Government survey: The Chancellor has to answer these questions today

Opinion

Whether history actually repeats itself, even just a little bit, can perhaps be answered this Wednesday in the Bundestag. Olaf Scholz will face the assembled MPs in the government questioning at lunchtime, around an hour is allotted for this. Given the topics and their scope, that seems very limited.

Two years ago, at the beginning of April 2022, many pressing questions arose. In particular about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the German reaction to it. What kind of weapons should be delivered? How far can or must the Federal Republic go in its support?

In the government survey at the time, Scholz emphasized the goal “that Russia does not win this war.” But Friedrich Merz, the opposition leader, had hoped for more clarity. “The Chancellor has answered all the questions that were not asked of him and has not answered a single question of those that we have asked him,” he accused the Chancellor at the time.

Only open questions everywhere

Merz is the head of the opposition, and his office must be dissatisfied with the government’s work. It is quite possible that he has already put together his sentence from back then. There will still be plenty of pressing questions that require an answer from the head of government in March 2024.

Why again won’t Germany supply “Taurus” cruise missiles? Because of distrust of Ukraine? Or because the Bundeswehr would be involved in the operation? And is that actually true? Wouldn’t an exchange of rings with Great Britain, which already supplies comparable cruise missiles, be an option?

“I’m the Chancellor, and that’s why it applies,” says Scholz. But what exactly? Not even his traffic light MPs are satisfied with the Chancellor’s course. And the Union now wants to support the coalition with a new vote on the opposition motion on Taurus -Additional split delivery. Scholz makes it too easy for his opponents – and unnecessarily difficult for himself.

The lack of clarity causes speculation

Of course, the Union’s maneuver is transparent. If the Mikado Chancellor twitches, it enhances the opposition’s clumsy game. But it’s not about Mikado, it’s about war. A clear positioning of Scholz that does not allow for multiple readings (and therefore speculation) would be desirable and appropriate.

This doesn’t just apply to the Taurus debate. A few more pressing questions, without any claim to be exhaustive: What is Germany’s stance on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip? What consequences follow from the eavesdropping attack on the Bundeswehr? How can NATO’s two percent target be met in the long term if the special pot is soon exhausted?

Scholz has to give clear answers to this. Today he has the opportunity to do so. Otherwise, a completely different question may soon arise: whether he, Scholz, is still the right one.