Overview

• Economics Minister Dirk Panter has pledged to aggressively attract arms and security industry investments to Saxony, targeting industry, SMEs, and start-ups.
• Panter emphasized the urgency of securing a share of Germany's multi-billion-euro federal defense fund to counteract Saxony’s 1.8% GDP drop and 6,000 lost industrial jobs in 2024.
• The minister cited the economic success of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which saw growth due to defense contracts, as a model for Saxony to emulate.
• Public resistance remains significant, with Panter acknowledging past protests against Rheinmetall's proposed munitions plant in Großenhain.
• Political opposition has also emerged, with figures like Ralf Böhme of the BSW criticizing the focus on defense investments as 'baffling.'