Unpaid Workers Abandoned — US Allies Step In

Flags of various countries in front of a modern building under a cloudy sky

A US government shutdown left thousands of European workers at American military bases unpaid for weeks, forcing allied nations to cover payroll while Washington’s dysfunction strained decades-old NATO partnerships.

Story Snapshot

Nearly six-week US government shutdown in 2025 halted pay for thousands of civilian employees at military bases across Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain
Germany advanced salaries for approximately 11,000 workers expecting US reimbursement, while thousands in other nations worked without pay
Host countries absorbed tens of millions in payroll costs to maintain base operations and prevent disruption to NATO alliance infrastructure
The crisis exposed America’s fiscal gridlock as a diplomatic liability, eroding trust among European allies already questioning Washington’s reliability

Congressional Gridlock Leaves Allied Workers Stranded

The US government shutdown that began in late September 2025 created an unprecedented crisis for civilian workers employed at American military installations throughout Europe. By early November, the impasse had dragged on for nearly six weeks, leaving thousands of local employees without paychecks despite continuing to report for duty. These workers perform essential functions at approximately 35 major US military bases hosting around 65,000 American troops, handling everything from maintenance and security to administrative support that keeps operations running smoothly across the continent.

Germany Steps In While Others Struggle

Germany’s Finance Ministry took the extraordinary step of advancing salaries for roughly 11,000 workers at US bases on German soil, a move estimated to cost between 30 and 50 million euros for October alone. This intervention prevented financial catastrophe for families dependent on these paychecks while maintaining critical base operations. Meanwhile, thousands of workers in Italy, Portugal, and Spain received no such relief from their governments, forcing them to choose between continuing unpaid work or abandoning posts vital to America’s European defense posture. The disparity highlighted the uneven burden this Washington-created crisis imposed on allies.

Pattern of Dysfunction Undermines Alliance Trust

This shutdown marked yet another episode in a recurring pattern of American fiscal mismanagement that forces allies to clean up the mess. Similar disruptions occurred during shutdowns in 2013 and 2018, when European host nations provided temporary salary bridges with the understanding that Washington would eventually reimburse them. The repeated nature of these crises transforms what should be isolated incidents into a chronic reliability problem. When Congress cannot pass basic spending bills without holding military families hostage, it signals to allies that American political dysfunction has become a permanent feature rather than a temporary bug in the system.

Economic Stakes Beyond Paychecks

US military bases contribute an estimated 2 to 3 billion euros annually to Germany’s economy alone through jobs, contracts, and local spending, creating economic dependencies in host communities that have grown around these installations for decades. The 2025 payroll crisis, while not involving base closures, demonstrated the fragility of arrangements built on assumptions of American governmental competence. Local businesses that depend on base employees’ spending felt immediate impacts when thousands of workers lost income. The situation raised uncomfortable questions about what would happen if Washington’s dysfunction ever escalated from temporary payment delays to actual base closures or major force reductions driven by budgetary chaos rather than strategic calculation.

Diplomatic Damage From Self-Inflicted Wounds

European officials privately expressed frustration that the United States expects allies to meet NATO defense spending commitments while Congress cannot manage the basic task of keeping government operations funded. The optics of Germany having to loan money to cover American payroll obligations inverted the traditional transatlantic relationship in embarrassing fashion. Analysts noted that such episodes feed narratives about American decline and unreliability, undermining the credibility Washington needs when asking European partners to support initiatives from Ukraine aid to China containment. For citizens in both America and Europe questioning whether their governments serve ordinary people or political elites more interested in partisan warfare than competent governance, this shutdown provided damning evidence for the latter conclusion.