The Greens are demanding more support for Ukraine from the SPD.
Image: Greser & Lenz
The traffic light coalition is arguing about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, an energy embargo and the role of Olaf Scholz. Robert Habeck is now helping to protect him from green criticism.
Dhe traffic light gives off a pretty ridged picture these days. But it is not easy to say where the lines of conflict are. On the one hand, there is the group that is pushing for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. This is partly congruent with those who attest to the Chancellor’s hesitancy and sharply criticize him. The Union also agrees. Opposite them are defenders of Olaf Scholz and politicians who do not find the criticism unjustified, but who do not find public disputes wrong. It becomes even more confusing because the discussion about an energy embargo is just as controversial as about weapons.
The fact that party affiliation does not play a major role is shown by the open exchange of blows between two Greens: Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the European Committee, who traveled to Ukraine in the middle of the week with two colleagues from the FDP and SPD. After his return, Hofreiter attacked Scholz directly and accused him of a lack of leadership. “The problem is in the Chancellery,” said Hofreiter on the “RTL Direkt” program. Habeck disagreed on Thursday. “A government works together. In times like these, it is extremely important that Germany does not allow itself to be divided.” In this respect, he finds Hofreiter’s statement wrong. Party leader Omid Nouripour also distanced himself: That was not the Greens’ line. But Hofreiter followed up in Der Spiegel: “The chancellor is the problem – not only in Ukraine politics, but also in other questions of European cooperation.”