Merkel vows to foot the bill for EU army as Britain prepares to withdraw from the bloc

Merkel vows to foot the bill for EU army as Britain prepares to withdraw from the bloc
ANGELA MERKEL will milk German taxpayers of billions of euros to fund her long-cherished dream of an EU Army, an explosive Berlin leak reveals tonight.
By NICK GUTTERIDGE
PUBLISHED: 19:19, Fri, Nov 18, 2016 | UPDATED: 20:25, Fri, Nov 18, 2016
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/733967/Angela-Merkel-German-leader-tax-receipts-Juncker-EU-army
Angela MerkelGETTY
Angela Merkel will foot the bill for a new EU army
The beleaguered German chancellor has drawn up secret plans to plough huge sums of cash into the controversial Brussels defence force as Britain prepares to quit the troubled bloc.

She will use surplus tax receipts to bankroll Jean-Claude Juncker's crazed military ambitions in a move bound to infuriate millions of ordinary working Germans.

RELATED ARTICLES
EU Army will be a threat to NATO, says Defence Secretary
EU to build Euro-Pentagon run by politicians playing soldiers
Brussels has significantly accelerated its drive to secure its own army following Brexit, with Britain and eastern Europe the main opponents to a force which critics warn will weaken NATO.

The leaked proposal, from Mrs Merkel's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, has emerged just days before she is expected to confirm she will run for a fourth term as Germany's leader despite her flagging popularity.

Angela Merkel and Theresa MayPA
Brussels is pushing ahead with plans for its own force now Britain is leaving the bloc
Jean-Claude JunckerGETTY
Jean-Claude Juncker has upped his call for his own Brussels-led force
It states: "Germany will play a decisive role in further development of the European Union's joint security and defence policy.

"For us there is no contradiction between a strong NATO and moves to strengthen the EU; they are two sides of the same coin."

A number of senior military figures have warned that an EU army will fatally undermine the NATO alliance in Europe, by leeching resources from the crucial alliance which has kept peace on the continent for more than 50 years.

The pledge will dismay opponents of the controversial Brussels force and further underlines Germany's commitment to fully merge Europe's militaries into one gigantic army controlled by Brussels.

Junker pushes ahead with plans for an EU army
Play
Mute
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%

Fullscreen
But other aspects of the leaked policy proposal are likely to please Germany's EU allies, who are increasingly hostile towards Mrs Merkel's leadership of the continent.

In particular Mediterranean countries will welcome the Chancellor's commitment to plough billions of surplus tax receipts into major infrastructure projects and tax relief for ordinary Germans, which should boost their spending power.

The move will be seen as a major concession to EU states fed up of German-led austerity, and represents a break with Mrs Merkel's highly conservative fiscal policies.

Obama's last tour of Europe in pictures
Fri, November 18, 2016
US President Barack Obama on his final trip to Europe as president before handing over power to Donald Trump.

PLAY SLIDESHOW
1 of 21
Struggling Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy have begged the tight-fisted Chancellor to flash the cash in the hope that a German spending splurge will boost jobs and breathe life into the struggling eurozone economy.

The party proposal states - called 'Orientation in difficult times - For a successful Germany and Europe' - will be debated by CDU bigwigs at meetings on Sunday and Monday.

If adopted it is likely to become officially party policy for next year's crunch German elections, when Mrs Merkel is expected to face a tough challenge to cling on to her job.