Situation in border areas has improved under Modi: Pralhad Joshi
Joshi was addressing a press conference on the track record of the Modi-led government over the past 11 years.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Germany's defence awakening is rooted in geopolitical realities
Germany's post-World War II identity has long rested on pacifism, diplomacy, and a deep aversion to military assertiveness. It changed dramatically in 2022 when Russia's invasion of Ukraine jolted Berlin into a strategic reset. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a Zeitenwende — a turning point — announcing Germany would commit 2 per cent of its GDP to defence spending and create a €100 billion special fund to modernise the Bundeswehr. It marked a historic departure from decades of military restraint. In 2025, the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz doubled down on this trajectory. In his first address to the Bundestag, Merz vowed to transform the Bundeswehr into 'the strongest conventional army in Europe.' He coupled this with a sweeping economic recovery package and a tough new migration policy. 'Germany and Europe must become so strong together that we never have to use our weapons,' he said. To realise this vision, Merz pledged unlimited financial backing for the military, and suggested that Germany would shoulder greater responsibility within NATO and the European Union. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius echoed this ambition, suggesting a long-term goal of raising defence spending to as much as 5 per cent of GDP — a dramatic leap from the current ~2 per cent. The Merz-led coalition secured a key parliamentary provision: Defence spending beyond 1 per cent of GDP would be exempt from the constitutionally enshrined 'debt brake'. The legal framework is in place. The ambition is clear. But will the German public support hold? Initially, it seemed so. In 2022, the emotional shock of war in Europe led to broad support for increased military expenditure. Nearly 70 per cent of Germans backed the move — remarkable in a country so wary of militarism. The special fund enabled Germany to order F-35 fighter jets, procure Israel's Arrow 3 missile defence system, invest in cyber capabilities, and digitise command operations. For many, this was not militarism, but a belated correction of decades of underinvestment. But by 2025, that enthusiasm has tapered. A Koerber Stiftung poll from November 2024 found that while 73 per cent of Germans favoured greater investment in European security, 58 per cent opposed Germany playing a leading role if the US retreated from global affairs. Currently, around 55 per cent support strengthening national defence. Support for the far-right AfD, which advocates a more restrained defence posture, has grown. Cracks are appearing in the national consensus. Several fault lines now threaten the sustainability of Germany's defence transformation. First, economic concerns are mounting. Inflation, stagnation, and budget constraints have sharpened debates over fiscal priorities. Critics ask whether Germany can afford to spend billions on tanks and jets while underfunding schools, housing, and its energy transition. With austerity on the horizon, Germans are being forced to choose between security and social services. Many want both — but doubt whether both are affordable. Second, implementation has been slower than expected. Bureaucratic inertia, procurement delays, and supply chain disruptions have hampered progress. The Bundeswehr remains under-equipped in key areas. Reports of soldiers lacking basic gear persist, and many major systems are still years from deployment. If voters perceive the Zeitenwende as mostly talk with little delivery, support will wane further. Third, Germany's pacifist tradition remains strong. On the political left and among younger voters, scepticism toward militarisation is pronounced. Some fear entanglement in foreign wars; others are uneasy with NATO's expanding mission. In eastern Germany, with its historic links to Russia and persistent economic grievances, alignment with the West is more contested. The political implications are complicated. Defence expansion finds strongest support among Merz's CDU/CSU and the SPD. The Greens, though supportive of Ukraine, are divided between their anti-war roots and current geopolitical realities. The Free Democrats (FDP) support spending but worry about fiscal discipline. Meanwhile, Die Linke and the AfD oppose rearmament from opposite ideological perspectives. Parliamentary arithmetic could thus prove tricky, despite constitutional backing for the special fund. Another challenge: Any defence procurement over €25 million still requires approval from the Bundestag's Budget Committee. This postwar safeguard against militarism makes defence planning highly sensitive to shifting coalitions, public opinion, and political bargaining. There's no doubt that Zeitenwende marks a new era. For the first time since reunification, Germany is taking its defence obligations seriously. NATO allies — especially in Eastern Europe — have welcomed the shift. Even the US, long frustrated by Germany's military hesitancy, acknowledged the change during Chancellor Merz's visit to Washington on June 6, with Donald Trump cautiously commending the new direction. But transformation requires more than budgets and weapons — it needs a cultural shift. Germany must forge a new strategic consensus: That military readiness is a safeguard for peace, not a threat to it. This demands political leadership, public dialogue, and tangible improvements in the Bundeswehr's capabilities. Critics who argue that defence spending diverts resources from social needs often ignore a fundamental truth: Without security, prosperity cannot be sustained. Germany's export-driven economy depends on a stable global order — one now threatened by Russian aggression, cyberwarfare, terrorism, and authoritarianism. The days of complacency are over. At the same time, defence advocates must tread carefully. German strategic culture remains cautious. Any sense that the Bundeswehr is being rebuilt for adventurism — or that civil liberties are being eroded in the name of security — could provoke backlash. Transparency, restraint, and adherence to democratic norms are essential. Germany's real test lies not just in spending more, but in spending wisely. That means delivering visible outcomes: Enhanced operational readiness, better troop morale, and credible deterrence. It also means preserving democratic values while projecting stability. The Zeitenwende Plus is not a singular moment but a sustained commitment. Germany must internalise that its global role has changed — not just because of Ukraine, but because the geopolitical environment demands it. A well-equipped, principled Germany can be a pillar of European security — but only if its leaders bring the public with them, not only in moments of crisis, but through steady, transparent governance. In the end, Germany's defence awakening will not be measured by euros spent — but by what it defends, and how. The writer is former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia ASEAN and the African Union
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Congress opted for fresh caste census to make up for image lost in Bengaluru stampede: Shobha Karandlaje
Congress high command asked Karnataka government to conduct a fresh caste census to make up for the damage to the image of the party in the Bengaluru stampede in which 11 persons died, Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, said in Mangaluru on June 12. Speaking to press persons in the BJP's district office, Ms. Karandlaje said that the stampede tarnished the image of the Congress-led State Government. 'The Congress high command's decision to opt for a re-enumeration of castes is to divert the attention from the stampede deaths,' the Union Minister said. Ms. Karandlaje said that the decision is also aimed at dividing the castes further by breaking them into pieces at the deeper level. The Union Minister alleged that the Congress, through caste census, wants to project that minorities are in large numbers in Karnataka. 'It is to help them get reservation benefits. Those who are in majority in Karnataka should understand this design (to help the minorities) of the Congress,' she said. The Union minister wondered how the fresh census can be conducted in just three months as being planned now. CM not attending Niti Aayog meetings To a question, Ms. Karandlaje said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has not attended any meeting of Niti Aayog. 'If he (Mr. Siddaramaiah) is not attending any meeting, how can he put forth the development proposals of Karnataka?' The Union Minister alleged that Mr. Siddaramaiah is only interested in 'playing drama with the guarantee schemes of the State Government'. Ms. Karandlaje alleged that Karnataka government is not handing over land for projects of railways, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and for Namma Metro projects in Bengaluru. 'In the federal structure, the State Government should hand over land for projects of the Union Government. The State should also send its development project proposals to the Union Government if Karnataka is to flourish. But the Congress government is not interested in both,' she alleged. The Union Minister inaugurated a workshop for BJP workers organised on the occasion of Narendra Modi-led Union Government completing 11 years in administration.
