Germany Cuts Development Aid 8% in 2025 Budget

11 HOURS AGO·UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO

story

Above: Signage outside the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation in Bonn, Germany, on July 31, 2025. Image copyright: Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

The cuts to economic cooperation and development are sound economics and a strategic imperative in a changing world and of benefit to recipient countries. Germany's decision allows it to reorient its foreign aid just like the U.S. and others, while encouraging impoverished countries to take economic responsibility after decades of Western support.

DasParlament

Government-critical narrative

At a time when the U.S. is withdrawing from the global stage and other actors seek to stake their claim, these cuts may cause irreparable harm to German interests. Using euros abroad not only reduces global suffering but also enhances Germany’s international reputation and ensures European security by fostering stability in other regions.

Deutscher Bundestag