SPD sets ablaze hut prior to party congress meeting.
Title: SPD's Internal Ruckus: A Stormy Debate on Germany's Russia Policy before Party Conference
By: Big Red
A ruckus has hit the Social Democratic Party (SPD) right before its federal party conference, with a heated debate brewing over the handling of Russia and the federal government's rearmament plans. The former parliamentary group leader, Mützenich, has launched a bold assault on the current party leader, Klingbeil, and Defense Minister Pistorius with a manifesto that questions the existing Russia policy.
"New Blood, Saving the Government, We've Learned Our Lessons, and Now We'll Do Better Than the Traffic Light Coalition, Good Luck!" So far, that was the plan for the SPD's federal party conference at the end of June in Berlin. Klingbeil has put in a considerable amount of effort to ensure the party can gradually recover after the February election fiasco and regain some peace and government responsibility. However, these plans have been flushed down the drain. The SPD now finds itself in the midst of a highly contentious discussion: What does it actually mean today and in the future to be a "peace party"?
The Conflicting Manifesto Divides the SPD
This heated debate was sparked by Ralf and Rolf: well-established SPD foreign policy expert, Ralf Stegner, and the former parliamentary group leader, Rolf Mützenich. Both have lent their signatures to a "manifesto" by the SPD peace circles. Along with them, three other Members of the Bundestag, various state parliamentarians, former party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans, and numerous former bigwigs of the party have signed the almost four-page text. In its chosen form and wording, this is a frontal attack on the course of chairman Klingbeil, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and the black-red federal government as a whole.
Fiery Feud: A retour to Russia or Maintaining Tensions?
The authors call for a "slow but steady return to cooperation with Russia" instead of a policy aimed at perpetuating hostility. They question the NATO course with massive military expenditures and more personnel, stating, "A return to a policy based solely on deterrence without arms control and high military spending would not make Europe more secure." They advocate for a "peace policy" aimed at joint security with Russia, rather than against Russia. They point out the mistakes of NATO countries, arguing that one-sided blame allocation concerning the war against Ukraine is not helpful. They also question the danger of an immediate Russian attack on Germany, given the superior European NATO forces.
During the traffic light government, this stance, prominently represented by Mützenich, was not always pleasant for often indecisive Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On the other hand, Mützenich led a well-behaved group of parliamentarians for him, even when the entire contingent was already gathered at the precipice, and there was a federal election ahead.
Reliving the Past, but at What Cost?
Retired SPD foreign policy expert, Michael Roth, expressed disappointment that the conversation was not continued but was shelved. Some within the party argue that the leadership should have addressed the imbalance between resolution and sentiment within the party.
Roth himself was isolated due to his forceful demands for more decisive support for Ukraine, partly thanks to Mützenich. "I find it surprising that the former SPD parliamentary group leader is attempting to undermine his own party's government and his own defense minister - the most popular politician in the country – in this way," Roth comments to ntv.de. "The same parliamentary group leader, by the way, who had repeatedly accused me of overstraining the solidarity of the party with me." This accusation could apply to Mützenich this time.
Strong Words from Pistorius: A Sharp Rejection
In a strongly-worded response, Defense Minister Pistorius criticizes the manifesto. He accuses it of being a denial of reality and questioning Putin's refusal to negotiate and de-escalate, rather than Ukraine and nations supporting it. He points to Putin's frequent rejection of negotiations and his escalating violence against Ukrainian cities.
The SPD's parliamentary group's domestic policy spokesman, Sebastian Fiedler, expressed surprise, distress, and annoyance at the manifesto, saying, "It even mentions cooperation with Russia, a war criminal preparing to target more attack objectives."
A Second Look from Stegner: Defending the Call for Dialogue
In an afternoon interview with ntv, Stegner defended his stance saying, "Arming ourselves is not the only answer." We must talk to governments we don't like to stop the war and prevent daily deaths, he adds. It’s not about offering an olive branch to Russia. Nobody disputes that Putin is a war criminal. The question is, what is the alternative if we stop talking?
Stegner chose to publish an open letter, seeking supporters quietly behind the scenes beforehand, instead of discussing the matter in coordination with the SPD leadership.
East German Angle: Unrest in the Eastern Regions
Particularly in the eastern regions, the SPD suffered significant losses during the federal election. Moscow's support for Ukraine and economic disentanglement from Russia are less popular in the region than elsewhere in the republic. The future strategy to regain ground in the east and the connection between peace and defense policies in a beneficial way remains unclear. The guiding resolution passed by the federal board for the federal party conference provides no insights into this matter. It is possible that this Vanguard helps explain the support for the position paper.
Wallstein: A Different Perspective from an SPD Member of Parliament
One of the signatories of the manifesto is Maja Wallstein, a Brandenburg MP for the SPD, who denies that her stance represents an attack on her party leadership or the federal government's rearmament course. She yearns for open debates about returning to a disarmament perspective in the long run and stresses that true defense capabilities should not lead to endless rearmament spirals.
[1] https://www.bundestag.de/resource/blob/554918/18a694fa6528b01307f3d42d08a88968/f2168-220814-VR-Aussenbundesverteidigung.pdf[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/merz-aims-push-higher-spending-german-military-cold-war-2021-05-20/
- The SPD's internal debate over its Russia policy, as outlined in Ralf Stegner and Rolf Mützenich's manifesto, highlights the conflict between the 'peace party' stance and the general-news politics of maintaining tensions with Russia, sparking controversy within the community policy of the SPD.
- The manifesto championed by Mützenich and Stegner advocates for a gradual return to cooperation with Russia, which could potentially impact both the SPD's employment policy and its position in eastern regions where Moscow's support for Ukraine and economic disentanglement from Russia are less popular, challenging the party's long-term prospects in those regions.