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
India suffered 3 setbacks from US: Cong blames govt's foreign policy
Jairam Ramesh said the US' recent statements were both a "challenge and a warning" and required serious thinking Press Trust of India New Delhi The Congress on Thursday claimed India has suffered three "huge diplomatic setbacks" from the US which is constantly hyphenating India and Pakistan and that the Modi government's foreign policy has "failed" as it is driven by domestic political considerations. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the US' recent statements were both a "challenge and a warning" and required serious thinking "when the PM is only interested in playing divisive politics". He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should leave aside his "stubbornness" to call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament. "Yesterday, Indian foreign policy and diplomacy received three huge, undeniable setbacks. The General of the US Central Command gives a statement that Pakistan is a phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism. What is phenomenal? On May 2, 2011, Osama Bin Laden was found in Abbottabad and you are calling that country a phenomenal partner," Ramesh told PTI. So, the first "setback" is the US general giving a "clean chit" to Pakistan, he said. US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has said Pakistan is "in an active counterterrorism fight right now and has been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world". The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, and noted that it cannot be a "binary switch" where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi, Kurilla said during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Ramesh further said, "Failed Marshal Asim Munir, who gave such inflammatory, incendiary and provocative statements, talked about the two-nation theory, Hindus and Muslims, and there is a direct relation between his statement and what happened in Pahalgam on April 22. Same Asim Munir gets a special invitation to go to America on US Army Day on June 14, which is incomprehensible." The third setback is that the US state department spokesperson again repeated that it was US President Donald Trump who was responsible for bringing about a de-escalation between India and Pakistan, the Congress leader said. He said again the US has hyphenated India and Pakistan while Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are completely silent on it. "He (Modi) meets members of delegations but does not have time for an all-party meeting to meet leaders of political parties. Our democracy is based on political parties not on individuals," Ramesh said. Leaders of opposition parties have written to the PM to call a special session of Parliament but the government has rejected the request and instead announced the monsoon session from July 21. "Is he (PM Modi) going to allow a special debate on our challenges with China and Pakistan, and now our challenge with the US. We thought that we were having an extended honeymoon with the US but it has delivered three huge setbacks to Indian diplomacy yesterday," Ramesh said. This is a "failure" of the government of India, of the PM, of his External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, of his Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and of his drum beaters, Ramesh said. "I am shocked that these setbacks have come two days after the prime minister has met the delegation of MPs," he told PTI. Ramesh accused the PM of playing politics by picking and choosing individuals. "We are saying call an all-party meeting, an all-party meeting where you don't determine who will be there like you did in picking delegations," the Congress leader said. He alleged that the government's diplomacy is "totally domestic oriented". "Whatever we do abroad -- how does it play domestically? It is for domestic consumption. All observers are saying that these delegations were for domestic consumption," he said. Ramesh claimed that the foreign policy of the Modi government is being dictated by domestic political considerations. Earlier, in a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh asserted that decades of diplomatic progress cannot be allowed to be weakened so easily. "It is reported that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir has been invited to the event organised in Washington DC on the occasion of US Army Day (14 June). This news is a big setback for India from a diplomatic and strategic point of view," Ramesh said. "This is the same person who used provocative and inciting language just before the Pahalgam terror attack - the question arises what is America's intention," the Congress general secretary said. Recently, the head of the US Central Command also stated that Pakistan is a "great partner" of America in the fight against terrorism, Ramesh said. "The Modi government is saying that Operation Sindoor is still going on. In such a situation, the Pakistani army chief's participation as a guest in the US Army Day is definitely a matter of serious concern," he said. Ramesh said the Trump administration is constantly making statements which can only be interpreted to mean that it is "hyphenating" India and Pakistan. "The prime minister is welcoming the delegations that returned after informing the entire world, including the US, about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism, and at the same time, such news is coming from Washington DC makes India's diplomatic position even more uncomfortable," Ramesh said. "The prime minister should now leave aside his stubbornness and concern for prestige and call an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament, so that the nation can clearly express its collective will and a concrete roadmap can be presented to the country," he said. The statements from the US come days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the country to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
