Photo: DPAUS President Donald Trump's demand for NATO allies to boost defence spending is driving an election-year dispute between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their centre-left challengers led by Martin Schulz. Merkel has reiterated that Germany remains committed to raising military spending from 1.2 percent of gross domestic product now to two percent by 2024, in line with commitments made at a 2014 NATO summit in Wales. Gabriel warned against an "arms spending spiral" and cautioned that more weapons do not necessarily equal more security. But Gabriel's comments, and Schulz's previous speeches, signal the SPD will push social welfare over unpopular military spending, an approach that could help it claw back its traditional left-leaning voters. While she has reiterated the pledge to reach two percent by 2014, she replied to a journalist's question on boosting spending now: "You are talking about the defence budget, let's talk about the aid budget."

Source: The Local February 24, 2017 13:07 UTC