For the Good against the Bad – on this simple formula, the social Democrats want the Alternative in the dispute over the extension of the moratorium on arms exports to Saudi-Arabia purr. But the reality of Foreign and armaments policy, it is more complicated. Because the SPD wants the EU with its decision, those countries tied down, want to continue to export military-community products with German parts in the UK. Even if it’s just two German switch to the Export of European products banned. Not to mention the disastrous Signal that the social-democratic part of the Federal government is sending to its EU partners. The will see a greater Integration of the European defence industry at risk, as the French Ambassador in undiplomatic hard Form.
It is true that the US Congress has made because of the assassination of the Saudi dissident Jamal Kashoggi against arms deliveries to the Kingdom. However, the intensity and width of the German debate on Saudi Arabia is surprising in view of the fact that the German share of Saudi imports’s Armor is less than two percent of the total. It’s more about the own Conscience as to the Change of reality. The social Democrats point to polls that 80 percent of Germans are against any Form of arms export. But moods chase no good makes of Foreign and security policy. Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt, did not become great politicians, because they sailed only with the wind from the back.
To the amazement of the social Democrats, the Union arms exports, however, now holds iron – despite the forthcoming election of the Parliament and the country day battles for Europe. Voters are looking not only to content, but also on attitude and leadership ability. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the SPD can be used with your resistance to arms exports points. Much more likely is that it increases the distrust against government decisions – and the opponents of such deliveries, then other arms exports under the SPD responsibility for a scandal. Can win the SPD on this field little.
On the search profile of the SPD over and sits on the Alliance policy and European policy commitments to generous. From the stigma of the Nato armaments output target of two per cent by the then foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, as the presumed Trump-dictation, the SPD has not recovered until today. She seems to have forgotten that a social-democratic foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had signed a commitment with.
Also for the export of military equipment it takes little consideration to Europe. The Germans have pulled out of their violent history and the lost Second world war, the teaching, to see all the Military with suspicion. Other European countries have defended in this period a successful Nation, and therefore a different relationship to the use of military force. If there is to be ever a common Foreign and security policy with a more integrated defence industry in the EU, you have to search for the compromise. The majority of strict German special rules in the sense of imposing, even morally superior, is certainly not European. Rather, one must ask whether it is a Form of nationalism with a clear Conscience.
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dispute on arms exports European Union wants to deliver boats to Saudi Arabia
Hans Month
Because it comes down to this: Europe will be fortified, or it will not be – the majority of Europeans want it. If the SPD ducking in front of this truth, it makes all your confessions to more Integration, multilateralism and European self-assertion in an increasingly uncomfortable world is very, very implausible.
