analysis
In Scholz’s government statement on Europe, it becomes clear who he considers the chief foreign policy officer: himself. The chancellor is trying to mend a few current cracks in the coalition. But the problems shine through.
The times really seem to be over when foreign policy in Germany was only something for elitist debate circles with graying temples – this foreign and European policy government statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz shows again: Through the climate crisis, migration and at least since Putin’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and Scholz’ “Zeitenwende” speech last year, it is clear that these issues have also reached the center of Parliament.
Landed with force on the world stage
And also who the chief foreign politician of the traffic light coalition is – namely Scholz himself. The Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is only a listener on the cabinet bench that day in Parliament, sometimes she puts on a poker face, it seems. For example, when Scholz talks about China policy. The reason for this is the European Council next week, at which the heads of government of the EU members will meet and discuss all foreign policy issues.
The SPD politician Scholz, who was Minister of Labor and Finance and Mayor of Hamburg in the Merkel era, has arrived on the world stage with noticeable force. Lately, he has often proudly emphasized, even today, that Germany is the second-biggest supporter of the Ukrainians after the United States when it comes to civilian and military aid – and contrary to his quiet way of speaking, he calls out quite loudly and firmly to the plenary: “Absolute priority” is combat capability to strengthen Ukraine.
Lost a year?
Both the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance have emerged from the past few months as united and stronger, says the Chancellor. “Our determined reaction to the turning point made a significant contribution to this,” Scholz continues. One or the other may have rubbed their eyes in amazement – because Scholz didn’t always sound like that. Apparently forgotten are the times when he hesitated, hesitated and was downright begged by FDP and Green MPs to deliver military equipment and battle tanks faster and earlier.
“As far as the future is concerned, the chancellor is right,” said FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann in an interview tagesschau.de. “But as far as the past is concerned, we lost a year because of the procrastination of the chancellor’s office” – for example with the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany, which started late.
This is probably what the ironic saying of the Green MP Anton Hofreiter in the plenary debate that followed Scholz refers to: the chairman of the Europe Committee actually wants to mock the two weak speeches of the Union and teases: “In comparison, this one is Government really great!” And he says that as someone who occasionally has critical comments on government policy.
The Green faction leaders and their faction group have a hard time applauding the Scholz chapter on the European agreement on migration, especially internally at traffic lights. The most recent frictions can be seen here: At the weekend there was a lot of criticism from the Green State Council of the European unification supported by Minister Baerbock. Britta Haßelmannn sees an urgent need for change here: “We are responsible for making improvements!” It was an intolerable situation that 23 out of 27 member states had voted in favor of not excluding children from asylum procedures in camps at the EU’s external borders.
Fiery thanks and explicit praise
Scholz, on the other hand, tries to connect: He knows “here in the house the agreement is not undisputed” – and means above all the coalition partner. Everyone would have had to make compromises – but the decisive factor is the agreement itself on the “gap fungus” issue that has been going on for years.
The chancellor received more applause than from the green side and downright fiery thanks and words of support from Christian Dürr, leader of the FDP parliamentary group. But SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich also stands by Scholz’s side in foreign policy, explicitly praising the chancellor’s trip to China at the beginning of November last year, which was also controversial within traffic lights and criticized by the opposition. The foreign minister’s policies are not mentioned, nor is her name. There they are again, the fine cracks in the coalition.
All in all, the government statement and the debate on it paint a realistic picture of the traffic light coalition – we don’t agree on everything, but we pull ourselves together. SPD and FDP are a little closer today. But the last word has an SPD speaker who turns to Scholz and his cabinet with a request to work for a joint sea rescue under a European umbrella when it comes to refugees.
“In this way, a coalition of the willing can perhaps emerge,” says Lars Castellucci. At this moment, a distance between the SPD parliamentary group and the SPD government, similar to the green side, can be seen. After all, the life and dignity of every human being are the foundation of Europe, he continues. And the Green faction leader Haßelmann may clap again.