New alignment released
SPD admits mistakes in Russia policy
01/22/2023, 1:20 p.m
The SPD leadership presents a policy paper, according to which the party wants to realign itself in terms of foreign and security policy. On the one hand, the Social Democrats want to strengthen Germany’s leading role in Europe. On the other hand, they are breaking with their principle that peace and security can only be achieved with Russia.
The SPD wants to reconsider its foreign policy stance on dealing with Russia and China and show more strength towards both countries. This emerges from a 21-page policy paper by the party’s internal “Commission for International Politics” (KIP), which is available to ARD and “Spiegel”. The SPD presidium wants to deal with the statements under the heading “Social Democratic Answers to a World in Upheaval” on Monday.
According to ARD, the commission, headed by co-party leader Lars Klingbeil, has been working on the realignment of SPD foreign and security policy since December 2021. At that time, the party still believed that the Russian president would not attack Ukraine. In the paper, the SPD leadership now admits that for too long it has relied exclusively on a cooperative future with Russia.
The party therefore wants to renounce the principle that peace in Europe can only be secured with and not without Russia, reports the “Spiegel”. As long as Russia does not change, Europe must organize security against Russia, they say. For this, Germany must assume a leading role in Europe. The KIP is committed to strengthening the military capabilities of the Bundeswehr. One’s own strength is a basic requirement for peace and a rule-based order.
More independence from China
But not only the attitude towards dealing with Russia should be reconsidered. China is also part of the blueprint for a new direction. With regard to Beijing, the SPD wants to build more economic resilience and independence. According to the ARD, the draft stipulates that China may no longer be the sole supplier of raw materials. There must always be an alternative. “It is time that we take more responsibility and show leadership to achieve these goals,” the broadcaster quoted from the paper.
In the future, the SPD does not only want to talk to partners who share Western values. If more than half of the world’s population lives in autocratically governed countries, the paper says, a partnership cannot be limited to democracies.
Members of the commission included parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, Federal Minister Svenja Schulze and Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt, but also representatives of the Jusos. The party’s new foreign policy orientation is to be decided at a party conference at the end of the year.