Bundeswehr ‘really in a good place’ – DW – 11/12/2025

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has come out in defense of the reputation of Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, as they mark the 70th anniversary of their existence.

“We are the ones who fly to Denmark and Belgium to deploy combat drones because we can do it and because we can deploy quickly,” he told public broadcaster WDR.

“What I see all the time is – and this is a German phenomenon […] “In no other country have the armed forces been as maligned as in Germany,” he said.

“We are better than our reputation,” Pistorius said. He said that the Bundeswehr “is in a really good place; we are growing up.”

Pistorius also said he hoped to reach an agreement by the end of the week on new military service laws that will come into force in January next year.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also praised the Bundeswehr, writing in a post on the anniversary

Germany is focusing on improving its defense capabilities in view of the threat posed by increasing Russian aggression, as evidenced by Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine from February 2022.

In the past, the Bundeswehr has often been accused of being under-equipped, understaffed and inefficient.

Inflation in Germany slowed slightly to 2.3% in October, the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) said on Wednesday, confirming preliminary data.

The inflation rate in September stood at 2.4% year-on-year.

“After two consecutive increases, the inflation rate eased slightly again in October,” Ruth Brand, chair of Destatis, said on the office’s website.

“Prices for services, which are still rising at an above average rate, were the driver,” he said.

good day From the DW newsroom in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany!

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Bundeswehr, or German armed forces, prompting Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to speak out against the criticism often leveled at him.

But even if the military is in better shape, business sentiment remains bleak in Europe’s biggest economy, a new study shows, leaving many self-employed fearing for their survival.

Read here for our coverage of the top talking points in Germany on Wednesday, November 12.