The sometimes hesitant behavior of leading Social Democrats after the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing increasing tension in the party. Now SPD faction leader Rolf Mützenich is coming under pressure in his own ranks. In an interview with the Deutschlandfunk he reiterated his skepticism about NATO’s nuclear deterrent concept on Friday and declared that he “continued to have fundamental doubts” about it. Mützenich went on to say: “The deterrence obviously didn’t work the way its advocates said it did over and over again.”
Now Wolfgang Hellmich, spokesman for defense policy for the SPD parliamentary group, has spoken up. “For a few days we have seen that unity and the ability to defend one’s values are more necessary than ever.” In this context, Hellmich reminds the parliamentary group leaders of the coalition agreement in which the government partners made a commitment to nuclear participation.
The defense politician Hellmich in the Bundestag.
(Photo: Christophe Gateau/dpa)
As part of the NATO concept for nuclear deterrence, Germany has committed itself to being able to carry US nuclear warheads to the target in the event of a crisis. The Bundeswehr holds for this task tornado-Jets, but due to their age they must be replaced by 2030 at the latest. According to the coalition agreement, the successor system should be decided at the beginning of the legislative period. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has announced a decision in the next few weeks. Hellmich said the only question left was how to replace the tornado. “The stance is clear,” he stressed.
In the party, Mützenich stands for a consistent disarmament policy. He has considered NATO’s nuclear deterrence concept to be outdated for years. In earlier interviews, Mützenich had already outlined a security order in which NATO would no longer be needed.
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In addition to Mützenich, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also come under criticism. Scholz is reluctant to detach Russia from the Swift international payment system. This is met with incomprehension by party friends. Hellmich also sees expulsion from the Swift system as an “appropriate answer to a war of aggression”.