Top Economist Calls for Central Military Procurement Coordinator at Chancellery

The top economist is calling for a central coordinator for military procurement to be installed at the Chancellery. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Schularick said that instead of investing the 700 billion euros available by 2030 for modernizing the Bundeswehr into future weapons systems, Pistorius is spending a large portion on tanks, frigates, and other outdated technology. The largely debt-financed billion-euro program, which could also boost economic growth if used properly, threatens to fizzle out.

"We have a lot of capital, a lot of industrial know-how, and in some areas still state-of-the-art technology, said the IfW chief, referring to Germany's strengths. "What we don't have are hundreds of thousands of people who want to climb into tanks and drive to the front. That means: instead of more soldiers, more manned vehicles, and more barracks, we must — wherever possible — rely on AI, robotics, drones, and satellite technology. A single and "very slow" ministry is overwhelmed with reorganizing German and European defense strategy, in the economist's view.