About two months before the federal election, the SPD accuses the Greens of preparing a coalition with the Union and a federal chancellor, Friedrich Merz (CDU).
“The Greens want to be junior partners of the Union. They’re not playing for a win. They’re literally throwing themselves at Merz’s neck” said SPD Chairman Lars Klingbeil to the “Tagesspiegel” (Friday edition). This distinguishes the Greens from the SPD. Klingbeil said he wants the SPD to emerge as the strongest force from the election on February 23, 2025, and Olaf Scholz (SPD) to remain Chancellor.
Klingbeil diagnosed Merz with a lack of reliability in foreign policy and referred to his position changes on the question of whether Germany should deliver the missile system Taurus to Ukraine. “Merz has changed his mind on Taurus for the fourth time. In the summer, he was in favor, then not really, and now he won’t support the FDP’s motion to deliver Taurus” said Klingbeil: “In international politics, you can’t allow such a back-and-forth like Merz is doing. It’s all about reliability.”
Merz has “too often made foreign policy under the aspect of what produces great headlines” said Klingbeil. Chancellor Scholz, on the other hand, has consistently combined a robust, also military, support for Ukraine with a clear diplomatic approach, Klingbeil said. As international politics no longer consists of just two blocks and the Global South is becoming increasingly important, this is “very decisive in putting additional pressure on Russia.” It is astonishing, Klingbeil said, “that some have only talked about the military and almost discredited diplomacy.”
Klingbeil also accuses Merz of a lack of government experience. Merz has “not yet governed for a week, neither as a mayor nor as a minister, not in the state, not in the federation” said the SPD chairman: “There’s a lack of experience that a chancellor should have.” The Union parties cannot seriously govern Germany, Klingbeil said: “CDU and CSU want to relieve the rich in this country. In total, they want to spend almost 100 billion euros a year, but don’t explain where the money comes from. You can’t seriously govern a country like that.