Head of State Federal President - Steinmeier Faces Backlash Over "Expert Caliber" Remark
Politicians from various parties have attacked Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for comments about Germany's assistance to Ukraine. The head of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), branded him as having a flawed comprehension of his role. "Rather than performing his function as Federal President by addressing the people to discuss the severity of the scenario, he instead mocks professionals in order to boost the SPD's election marketing campaign," Strack-Zimmermann informed Tagesspiegel. This was "totally unacceptable."
In the FAZ readers' conference in Frankfurt on Friday, Steinmeier mentioned the following about Chancellor Olaf Scholz's (SPD) refusal to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles: "To be sincere, considering the magnitude of the armaments we're currently providing, I believe the German government deserves some room to decide what to provide and what not to provide."
At the same time, he articulated his frustration with Germany's discussion on armed forces. "Absolutely, you need to deliberate over everything," the Federal President said. "The military and caliber specialists alike are engaging in this debate with growing fervor." Following two years of war and Ukraine's praiseworthy support from Germany, it's "not a bad interim result" that the majority of citizens still endorse Scholz's Ukraine policy.
Frei: "Respect and restraint"
The First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Thorsten Frei, conveyed to the German Press Agency that Steinmeier should anticipate being treated with respect and decorum within his office. However, this is not a one-way street. "If Frank-Walter Steinmeier interferes in day-to-day politics and ridicules matters that are being earnestly debated in the German Bundestag, he recklessly transgresses the boundaries of his office and must deal with opposition." CDU international affair politician Norbert Röttgen charged Steinmeier in the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper with "ridicule and depreciation" in his statements.
When inquired about the criticism on Tuesday during his journey to Prague, Steinmeier also made reference to the "impressive" efforts made by Germany and the Czech Republic to sustain Ukraine. This encompasses monetary, economic, and even military help. Regarding military aid, he stated: "Please accept my assurance as Federal President that I cannot suggest to the Federal Government which weapons they can manage without, which ones they should inform NATO about and what is advantageous for the objectives that the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Government, has chosen."
The discussion about the potential supply of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine has been going on for quite a while. According to a study published on Tuesday by the opinion research institute Forsa for the RTL/ntv "Trendbarometer," 56% of Germans still reject the delivery of Taurus missiles. In March, 66 percent were opposed to it. According to the most recent poll, 37% of Germans support Ukraine with this weapon system (up from 28% in March).
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Source: www.stern.de
