Dealing with Russia and rearmament – Prominent SPD politicians oppose the German government’s foreign policy

Translation: SPD – Social Democrats fyi:
Dealing with Russia and rearmament

Prominent SPD politicians oppose the German government’s foreign policy

They are calling for talks with Russia and say that increased NATO spending is “irrational”: SPD politicians such as former parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich are sharply criticizing the foreign and security policy of their party leadership – and thus also the German government.

Rolf Mützenich, the former SPD parliamentary group leader, is among them. So is foreign policy expert Ralf Stegner. Former party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans and former finance minister Hans Eichel are also involved: a paper by several prominent Social Democrats is causing a stir in Berlin. Under the title “Manifesto,” they oppose key elements of the foreign and security policy of their current party leadership—and thus of the entire federal government.

In the paper, which is available to SPIEGEL and was first reported on by Stern, the comrades are pushing for an immediate U-turn in dealings with Russia and on issues of rearmament. The authors call for talks with Moscow and a halt to the deployment of new US medium-range missiles in Germany.

According to the “manifesto,” forces have gained the upper hand in Germany and most European countries that see the future “primarily in a strategy of military confrontation and hundreds of billions of euros for rearmament.” “Military alarmist rhetoric and huge arms programs do not create more security for Germany and Europe, but lead to destabilization and a strengthening of the mutual perception of threat between NATO and Russia.” What is needed now, the authors write, is a “gradual return to détente and cooperation with Russia.”

The comrades also criticize the planned massive increase in defense spending. They consider NATO’s goal of increasing member states’ defense spending to five percent of annual economic output to be “irrational.” In their view, there is “no security policy justification” for a fixed increase in the defense budget to 3.5 or five percent of gross domestic product.

On the possible deployment of new US medium-range missiles in Germany, the authors write: “The deployment of long-range, hyper-fast US missile systems in Germany would make our country a prime target for attack.”

Foreign policy expert Stegner, one of the leading authors of the text, told Stern magazine that the aim of the document was also to realign the debate within the party. The SPD must remain “part of the peace movement,” he said. At the moment, he said, there is “unrestrained” talk about the next land war and conscription. “As Social Democrats, we must oppose this form of militarization,” he said.

The text comes at a delicate time. The SPD is facing a federal party conference at the end of June. Almost at the same time, the NATO summit will take place, at which Germany intends to commit itself to a massive increase in defense spending.

Die Tiefe der Russischen Seele hat es einigen Sozialdemokraten schwer angetan !ping GER&EUROPE