Merkel accused of 'SUBMITTING' to Donald Trump over NATO spending
Sigmar Gabriel said Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats party was too willing to "bend over" and give in to the US president's demand for defence spending, at the expense of social expenditure.
The minister, a member of the rival Social Democratic party within the current coalition government, said the Bundestag election was a choice between "whether Germany remains a peaceful power or joins Trump’s weapons madness”.
"To double the German armaments rate after the Bundestag election is nothing more than a signal to Trump that they will give up their pressure," he told Welt.
"For me, this is a submission to the US president, as I would not have thought possible until recently."