A fierce election struggle broke out in Germany the very next day after its leading political forces agreed that due to the collapse of the current ruling coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, an early election to the Federal Parliament would be held on February 23, 2025. It all began with a government statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Bundestag. A major point of the subsequent dispute is the extent of German support to the Kiev regime. Thus, the incumbent chancellor’s red line has been supplies of German long-range Taurus cruise missiles. However, it is not for the first time that his key rival, CDU head Friedrich Merz, opposes the stance.
Olaf Scholz stressed in his speech that Germany is Ukraine’s top helper in Europe and will stay one in the future, but "in this role it must prevent escalation." In his opinion, the country has to do its best not to become a party to the conflict. "So, let me reiterate my position on this issue: I reject the concept when the weapons we supply are used for attacks deep into Russian territory. And I won’t change my position on the supply of cruise missiles from Germany," Scholz stressed.
In response, CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz has belligerently demanded a tougher course towards Russia and Vladimir Putin, who, as Kiev puts it, should be faced with an ultimatum that if bombings of Ukraine do not stop within 24 hours, the "collective West" will lift restrictions on the range of all weapons supplied, and if the attacks do not stop in a week, Germany will provide Kiev with its Taurus cruise missiles. This weapon, "which can be used to strike deep into Russian territory, will help Ukraine seize the initiative," the CDU leader told Stern magazine. However, the brave Mertz stipulates that everything must be done to support Ukraine, "not to join the war ourselves." Moreover, if he assumes office as chancellor after the Bundestag elections in February, a telephone conversation with Putin becomes a highly likely thing.
The CDU/CSU bloc’s main rival in the race will be Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a political pariah with German elites, but not the SPD, which the bloc of Christian parties will eventually have to negotiate a so-called "grand coalition" with to form a new Cabinet. The CDU/CSU bloc has been actively involved in denigrating AfD activities as the latter has outperformed it in East Germany with 30 percent of people’s support. And if you take the entire country, the AfD is second (19.5 percent) after the CDU/CSU (34 percent), i.e. noticeably ahead of the Social Democrats or the Greens.
Small wonder therefore that the AfD leadership is strongly opposed to Merz's victory in the upcoming election. "With him as chancellor, Ukraine will start getting Taurus missiles from Germany, which means that the war will flare up with renewed vigor," AfD co-chairman Tino Chrupalla told the Swiss Weltwoche. Moreover, it is "extremely dangerous" that Germany becomes even more determined to support the Kiev regime after the election of President Donald Trump and changes in the US Ukraine strategy, the politician believes.
The NachDenkSeiten portal’s comment on Friedrich Merz's proposal to "scare Russia with an ultimatum, and otherwise provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles" is saturated with bitter irony. "The brave chancellor hopeful is going to give Putin 24 hours. Then Russia the nuclear power would start trembling before Germany and Taurus missiles, waiving white flags to signal surrender. What an intoxication with power — he has not yet gotten the appointment, but is already voicing this kind of fantasies in big politics," the author writes. And in conclusion: "No, anyone who comes up with proposals like this is not suitable to be federal chancellor. Germany does not need a head of government willing to pursue a policy of further escalation of war or confrontation with Russia. The politics of peace should come to replace that of war — quit politics if you have a different thinking."
Friedrich Merz's "courage" and strident may be explained not only by his unsatisfied ambitions or severe mental trauma inflicted on him by Angela Merkel, who once headed the CDU and the German government. After all, it was her who broke his successful party career and forced him out of big politics into business. As chairman of the Supervisory Board of the American-based BlackRock international investment company, Friedrich Merz seems to have gained both business experience and self-confidence, before returning to the CDU leadership. It is no coincidence that he has promised to "talk to Donald Trump on equal terms" and offer him "deals beneficial to Germany."
