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Every start is difficult: Olaf Scholz has to live with the great shadow of former Chancellor Angela Merkel. But his first appearance in the EU was dim. The chancellor needs to be more dynamic and bold.
Olaf Scholz has clearly stated Germany’s position on Ukraine’s territorial integrity at the beginning of the EU summit. He said what was needed and what was expected. But when asked about the consequences of the murder at the zoo by a Russian secret service person, who is already legally classified as state terrorism, the chancellor began to waver. The impression arose that, despite the dark history of deadly Russian attacks abroad, the chancellor no longer wanted to leave responsibility to Moscow.
EU partners are accustomed to the fact that Germany is represented by politicians without major rhetorical claims. As politicians from smaller neighboring countries, or French President Macron, eloquently present their principles and wishes, representatives from Berlin come up with formulas prepared without any significant power.
Weak rhetoric – not unique politics?
For Angela Merkel the vague formula of speeches was a political tool. And Olaf Scholz has promised continuity – but should his statements really be without any outline? He needs to get rid of this ancestral legacy and show a little more verbal clarity.
But it seems that behind the vague formulations lies an undecided policy. No wonder Lithuanian politician Linus Linkevicius spoke openly about a “mystical dialogue” with Russia, with which Putin is trying to question the unity and determination of Europeans.
Olaf Scholz has to deal with the burden of recent decades of social democratic politics, in which a former chancellor (Gerhard Schröder) became a Russian gas lobbyist and thus Putin supporters have long defined the Social Democrat party line. But did not the new chancellor promise modernization in his government statement in the Bundestag? This should also apply to those nostalgic for Russia who do not want to accept the bitter change of times and the Kremlin’s policy.
Is there anything else on the table!
The same goes for Nord Stream 2: the project cost Germany more in foreign policy than any other project in recent history. Olaf Scholz is now fortunate that the licensing authority is close to him and is currently not offering any prospects for an operating permit for this pipeline. So the problem does not seem so acute. But the issue has explosive power, and Chancellor Scholz falters when asked if a ban on putting the pipeline on the list is part of Western sanctions against Putin if it comes into conflict with Ukraine.
It is clear, however, that the answer here must be “yes”, because in these circumstances Germany could never implement an agreement reached in completely different political conditions. So why not come up with a clear statement in advance and firmly say that Nord Stream is on the list of projects that have become unacceptable over the years? It costs money, but it is not a shame and it would be an important gesture.
A little more steering power is required
Of course in Europe there are always reservations about the impression that Germany is speaking in high tones and exercising a kind of supremacy. But when – as at this summit – at the end of the day Germany and France appear before the press together, it shows the necessary willingness to work together. Although this is viewed with suspicion by some EU countries, the myth that the EU is marching at the pace of Berlin and Paris cannot be dispelled.
However, a German chancellor needs to give his political initiatives in Europe a little more momentum. It must be acknowledged that annoying people so much with speeches that they lose the will to live, even the energy to oppose, can even be a political tool. But even in the traditionally restrained North German character there is room for more expressiveness. And let us not forget that it has always been said that behind vague sentences there is a possibility of hiding something that the speaker does not mean.
Of course, Olaf Scholz’s first appearance does not mean that this will always be the case. He can change the shape and sharpen his profile. But this means that he should not hide behind the technical details, which are part of the business of a finance ministry. The chancellor is the man who has to deal with big issues, who has to explain to colleagues and citizens what the government considers fair and necessary. And here it would be good for everyone if there were clearer attitudes.
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