KChancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) sharply rejected attacks by Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) against the traffic light government’s decisions to support citizens and the economy in view of high energy prices. “Anyone who talks about division endangers cohesion in this country. And that’s the wrong thing to do now,” Scholz countered Merz on Wednesday in the Bundestag’s general debate on the future federal budget.
Addressing Merz, the Chancellor said: “Don’t underestimate our country. Don’t underestimate the citizens of this country.” Scholz added: “In difficult times, our country surpasses itself. We have a good tradition of reaching out when things get difficult.” Scholz repeatedly accused the Union of serious failures during the reign of then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
He firmly rejected the Union’s criticism of the government’s course in the energy crisis. It will certainly be “a winter of challenges,” said Scholz. But the federal government made sure that Germany was well prepared. “We’ll probably get through.” The government is reacting to the concerns of the population with three relief packages. “We have done a great deal to get the urgent problems of the citizens under control.” The federal government will “not leave anyone alone with their challenges”.
Merz accuses the government of hesitation
Germany is also on the right track when it comes to securing the power supply, said Scholz. Recently, the possibility was also created to keep two nuclear power plants in an emergency reserve over the turn of the year, “so that there is never a power shortage in Germany”. The government is acting decisively. The Union, on the other hand, prevented the consistent expansion of renewable energies for years during its government. This hurts Germany “even today”.
Scholz defended his policy of military support for Ukraine and warned against going it alone. Germany supported Ukraine “very effectively, also with the necessary heavy weapons,” said Scholz on Wednesday. “We will continue to do so. That is our obligation for as long as it is necessary,” the Chancellor continued. “We will not go it alone by Germans. That would be a grave, irresponsible mistake. And I say expressly to the Union: Anyone who advocates going it alone should not govern this country.” The opposition, but also politicians in the traffic light coalition, have repeatedly accused the SPD politician of hesitation in recent months.
Merz had accused Scholz (SPD) of prolonging the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with the hesitation of the traffic light government. Merz, who is also CDU chairman, criticized this hesitancy as one reason why the war is getting longer and is claiming even more victims. In a kind of general settlement, he accused Scholz of economic policy failure in dealing with the crisis and the rising prices as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Weidel calls for help for small and medium-sized businesses
Merz sharply attacked Scholz, among other things, in connection with his announcement of a 100 billion euro package to strengthen the Bundeswehr. The decisions were made together, up to and including an amendment to the Basic Law. But that ended much of the common ground between the Union and the government. For example, Scholz did not keep his own promise to make more than two percent of gross domestic product available to the Bundeswehr with immediate effect. Instead, the defense budget will be reduced by 300 million euros. “We cannot trust the promises you have made,” criticized Merz.
Scholz and the traffic light government lack any compass in terms of economic policy, said Merz. The government’s decisions to support citizens are a “hodgepodge of compromises at the level of the lowest common denominator”.
He also sharply criticized the plan by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) not to let the last three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany continue to operate normally next year. “Stop this madness,” shouted Merz. Merz warned that the decision could irrevocably damage Germany as a business location.
The AfD parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel has accused the traffic light coalition of driving the country into ruin. “They are ruining this country economically to cater to the irrational dogmas of green client lobbyists,” she said. Inflation and the energy crisis destroyed the middle class and the middle class. Many people are threatened with impoverishment. The coalition is also responsible for “fleecing the taxpayers to the point of annihilating their existence”. Weidel: “You are distributing money that you have previously taken from the citizens several times.” SMEs and industry needed air to breathe.