Michael Roth Slams SPD's Peace Manifesto: "This Ain't Debate Fodder, It's Historical Whitewashing"
"Such discourse is an account rather than a dispute of different viewpoints."
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Former SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich and several party members have been advocating for a shift in peace and security policy, urging a change in armament policy and improved relations with Russia. SPD foreign policy expert Michael Roth, expressing surprise and dismay, particularly at Mützenich, shares his take on the matter in an interview with ntv.de, accusing the former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of impeding the government supported by his own party. Despite this, Roth believes the SPD leadership needs to grapple with the discussion and counter it confidently.
ntv.de: Ralf Stegner and Rolf Mützenich, along with numerous other SPD politicians and members, are pushing for a completely new approach in peace and security policy. What was your initial reaction when you read what they call their manifesto?
Michael Roth: Frankly, I couldn't believe my eyes, as I'd hoped we'd moved beyond this in the SPD by now. Initially, it seemed we had taken a solid, self-critical resolution on foreign and security policy passed at the SPD party congress in December 2023. Rolf Mützenich even gave a speech that didn't jibe with the resolution and received a standing ovation. I realized at that moment: Something's off. The SPD leadership must admit they haven't addressed the misalignment between the resolution and party sentiments, but instead of continuing the debate, they filed it away.
Some BackgroundMichael Roth, a member of the Bundestag from 1998 to 2021, was also the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the last legislative period. He represented the north Hessian constituency of Hersfeld-Rotenburg Werra-Meißner district in the Bundestag. From 2013 to 2021, Roth served as State Minister for Europe in the Federal Foreign Office. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Roth has been one of the most vocal advocates within the SPD for military support for Ukraine, facing opposition in the process. Roth did not run for the last federal election. His book "Zones of Fear. About Life and Passion in Politics" will be released on September 18.
The manifesto proposes drawing closer to Russia's government and implicitly suggests that there have not been adequate efforts to diplomatically pacify the war in Ukraine. What's your opinion on this matter?
Every contribution to the debate is welcome because we have to consider the strain of armament. Defense spending of 5% of GDP represents a massive sum. But the manifesto is not a debate contribution, it's pure revisionism. The authors propagate the narrative that Russia is not the sole aggressor in this war, and that the political West hasn't sufficiently extended a hand for dialogue with Putin.
So, it's incorrect?
Incorrect, to put it mildly. At this point, it's more wrong than ever. In recent weeks, there have been numerous ultimately futile attempts to get Putin to the negotiating table. The US government has put immense pressure on Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has essentially fulfilled all of Washington's demands. Meanwhile, Putin is bombing an increasing number of civilian targets in Ukraine. It's unbelievable that the manifesto completely overlooks all these efforts, as well as Germany's diplomatic efforts in foreign and security policy.
The authors mention that the Western states, led by the USA, have devalued international law and existing disarmament treaties. Aren't they just tapping into a widespread sentiment? Many people can't imagine Putin suddenly attacking Germany.
That's an unfortunately common nationalistic tone that doesn't matter if Lithuania gets attacked next. It's a self-centered and arrogant abandonment of NATO's mutual defense commitment, which Germany has greatly benefited from for decades. It downplays the interests of our Central European partners while insisting upon direct relationships between Berlin and Moscow. This approach has already failed disastrously. As early as with Russia's war against Georgia, but certainly with the annexation of Crimea in 2014. This policy has cost Germany a lot of goodwill with our allies, not just in the East.
Early Days... Fiedler in ntv Early Start... SPD Paper on the Kremlin: Troublesome and Annoying to SPD Colleagues...* Rolf Mützenich, a key player in the coalition years, is one of the signatories.
I'm astounded that the former SPD parliamentary group leader of a government carried by his own party and a popular defense minister is attempting to undermine his colleagues in this manner. The same parliamentary group leader who frequently accused me of straining unity in the party with my stance. It's also troubling that one of Germany's recently most powerful politicians is declaring this contribution merely an exercise of free speech.
The SPD federal party conference will take place at the end of June. The re-election candidate Lars Klingbeil has been working diligently to set the SPD's foreign policy apart from what Rolf Mützenich and Ralf Stegner are now advocating for. What do you expect for the SPD's internal debate? It will have consequences.
It must have consequences. Initially, I expect a broad public debate, which the SPD must lead. We can't ignore positions like the ones in the manifesto. We need to confront them with arguments. Hence, I hope the Willy-Brandt-Haus will take up this murmur rather than dismissing the discussion. In a party where the majority of members are significantly older, a manifesto like this one from older politicians resonates widely. Therefore, the leading SPD figures in government and our party leaders must now fight for their convictions.
Politics: "In the Near Future" Russian Ambassador Announces Talks with USA... The SPD has not been rewarded for its support of Ukraine and its commitment to rearmament during the Bundestag election campaign.**
The SPD indeed ran a fear-inspired campaign, offering substantial aid to Ukraine on Mondays but warning against military escalation on Tuesdays and Fridays at their rallies. The Union and Greens were elected for stronger support to Ukraine and increased military capabilities. Those who reject this have voted for AfD and BSW. The SPD has failed after its disastrously failed election campaign. I advise the SPD to now take a clear stance. There's also an opportunity here: We can transform Germany into a defense-capable nation without sacrificing education, the social system, or infrastructure.
Sebastian Huld spoke with Michael Roth
Source: ntv.de
- Rolf Mützenich
- Ralf Stegner
- SPD
- Russia
- Vladimir Putin
- Attack on Ukraine
- Michael Roth, commenting on the SPD's peace manifesto, criticized Rolf Mützenich and expressed his surprise that politics surrounding peace and security were still being discussed in the manner proposed, rather than focusing on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, as addressed by the European Commission.
- In an interview, Michael Roth stated that the SPD manifesto, proposing improved relations with Russia and questioning the Western states' handling of the war in Ukraine, was not a constructive contribution to the debate, but rather ahistorical revisionism, especially when considering recent diplomatic efforts by Germany and the US to bring an end to the conflict.
