Germany’s Scholz dismisses critics’ fears as he backs stronger military deterrence

1 month ago 17

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the country’s newly acquired hawkish stance on defence against internal critics on Wednesday, saying that times are calling for stronger deterrence rather than arms control.

Most recently, the German government and the United States agreed to station American long-range missiles on German territory for the first time since the Cold War as part of a wider push to rebuild Germany’s security architecture.

Critics said the step marked an escalation and could make Germany a target for Russian retaliation.

Scholz dismissed these concerns, saying that building up Germany’s military deterrence was a priority when facing Russia’s threat.

“Of course, we would like to live in a world where arms control is very important again. But now it is all about ensuring our security through the necessary deterrence so that war does not break out,” Scholz told reporters at the traditional press conference before the start of the chancellor’s summer holiday.

He insisted that he remains committed to peace, nevertheless.

“I do not follow the polemics of right-wing and left-wing populists and some agitators, according to which you are only in favour of peace if you recommend unconditional surrender to Ukraine,” he said.

Some fierce rebuttals of the government’s decision on American missiles had come from within Scholz’s party, the centre-left SPD.

“The risk of an unintended military escalation is considerable,” warned Rolf Mützenich, leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the German parliament, earlier this week.

Discomfort with ‘Zeitenwende’

The controversy underlined ongoing discomfort in Germany with the country’s military build-up, which the chancellor had dubbed a ‘Zeitenwende’, a turn of the times, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the same time, assessments of the chancellor’s record on deterrence and supporting Ukraine are ambiguous. Security hawks from his own coalition’s ranks have repeatedly criticised Scholz’s support for the country against Russia’s invasion as insufficient.

Despite such mixed feedback on his decisions, Scholz said he sees his own party behind him, underlining his desire to run again at the next national elections in 2025.

“The SPD is a very united party. We are all determined to campaign together in the next federal election and to win. And I will run to become chancellor again,” he said.

[Edited by Oliver Noyan]