Germany wants a “two-speed EU” on defence. What about Poland?

Germany is leading an initiative aimed at creating a „two-speed” European Union. It proposes that a group of six of the EU’s largest economies bypass the traditional decision-making process based on consensus among all member states. The goal? To accelerate cooperation on defence and industrial competitiveness in the face of rising geopolitical tensions.  

E6 format

At the end of January, at the initiative of the German and French finance ministers, a videoconference was held intended to lay the groundwork for a new format bringing together the six largest EU economies. „The time has come for a two-speed Europe,” said Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s finance minister.

According to information obtained by Defense News, the E6 format (in addition to France and Germany it is to include Poland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands) is to focus on four areas: defence investments, a savings-and-investment union, strengthening the euro, and securing critical resources.

As reported, the German minister in a special document called for closer cooperation on the funds allocated to defence in Europe. The politician also favors prioritizing defence spending in the next multiannual EU budget. Meanwhile, the defence industry should, in his view, become a „motor of economic growth” in the European Union. 

Strategic recalibration

The initiative reflects a strategic recalibration of Berlin’s European partnerships, but carries the risk of fragmenting European cohesion, notes Defense News, pointing to the possible alienation of EU members who supported deeper integration but are not part of the group of six. In response to that criticism, the German side is said to argue that the format will be open to additional participants.

Returning to the strategic recalibration of partnerships, the outlet cites a German-Italian protocol on an action plan for strategic defence cooperation signed the day before the videoconference. In the document, endorsed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, both countries commit to urgently and jointly achieving Europe’s defence readiness by closing capability gaps and strengthening the European pillar within NATO. What exactly will Berlin’s cooperation with Rome cover? As reported, it includes, among other things, an integrated air and missile defence system, while cooperation on unmanned systems or electronic warfare is also not ruled out.  

It is worth mentioning here that the article also includes a thread about Poland, with which Germany also plans to conclude a similar defence agreement. „For the purposes of a deeper assessment of areas of cooperation in security and defence and the identification of specific bilateral projects, we agreed to set up a working group at the level of ministries of defence. Its work will be conducted in parallel, but independently of negotiations on a new defence agreement, which is to be prepared by the ministries of defence and signed in 2026,” the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in response to inquiries from Niezależna.pl. 

German defence budget grows

In 2026 Germany plans to allocate nearly €83 billion to strengthen the Bundeswehr. According to information provided by the Atlas Institute for International Affairs, this budget is over €20 billion higher than last year’s. Data from the Centre for Eastern Studies (Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich) indicate that by 2029 German defence spending is expected to reach 3.56% of GDP (in 2026 it is to be 2.83%). The German chancellor’s plans are even more ambitious. At the recently concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Friedrich Merz confirmed the desire to reach a level of 5% of GDP in the coming years. Merz stated that Europe has entered the era of great-power politics.