BERLIN — Germany is planning sweeping changes to its development spending, cutting its support to 25 countries — including ending eight bilateral country programs — and rerouting most money for health and early education through multilateral agencies.
The changes, which follow months of internal consultation, are part of a broader reorientation of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, also known as BMZ, toward a more results-focused approach. While many details of the strategy, which is called BMZ 2030, have not been publicly distributed, a BMZ spokesperson confirmed the funding changes to Devex.
Opposition parties on the left criticize the proposal, warning that many of the affected countries — which have not been made public — are low-income and will suffer heavily from the loss. Civil society organizations are also concerned that as Germany eliminates bilateral programs, development-focused embassy officials who help organizations navigate domestic political situations will also see their positions cut.