"In Germany public scepticism towards arms exports is almost unanimous," said Michael Broening of think-tank the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. "Given its history of belligerence, Germany's public has long viewed arms exports with a mix of moral outrage and helplessness. "For many Social Democrats the current debate about arms exports seems like a golden opportunity to prove their progressive credentials and sharpen their ideological profile." Last October, when the killing of Khashoggi sparked widespread revulsion, Berlin reacted by suspending arms sales to Riyadh. But Merkel also stressed that, "without a common culture of defence exports in Europe, the development of joint weapons systems will be endangered."

Source: The Local February 22, 2019 11:26 UTC