Opposition leader Friedrich Merz uses the general debate in the Bundestag to settle accounts with Chancellor Scholz: not much has remained of his promise to the Bundeswehr, the defense budget is even shrinking – and the energy policy of the traffic light is ignorant. Scholz counters with “Alice in Wonderland”.
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz has accused the federal government of not keeping its defense policy commitments. Contrary to the announcement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after the start of the Ukraine war that defense spending would be increased to more than two percent of gross domestic product with immediate effect, the defense budget would shrink from this year to next, Merz said in the general debate in the Bundestag. “This is a gross breach of promise to Parliament and, above all, to the Bundeswehr.”
The CDU leader was also dissatisfied with the procedure for the special assets for the Bundeswehr of 100 billion euros. “To date, not a single new order has been placed and not a single tender has been published,” said Merz. “The way you deal with your own commitments, Mr. Chancellor, and the way you deal with our partners in NATO and in the European Union rightly triggers alienation and considerable distrust.”
Merz also expressed harsh criticism of the government’s energy policy, targeting in particular Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck from the Greens. In connection with the two stress tests for the German electricity supply, he “deliberately and knowingly deceived the public”. The results “desired” by the ministry leadership were known long in advance, said Merz. The expertise of experts was ignored – “don’t give a damn if it doesn’t correspond to your ideology”.
If the government had reacted to the energy crisis “in good time, consistently and, above all, with the right instruments”, prices would have been higher than before the Ukraine war, said Merz. “But then there would not have been such price swings as we have been seeing for a few months.” In this context, Merz reiterated his parliamentary group’s demand to let the remaining three German nuclear power plants run significantly longer than planned by the government. It is necessary to “really exhaust all resources of energy production”.
Overall, Merz accused the Chancellor of having missed an opportunity. Scholz made a “really remarkable government statement” on February 27, three days after the start of the war. With the term “turning point in time”, the chancellor triggered a “great willingness to change” in the country. Here was the opportunity to “break up encrusted structures”, to set new priorities and “to discard old habits”, judged Merz. Instead, the government is still dealing with the “minor details of your coalition agreement” and is bogged down in “constant arguments” between the ministries.
In his contradiction, Scholz did not let the allegations of missed opportunities sit on him. “And then I hear that you, Mr. Merz, stand up at the CDU party conference and claim in all seriousness that the problem in our country is not the last 16 years of the CDU-led federal government, but the last 16 weeks under the leadership of the traffic light coalition,” said scholz “I can only say: If you believe that, you also believe in talking white rabbits. Welcome to Alice in Wonderland!”
The chancellor emphasized that he not only considered Germany to be resistant to winter, but also to crisis-proof. The risk of an energy shortage in winter has largely been averted. Germany is currently experiencing “a crisis that we can say today: our country has it under control,” said Scholz in the Bundestag. “Germany’s energy security is probably guaranteed for this winter.” This is not only the merit of the federal government, but also because “households and companies throughout the country use energy sparingly”.
For this he wanted to thank the citizens “from the bottom of my heart” – “for so much foresight and public spirit”. The federal government cannot “completely subsidize the increase in energy prices,” the SPD politician continued. “But we reduce it to a tolerable level.” He accused Merz of badmouthing the current situation in Germany. “I cordially invite you, Mr. Merz and your colleagues: work with us on the great task of making our country fit for the future in a world of profound upheaval.”
