In the discussion about further military aid for Ukraine, Achim Post, the vice chairman of the SPD’s parliamentary group, has defended the recent statements of SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch. “Matthias Miersch is entirely right: Ukraine aid must not be played out against the social, internal, and economic security of the people in Germany” Post told the Handelsblatt (Monday edition). “The SPD will not make a thrift plan at the expense of the people in Germany.”
Miersch had previously said, “We can’t give the Ukraine something that we would have to take away from our retirees or local communities.” For this, he was sharply criticized by the CDU and the Greens. Miersch had advocated for a “so-called bridging resolution by the Bundestag” “so that the state can borrow the additional three billion euros for Ukraine.”
Post also advocated for this path. “This allows the state to take on additional credit in a narrow framework, and is precisely what the Basic Law is designed for in such cases” the SPD politician said. Those who did not want this should say where the money could be saved elsewhere, Post added. The other parties should “honestly make up their minds.” “There is no money pot from which one can simply take billions of euros. This goes against reality and has nothing to do with serious budget policy.