Berlin Friedrich Merz does not look ahead, he first looks back: The Chancellor dismissed MPs from his own parliamentary group as “boys and girls” just because they didn’t agree with him, said the Union faction leader on Thursday in the Bundestag. Olaf Scholz had hesitated in Ukraine politics, left many things open and gave evasive answers in the government survey. According to Merz, this is not a sign of prudence: “It’s hesitation, it’s procrastination, and it’s anxiety.”
The truce that the traffic light factions and the Union had concluded the day before with a joint request for arms deliveries to Ukraine – it seems to be fragile again after the first few minutes of the CDU leader’s speech. As leader of the opposition, Merz could have given a state political speech, countered SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a partisan speech. But: “There is no place for party-political profiling here.”
For almost an hour and a half, the MPs debated whether and how Germany should also support Ukraine with heavy weapons. It is only 72 hours since Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) made the planned delivery of Cheetah anti-aircraft tanks public.
Up until this decision, the pressure on the chancellor from within his own ranks had grown steadily. After a trip to Ukraine, the chairmen of the defense, foreign affairs and European committees, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), Michael Roth (SPD) and Anton Hofreiter (Greens), had called for greater support from the country and hesitation from the government accused – and had been dismissed by Scholz as “boys and girls”.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
On Thursday in the Bundestag, the traffic lights closed the rows again. “We quarrel, but we decide – and that’s what counts in the end,” says Green Party leader Britta Hasselmann.
The deputies debated for almost an hour and a half whether and how Germany should also support Ukraine with heavy weapons.
(Photo: IMAGO/Future Image)
SPD leader Klingbeil also emphasizes that the traffic light government must proceed with caution: After all, it is important to make decisions that will affect the next 10, 15, or 20 years – and of a scope that could make the difference between life and death.
Read more about arms deliveries to Ukraine:
Anyone who was hoping for information about whether Ukraine can now count on other heavy weapons, such as Leopard main battle tanks, after the cheetahs is no smarter after the 90-minute debate. The traffic light sticks to its line that Germany is only acting in close coordination with its allies, that military equipment is not the only thing that matters and that an escalation, even a third world war, must be avoided at all costs.
Exchange of blows in the Bundestag over arms deliveries to Ukraine
The flag of the peace movement is still being held up above all by the left and the AfD on Thursday. SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich rightly pointed out that there was a military side to the conflict, says Left Party parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch. And that’s an understatement. AfD boss Tino Chrupalla emphasizes that the alliance between Ampel and Union will only lead to prolonging the war and harbors the danger of making Germany a war party in a nuclear war.
Different tones can be heard today from the Greens and the SPD, both of whom are deeply rooted in the peace movement. Of course, the decision to supply arms isn’t easy, says Agnieszka Brugger, deputy leader of the Greens parliamentary group. But all offers of negotiations, all sanctions against Russia would have been useless. The only thing stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin from committing more war crimes and conquering more territories is the determined resistance of the Ukrainian army, which must be supported.
Merz still finds conciliatory words at the end of his speech
In the end there is also agreement between the traffic light groups and the CDU/CSU. With a large majority of 586 votes, the Bundestag called on the federal government to continue and, where possible, accelerate the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
It remains to be seen how far MPs are willing to go in the end. “We will not let Putin get away with this war of aggression, this war of annihilation,” says Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul (CDU). FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann becomes clearer. One will support the victims of the Russian war of aggression – “until the full territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored”. This could also refer to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Opposition leader Merz found conciliatory words at the end of his speech. The federal government can now rely on a broad vote in the Bundestag to supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs.
However, the traffic light should not believe that the CDU/CSU is now saying yes and amen to everything out of state political responsibility. The Union has formulated six clear conditions for its approval of the planned 100 billion euro special fund to strengthen the Bundeswehr, says Merz. No agreement has yet been reached on any of these points. There is still quite a long way to go here, says the opposition leader to the government factions: “Please don’t take this lightly.”
More: US military strategist: “I doubt that Putin will be successful with his new strategy”