The Federal Chancellor is not a visionary on European policy

In the Bundestag, the chancellor takes stock of foreign policy. Again and again Scholz talks about a “turning point”. However, it has not yet been introduced in his European policy. Germany wants to become a leading power, the opposition criticizes despondency.

It’s crunching behind the scenes: Olaf Scholz in October during a visit to Paris with President Emmanuel Macron.

Rit Heize / Imago

Almost ten months of death, expulsion and destruction in Ukraine. Russia’s attack also put all of the traffic light government’s European policy ideas to the test. Chancellor Olaf Scholz had to initiate a “turning point” in February – the EU and the German government switched to crisis mode. In a government statement before the Bundestag on the occasion of the EU Council, Scholz draws a depressing balance sheet.

But Scholz, who is not inclined to European political emotions, tries to be a visionary. His message: Europe stands firmly together, all of Russia’s ruler Vladimir Putin’s plans for disintegration have failed. Under his leadership, Europe has accepted the challenges. Not only the opposition has a different assessment.

Putin believed he could overrun Ukraine within days and dry up Europe’s solidarity by turning off the gas tap, says Scholz. “But not one of Putin’s plans worked,” Scholz is convinced. “That’s the real story of this year 2022.”

Unusually eloquently, he accuses Russia of a “terrible and completely desperate scorched earth strategy”. The chancellor again promises to provide Ukraine with whatever financial, military and humanitarian support it needs “to resist this vile warfare”. This included power generators and transformers as well as artillery and anti-aircraft systems. In his speech, Scholz meticulously listed the commitments implemented by the government for Ukraine and Europe’s defense capabilities.

Bundeswehr is still waiting for better equipment

Not only Ukraine but also the opposition see things differently. Ukraine has been demanding the delivery of battle tanks for months. Scholz has always emphasized that there are no Germans going it alone. No European country has so far delivered Western-style tanks to Ukraine, the government stoically justifies its refusal.

“After ten months of this war, you’re still hiding behind your partners,” exclaimed CDU leader and opposition leader Friedrich Merz in the Bundestag. “We now know that this is wrong. It’s up to you personally.” When it comes to realigning its defense policy, Germany is lagging far behind the statements and expectations of NATO and European partners.

A few days after Russia’s invasion, Scholz announced a massive build-up of the Bundeswehr, financed by a so-called special fund of 100 billion euros. To do this, the Basic Law had to be changed with the votes of the CDU and CSU. The amendment to the Basic Law was decided under great time pressure, says Merz. However, not a single armaments project has been launched or equipment for the soldiers has been purchased. The money is planned, but the procurement of the Bundeswehr cannot keep up.

Not a word about the Franco-German relationship

According to Merz, Scholz also drove the Franco-German relationship, which is considered indispensable for Europe, to the wall in record time. In his government statement, the chancellor travels all over the world: his trips to China, Japan and Singapore, the transatlantic relationship, the Western Balkans’ EU accession process. He only mentions French President Emmanuel Macron once and says nothing about the partnership with the neighboring country. Among other things, this included his trip to China, which was perceived in Paris as the German chancellor’s solo effort and left a pale aftertaste there.

Convinced of his own actions, Scholz praised his visit to China’s ruler Xi Jinping in front of the Bundestag. “I have clearly stated our concerns about the growing insecurity in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. That was important,” says the Chancellor. Once again he presents Xi’s statements against the use of nuclear weapons as his coup, as a great success of his trip. Scholz adds: “I very much hope that this clear common message has also arrived in Moscow.”

The unrest in Iran, which has been going on for weeks and has killed dozens, is also not included in the chancellor’s government statement. Merz emphasized that he was “almost horrified” that Scholz had not said a single word about what was happening there. People are shot in the street, the country finances terrorist networks like Hizbullah. It would have been right to completely isolate this state, says Merz. “At the same time, the Revolutionary Guards should be classified as a terrorist organization.” While the EU and Germany are still examining this, the elite unit of the Iranian armed forces in the USA is already on the terrorist list.

The chancellor’s assessment of European policy is therefore more mixed than he himself portrays. And Scholz is not considered the architect of the European house, which he would like to be.

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