Want to cause unrest
The SPD and FDP criticize the Union’s planned Taurus vote
March 9, 2024, 3:30 a.m
The question of whether Taurus cruise missiles should be delivered to Ukraine has been shaping political debates for weeks. Chancellor Scholz is against it. The Union now wants to let the Bundestag vote on the issue again. The FDP and SDP are sharply critical of the project.
After Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the Taurus delivery to Ukraine, the Union parliamentary group is planning another vote in the Bundestag on this matter. The SPD and FDP are now accusing her of being irresponsible. “Anyone who abuses the debate about military support for Ukraine as a lever to gain domestic political ground is running the aggressor’s business,” said the defense policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Alexander Müller, to the “Tagesspiegel”. Putin wants to destabilize the political system.
SPD defense politician Andreas Schwartz also has little understanding of the move. He accuses the Union of wanting to “shoot up the coalition” while Ukraine lacks ammunition, spare parts and the necessary air defense in the fight for survival. “That wouldn’t have happened under Merkel because she had political responsibility.” Schwarz himself personally promotes the delivery of the Taurus rockets. “As is well known, the coalition recently passed a motion on Ukraine. I definitely see the possibility of delivering the Taurus in it,” says Schwarz. However, he also points out that delivery is a matter for the federal government.
They want to “play games”
The fact that FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki announced that he wanted to vote for the Union’s planned Taurus proposal was met with incomprehension in his group. “Until the summer break, the Union will probably schedule an election every week on the Taurus issue in order to cause unrest within the traffic light factions,” says Ulrich Lechte, foreign policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, to the “Tagesspiegel”. “Until the summer break, the Union will probably schedule an election on the Taurus issue every week in order to cause unrest within the traffic light factions.” He accuses the opposition parties of “playing games.” Lechte is also in favor of the delivery, but also emphasizes that it is a matter for the federal government.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles with a range of 500 kilometers to Ukraine because he fears that Germany could become a party to the war as a result. Only two weeks ago, the Union parties submitted an application for delivery to the Bundestag – and failed. The Union parliamentary group wants to vote on it again next week. “The CDU/CSU parliamentary group will put the question of Taurus delivery up for a roll-call vote in the Bundestag in the coming week of the meeting,” said parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei to the “Rheinische Post”.