Paris.
Olaf Scholz celebrates Franco-German relations in Paris. The tank dispute caught up with him there. The coalition is seething.
At this moment, Olaf Scholz seems relaxed. At the end of the ceremony in the historic Grand Amphithéâtre of the Sorbonne University in Paris, the Chancellor stands in front of the French President Emmanuel Macron. The statesmen shake hands and laugh at each other. They are celebrating a historic moment: 60 years ago their predecessors, Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle, signed the Franco-German friendship treaty.
the Élysée Treaty was the beginning of Franco-German reconciliation after the Second World War, the cornerstone for a united Europe. In front of MPs from both countries, Scholz and Macron reminded of the importance of the friendship between the two countries for peace on the continent. Appeal to the cohesion of the two states, swear common responsibility in the face of the war in Ukraine.
Scholz holds his almost 20-minute speech bent slightly forward, his right hand usually rests on the lectern. With his left hand he runs along the pages of his speech manuscript, emphasizing words, half-sentences with short ones hand gestures. Macron sits right in front of him. The ministers of the traffic light cabinet are in the audience, as are the members of the French government and numerous MPs from both countries.
Rolf Mützenich and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also traveled to Paris. A dispute broke out between the SPD parliamentary group leader and the FDP defense politician at the weekend, at the center of which was the chancellor and his attitude towards passing on German Leopard main battle tank to Ukraine.
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Tank deliveries to Ukraine: The traffic light coalition is seething violently
At the Ramstein conference on Friday, Germany neither promised deliveries nor allowed other states to support Ukraine with German-made tanks. The Scholz critic Strack-Zimmermann then almost burst out Fury. “History is looking at us, and unfortunately Germany just failed,” the chairwoman of the defense committee accused the chancellor.
Mützenich then accused Strack-Zimmermann of “rituals of outrage” and “gasp” and warned: Those who are now demanding that heavy battle tanks go it alone would look for planes or troops scream. “Rolf Mützenich is the symbol of all the central failures of German foreign policy,” Strack-Zimmermann replied. A conflict in the coalition that had been going on for months erupted more violently before the celebrations in Paris than it had since the beginning of the war.
Scholz does not use the word “main battle tank”.
Mützenich is sitting in the first row in the Sorbonne’s large lecture hall, with Strack-Zimmermann four rows behind. When asked whether the two had to be separated, a member of parliament who had traveled with him answered with a wink: “Not that I know of.” Russia’s President Putin is pursuing imperial goals, says Scholz. “The Ukrainians Ukrainians pay a terrible price for it. But Putin’s imperialism will not win!’ Mützenich claps, Strack-Zimmermann claps.
Read this comment about it: Traffic light coalition dispute: More arguments in the tank debate!
Scholz emphasizes the decision to give Ukraine armored personnel carriers, scout tanks and more anti-aircraft batteries to deliver: “And we will continue to support Ukraine – as long and as comprehensively as necessary.” The word main battle tank is not mentioned. Mützenich claps, Strack-Zimmermann hesitates, but then claps his palms together. Like many Greens, the edgy FDP politician demands from Scholz that he take the initiative to deliver the Leopard tanks demanded by Ukraine.
Scholz is based on Joe Biden
However, Scholz does not follow Strack-Zimmermann, nor does the Polish government, which, for domestic political reasons, repeatedly describes Germany as a target selects. Scholz is based on US President Joe Biden. The Chancellor fears that Germany, as the largest country in Europe, will be exposed to Russia through the arms deliveries. That’s why he only wants to take the next step if the USA, as Europe’s most important partner and nuclear protective power, are in step.
Does the US have to supply Abrams-type main battle tanks for this? Isn’t the US way ahead of Germany? The German government’s delivered and promised military aid for Ukraine contains heavy war equipment and is worth 3.3 billion euros. An enormous sum, Germany is behind the USA among the biggest supporters of Ukraine. However, the US has shipped $26.7 billion worth of material. Can one even speak of a step in step?
Pressure from the USA is increasing
A large part of the German population welcomes the Chancellor’s cautious attitude. However, the pressure on Scholz is growing, according to reports also from the USA. It could be that the Chancellor will soon change course on the Leopard issue, which will Ramstein Conference already in preparation, but not yet ready for a decision. The new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is currently getting an overview of the available tanks and has promised a quick decision.
At a later one press conference After a Franco-German cabinet meeting, Scholz dodged the question of conditions for Leopard deliveries. All further decisions should be made “closely coordinated”, is all he says.
In his speech, Macron does not mention the arms deliveries, and support for Ukraine is an issue at the subsequent Franco-German cabinet meeting. Overlooking the narrow Relationships of both nations, says Macron: “When a Frenchman talks about Germany, he always talks a bit about himself.” The President knows: If he makes demands on Scholz, he has to answer why France does not want to deliver its Leclerc main battle tanks. At the press conference with Scholz, Macron also remains tight-lipped when asked. “Nothing is out of the question,” says the President.
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