analysis
The Union accuses the Chancellor of deception in the “Taurus” debate. He responded with a counteroffensive. What is striking, however, is who applauds the Chancellor in the Bundestag – and who doesn’t.
The appeal of formats such as the chancellor survey is that all those who otherwise make serious accusations against each other in talk shows and newspaper interviews come face to face with one another. And there they sit now. For example, the CDU politician Norbert Röttgen and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP, who chairs the Defense Committee. Just a few meters in front of them sits the man they accuse of not supporting Ukraine sufficiently: Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Scholz has not been spared recently, especially by Norbert Röttgen (CDU). In a guest article that he wrote together with the Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter, he accused the Chancellor of “catastrophic defeatism”, which can be translated as discouragement, pessimism and a tendency to give up. It should come as no surprise that this text did not spark much enthusiasm among the coalition partner, the SPD.
Scholz wants to “take the bull by the horns”
Discussing individual weapon systems in a heated manner is a German peculiarity that has been repeated again and again since the Russian attack on Ukraine. And as much as SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert would like the “Taurus” debate to come to an end, this very topic is once again being actively discussed in the Bundestag.
Because Scholz apparently suspected that this would happen, he already stated his rejection of the “Taurus” delivery in his opening statement. He wanted to “take the bull by the horns” and explain why he made the decision he did. As Chancellor, he has to make prudent decisions, especially on issues of war and peace. The fact that Taurus is a Latin word and means bull is either a coincidence or a somewhat strange understanding of humor.
What kind of weapon system is the Taurus cruise missile?
The “Taurus” cruise missile is around five meters long and weighs almost 1,400 kilograms. It is equipped with its own engine and several navigation systems that enable autonomous low-level flight through enemy territory. This means that the cruise missiles can be fired from fighter aircraft from a safe distance during war and can hit and destroy targets up to 500 kilometers away.
Since the cruise missiles fly particularly low and are relatively small, they are difficult to hit by enemy air defenses. The Bundeswehr has had the “Taurus” weapon system since 2005. It can be used with the “Tornado” and “Eurofighter” fighter aircraft. The manufacturer is a subsidiary of the defense company MBDA.
The “Taurus” cruise missile is the German-Swedish counterpart to the British-French cruise missiles “Storm Shadow” and “Scalp”, which were developed in parallel.
Scholz accuses Röttgen of half-truths
It is still primarily the Union that is trying to drive the Chancellor ahead of itself. A Union MP wanted to know what the real reason was for Scholz not delivering a “Taurus”. It is one of the common accusations from the CDU and CSU. You are accusing the Chancellor of telling untruths.
The CDU foreign expert Röttgen is also making an advance. He also wants to know why the Chancellor is so hesitant about cruise missiles. It is the only moment in the approximately 70 minutes of questioning in which Scholz’s blood pressure noticeably rises. “Dear Norbert,” he begins his remarks, which sound anything but loving.
Scholz accuses Röttgen of using half-truths to communicate publicly – against his better judgment. As Chancellor, Scholz argues, it is his job to guarantee security in Germany. He swore his oath to that. Scholz counters the accusation of always acting hesitantly, especially when it comes to delivering weapons, with numbers.
He points to the statistics that show that Germany is now one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters. This is precisely why prudence is important, says Scholz. The population has a right to this.
Hope for cracks in the coalition
Even in today’s parliamentary debate, the answers are always the same, to the same questions. What is striking, however, is who applauds the Chancellor for his answers – mostly only the SPD members. The reluctance from the ranks of the coalition partners of the Greens and FDP is clear.
And when praise comes from the AfD, the confusion is complete. A member of the party, which sits on the far right in parliament, expressed his support for Scholz’s prudent course on the “Taurus” issue. And while some members of the Union are laughing up their sleeves, Scholz simply says: “I’m foregoing this support.”
But even if the arguments seem to have been exchanged, the “Taurus” will be the topic again tomorrow. The Union wants to vote again on the delivery of the cruise missile. She hopes that the traffic light coalition will crack. Last time, FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann had already voted for the opposition competitor’s proposal. Maybe there will be a little more this time, is the hope of Friedrich Merz and Co.
But even if an overwhelming majority in parliament approved the CDU proposal, not a single “Taurus” would be delivered to Ukraine. The Chancellor ultimately decides on this. And he seems determined not to do it at the moment.