The political fallout from the recent EU summit continues to reverberate in Germany, with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Minister President, Manuela Schwesig of the SPD, offering cautious support for Chancellor Scholz’s position despite his inability to secure full concessions in Brussels. Schwesig acknowledged the current impasse, attributing the setback not to German intransigence but to resistance from other member states. However, she insisted the Chancellor’s underlying strategy remains correct and urged him to persevere.
“It hasn’t succeeded in this moment” Schwesig stated in interviews with RTL and n-tv, “but it didn’t fail due to Germany. It’s due to others. Yet, I want to say that the course the Chancellor has set is correct here and he must continue pursuing it”. This defense highlights the simmering tensions within the coalition government and the challenges Scholz faces in navigating complex European negotiations.
Addressing the contentious issue of potential reparations from Russia, Schwesig offered a pragmatic, if non-committal, response. While unable to guarantee payment, she firmly asserted the principle that “the costs of this war must be borne by the one who started it. And that is Putin and Russia”. This statement reinforces Germany’s official stance while sidestepping immediate expectations of substantial financial contributions from Moscow.
A growing undercurrent of domestic criticism surrounding Germany’s extensive aid to Ukraine is also being observed by Schwesig within her own state. She candidly admitted to witnessing a “very difficult” climate around Ukraine assistance, noting that significant financial support is attracting “very critical” scrutiny from the public. Citizen dialogues, she revealed, consistently reflect these concerns.
While acknowledging the growing unease, Schwesig used the opportunity to reiterate the rationale behind Germany’s commitment. “We must support the Ukrainians” she declared, framing the support as a defense of shared values. “Because there are people there, like us, who want to live in freedom and democracy”. This attempt to justify the considerable financial burden underscores the increasingly difficult task for the government to maintain public support for continued and extensive aid to Ukraine, particularly as economic pressures mount domestically. The diverging views, publicly voiced by a senior state leader, signal a potentially rocky path for Germany’s role in the ongoing conflict and the associated economic consequences.