German Bundestag's Left faction co-chair Dietmar Bartsch

Dietmar Bartsch, the co-chair of the Bundestag's The Left parliamentary group, criticized the proposition of spending €100 billion to rearm the Bundeswehr (Germany's armed forces), according to Der Spiegel.

Germany's Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht had said earlier that the federal government made the decision to create a special fund of 100 billion euros to supply the armed forces, adding that the Bundeswehr's defense capabilities would be fully restored.

“The plan to allocate 100 billion euros for the rearmament of the Bundeswehr is a madness that the Left will resist,” Bartsch said, and stressed that it was his belief that such a move could lead to a reduction in social assistance for German residents.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had earlier said in a speech to the Bundestag that the government would increase its military budget in response to the Ukraine crisis, but specified that this will not impact expenditure on healthcare, fighting climate change, and social welfare.