Led by Minister Robert Habeck (the Greens) the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is putting the parliament’s right to have a say in major military procurements into question, according to an expertise presented by Habeck’s advisors on Tuesday. The Green-led ministry is hoping to save time in the arms-buildup, by curtailing democratic processes. Last April, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) declared the “time factor” to be the essential criterion in his reform of military procurement. In the current procurement reform, transatlantic voices are gaining the upper hand, favoring a rapid upgrading in the Bundeswehr’s capabilities, at the expense of the promotion of an independent European arms industry. This is provoking new tensions with France. Germany is conducting its arms buildup largely within the NATO framework. The military alliance has recently confirmed its armament policy at its Vilnius summit. The NATO members agreed on further measures allowing them “to respond faster and at a greater scale.”
The Local (Germany's news in English) AFP/DPA/The Local/jcw 21.5.2012: "NATO leaders on Sunday gave the go-ahead for the new European missile shield, provoking anger in Russia. The US air base in Ramstein, western Germany, will host part of the system."
Die fragwürdigen Geschäfte Deutscher Banken mit geächteten Waffen aus der Sendung vom Montag, 7.6.2010 | 22.00 Uhr | Das Erste Die Deutsche Bank Tochter DWS investiert Gelder bei der US-Firma Textron, das geht aus dem Jahresbericht 2009 von DWS hervor. Textron verkauft Streumunition, eine Waffe, die von mehr als einhundert Ländern weltweit geächtet ist, auch von Deutschland. [mehr zur Sendung]