDU and SPD are trying to rush the gigantic armaments project through parliament on March 18. They even want to amend the constitution to allow for unlimited military spending. Once the new parliament is constituted on the 25th of March, the CDU / SPD coalition will not have a majority for their project in the new Bundestag. The Merz government will want to position itself as the leader of EU armament in light of the Ukraine war and the Gaza genocide.

The incoming Merz government will implement massive cuts in social services, education, and healthcare, as well as increase pressure for longer working hours and lower wages. To this end, it will rely on harsher repression and police violence, as well as attack fundamental democratic rights, such as the right to strike.

Polls show that a majority of Germans want to see the re-implementation of conscription. The propaganda of the ruling class has been effective. Therefore, a strong left must raise its voice against militarization and war. Since the Ukraine war, daily propaganda has tried to convince the German working class that militarization and arms spending are necessary to protect “freedom” and “our values.”

While the ruling class has ramped up support for militarization, they have been able to distract from the disastrous consequences by scapegoating migrants, Muslims, and Palestinians as the “real threat.” Hence, heavy restrictions on migration are also manifested in the coalition agreement reached by CDU and SPD. For one, they declare, “We will deport people to Afghanistan and Syria.” They also state that they wish to check if “Terror supporters, Antisemites, and Extremists, who wish to get rid of the free-democratic order, shall be revoked their German citizenship if they are dual nationals.”

Similar racist demands have already been made in order to intimidate pro-Palestine voices. Friedrich Merz, during the campaign trail, declared that “those [dual citizens] who wave the Palestinian flag and call for the destruction of Israel shall have their German citizenship revoked.” Under such a ruling, every socialist and anti-genocide activist with dual nationality could potentially lose their German citizenship. This virtually makes German citizens with a migration background second-class citizens, as a white German who is considered a “terror supporter, antisemite or extremist” would not have to fear losing his citizenship.

Protests organized by a broad leftist coalition against the plans of CDU / SPD are planned for the 18th of March in front of the German parliament in Berlin. Other protests are planned in various German cities. It is vital that now, different leftist groups and organizations make broad coalitions against militarization and war.

Picture: Protest in front of German parliament under the slogan “millions for humans, not weapons”