In response to criticism, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed regret for his statement about “caliber experts” in the debate surrounding aid to Ukraine. Steinmeier’s office reported that he was “annoyed by his formulation” and did not intend to further escalate the controversial issue.
In recent days, Steinmeier has also made self-critical remarks about the “caliber experts,” acknowledging their importance in shaping policy decisions. The CDU, Greens, and FDP have criticized Steinmeier for his comments, accusing him of failing in his role as Federal President and ridiculing experts for political gain.
Norbert Röttgen, a foreign politician from the CDU, noted condescension in Steinmeier’s statements and criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s handling of the weapons systems debate. However, some SPD members defended Steinmeier, arguing that they were merely expressing their party’s peace, détente, and Eastern policy positions.
Despite this defense, critics like Jan Claas Behrends remained critical of Steinmeier’s behavior and the SPD’s Russia policy. Overall, the debate surrounding Steinmeier’s statement about “caliber experts” highlights divisions within political parties and raises concerns about impartiality and roles in contentious discussions.
The controversy began in late April when Steinmeier defended Scholz’s decision not to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles during an interview with FAZ newspaper. He expressed frustration with the German debate on weapons systems and criticized military experts for their enthusiasm and ambition.
Röggen accused Steinmeier of condescending towards military experts while Ralf Stegner defended him as being true to his party’s peace policy positions. Some critics argue that Steinmeier was trying to gain support from voters by attacking military experts who are seen as hawkish.
Despite this backlash from critics across political parties, some experts agree with Steinmeier that Germany should prioritize diplomatic solutions over military action when it comes to resolving conflicts like Ukraine.
Overall, the debate highlights the complexities of foreign policy decisions and how they can be shaped by both domestic politics and global events. As such, it is important for policymakers like Frank-Walter Steinmeier to remain impartial and open to different perspectives when making decisions that affect millions of people around the world.