Ukraine tactics in the election campaign
Scholz is trying to attract votes with “Course of Prudence”.
April 27, 2024, 9:31 p.m
Chancellor Scholz is putting his actions in the Ukraine war at the beginning of his European election campaign. At the start in Hamburg, he once again emphasized his no on the Taurus question, even calling the cruise missile by name. “You can rely on it,” emphasizes the SPD politician.
At the start of the SPD’s European election campaign, Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized his “course of prudence” in the Ukraine war. “I am surprised when some say that prudent politics is not right,” emphasized the Chancellor at a large rally in his hometown of Hamburg. “We do most of it, but we do it carefully, at the right time and with the utmost consistency.”
Scholz reiterated that under his leadership, Germany as – as he said – the largest arms supplier, would continue to stand by Ukraine, but would avoid a direct NATO confrontation with Russia. “To those who are worried, who are afraid, I say to them: you can rely on the fact that, no matter how the debates go, the German Chancellor, the government I lead, will take the course of prudence and weigh up the course to act and ensure peace and security in Europe.”
Scholz is being sharply criticized by the Union, but also by politicians from his two coalition partners, the Greens and the FDP, for his rejection of the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. However, according to surveys, the vast majority of the population supports his decision. Against this background, Scholz was accused of having made the decision against Taurus in order to be able to lead a “peace election campaign”. “Peace” is now one of the central terms on the SPD election posters for the European elections on June 9th, on which Scholz and top candidate Katarina Barley can be seen together.
Klingbeil: “I’m grateful for it”
Party leader Lars Klingbeil explained this at the rally at the Altona fish market by saying that the SPD and its former chancellors Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt had repeatedly campaigned for peace in the world. “And our Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz is continuing this policy, in this tradition. And I am grateful for how prudent he is acting at this time when so many things are falling apart.”
Scholz put the war in Ukraine at the beginning of his first campaign speech – ahead of other topics such as the fight against the right and the rejection of raising the retirement age. In a discussion with citizens in Lüneburg immediately before the start of the election campaign, he reiterated his rejection of a Taurus delivery – and even mentioned the cruise missile by name, something he has always avoided so far. The weapon has a range of 500 kilometers and is so precise that “we can directly target a living room,” he said. That’s why he said: “That’s only responsible if we keep control of the target control.” But that would mean taking part in the war and is therefore out of the question.
The fight against the right is also the focus of the election campaign
Barley emphasized that the Ukrainians would not be pressured into a peace agreement. “Only they alone can decide when and how this war will end. Until then, we will support them.” In addition to the issue of peace, the SPD wants to put the fight against the right and for democracy and the rule of law as well as for social justice at the center of its election campaign.
Scholz should play a key role alongside Barley. “He is a central player in this election campaign, and that will be noticed accordingly,” Secretary General Kevin Kühnert announced at the presentation of the election campaign last Thursday.
At the last European elections in 2019, the SPD achieved its worst result in a nationwide election with 15.8 percent of the vote. The polls currently show it at 16 to 17 percent. Scholz will take part in three further rallies in Karlsruhe (May 18th), Leipzig (June 1st) and at the end of the election campaign on June 8th in Duisburg. Joint discussion events with Barley are also planned.