Dhe SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil has called for a quick review of further arms deliveries to Ukraine. After the reconquest of areas in eastern Ukraine, he said in the ARD summer interview that it was “a huge success that the Ukrainians are having right now”. “It also has to do with the fact that the West, Germany, we have delivered an incredible number of weapons in recent weeks and months. And that must continue. That will continue,” said Klingbeil in the interview that was to be broadcast on Sunday evening. In a second tranche, Germany will supply rocket launchers and the Gepard anti-aircraft gun tank.
“But of course we in the western alliance also have to evaluate: Do we have to deliver more weapons now? And that has to happen quickly,” said Klingbeil. He ruled out Germany going it alone. You have to coordinate closely with the Americans and French. “No country is currently supplying Western main battle tanks,” said Klingbeil: And: “That’s the decision. This must now be discussed among the heads of state and government in view of the demands from Ukraine, also in view of the successes that Ukraine is having right now, what the next steps can be to support this country.”
Former Chancellor Schröder should remain in the SPD
In addition, the SPD chairman spoke out in favor of former chancellor Gerhard Schröder remaining in the party. “That was even checked by an arbitration commission – a legal procedure that clearly said: He made politically incorrect statements,” said Klingbeil. “But he has not made any legal misstatements in the sense that there are grounds for expelling him. And I’ll tell you: Gerhard Schröder was a chancellor who shaped this country, who made many right decisions.” When it came to Russia, however, Schröder was “clearly wrong”. He is isolated in the party.
Klingbeil’s co-chairman Saskia Esken suggested months ago that Schröder leave the party. The internal party criticism of Schröder is directed at his closeness to Russia. The former chancellor is considered a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and worked for Russian energy companies for years.
At the beginning of August, however, the arbitration commission of the SPD sub-district Hanover decided in the first instance that Schröder’s commitment to Russian state-owned companies had not violated the party rules of the SPD. However, several of the SPD branches that initiated the party order process against the former chancellor wanted to appeal.
State should intervene in the gas market
Furthermore, Klingbeil has called for government intervention in the gas market. “I strongly advocate that we also intervene in the gas market,” said the SPD chairman. In addition to intervening in the electricity market, the federal government must also ensure that gas is affordable. Now experts should first look at the possibilities for intervention, as this is not an easy question in the gas market.
Klingbeil said it was about securing livelihoods, including in companies. The bill for the crisis has to be paid in Germany anyway – either at the beginning, through an intervention in the markets, or at the end, through the costs of insolvencies or unemployment. He was in favor of intervening and supporting now.
Meanwhile, Klingbeil refused to apologize to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens). The SPD leader had said about Habeck that in the end it wasn’t just the pretty words that counted in politics. Klingbeil said, “in the end, politicians will be judged by it – and that will be the case with this government and with all ministers, including me as party chairman – whether we can now get the country through the crisis well.” it’s about manual decisions. “And there’s nothing to apologize for either.”
