The CDU and CSU want to introduce a motion for a resolution in the Bundestag on Wednesday as part of the government declaration, which could cause a lot of explosives in the traffic lights.
In the paper, which is available to FOCUS Online, the Union raises extensive demands for arms deliveries. Among other things, the federal government is required to “fulfill the promises made within the framework of the ring exchange agreements, for example with Poland and Greece, immediately and in full” and “to make armaments available to the greatest possible extent from available stocks of the Bundeswehr directly for Ukraine and to go there immediately deliver” – including heavy weapons.
In addition, the CDU and CSU are calling for the “delivery of Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 1 battle tanks, which have been available since the end of February, to be decided immediately”.
Scholz could come under enormous pressure. Because not only in the opposition, but also within his coalition, there is approval for the application. Both parts of the Greens and the FDP parliamentary group have spoken out internally for a large part of the Union’s demands. According to reports, individual coalition MPs from the FDP and Greens even toyed with the idea of approving the application. That would cause a fight inside the traffic light.
As FOCUS Online learned from green and liberal party circles, the MPs wanted to try to find a common line in the parliamentary group meetings on Tuesday afternoon. One possibility could be that the traffic light groups do not reject the Union’s application directly, but take the paper with them to the committee meetings and agree there with the CDU and CSU on a common formulation.
For example, Greens MPs in the parliamentary group are said to have tried to convince their colleagues to cooperate with the Union. One should not simply push the paper aside, it said. Both the Greens and the FDP expect that the SPD will try to do just that.
Just now, Scholz had the list of German arms deliveries to Ukraine, which had been requested for months, published on the Internet. In doing so, he is taking the wind out of the Union’s sails, at least in terms of transparency. But an important part of the demand in the application remains: the call for modern tanks, the delivery of which the federal government has so far refused. The Greens and FDP now want to try to put pressure on their coalition partner, the SPD.
