Heiko Maas stands upright in front of his chair. As it is intended, when the members of the Federal Government are interviewed by members of the Bundestag. The Foreign Minister, candlestick, seems calm. Almost a little too cool, the SPD politician gives his answers this Wednesday in Parliament's Question Time.
Maas is under pressure. Two weeks ago, his cabinet colleague, Defense Minister and CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer surprised him with her initiative for a protection zone in northern Syria, informing him beforehand only by text message.
Maas flew unceremoniously to a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, after which he chimed the proposal of the CDU minister at a press conference in Ankara: The discussion had in conversation with Mevlut Cavusoglu "taken less time than here at the press conference," it was "not a realistic proposal".
Maas's criticism of another member of the government from abroad was highly unusual. But that was not the end of it - shortly thereafter, Maas once again put up with the idea that the minister had "damaged" German foreign policy with her proposal.
So much stuff for a question time.
But it is not just the Ankara press conference that MEPs are asking this Wednesday. There is also his most recent guest contribution to the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is distributed in 26 EU states. Maas thanked many protagonists for their contribution to the 9th of November 1989 and the reunification, but not the USA. Only a summary sentence of thanks to "our friends and allies in the West".
In the Bundestag Maas outwardly does not show. AfD Foreign Affairs Minister Armin-Paul Hampel may be the first to ask. He does not see the role of former US President George Bush and US Secretary of State James Baker adequately in shaping German unity. Maas replies that he worries that the MP "did not quite finish his text", "expressly referred to it" that the reunification and the fall of the wall was "mainly" due to the Western alliance partners. "Of course, in the first place, this is the United States," which was "anything but embezzled."
Also the questions around Kramp-Karrenbauer parries Maas. The CDU foreign policy Gisela Manderla asks after the press conference in Ankara: There he had spoken of "everywhere" was "told us" that the initiative of the Minister was "not a realistic proposal".
"What do you mean by anywhere and who told you?" Manderla wants to know specifically. But Maas is only fuzzy on it. It was talked about "with many European", but also with the transatlantic partners. He even uses his appearance for a small indirect needle-stick against Kramp-Karrenbauer, referring to the first session of the constitutional convention on Syria: "These are the priorities we are dealing with at the moment."
Also a demand Manderlas after the "everywhere" rebounds against Maas. These are "very many", French, British, Americans, "who all want more information, with this information, they are also supplied piece by piece from the Ministry of Defense."
FDP Group with disapproval request against Maas
The FDP Group has filed a disapproval request this week over its Ankara press conference. He is unlikely to succeed, it is not only about attention but also about trying to win the vote of members of the European Union. Also the FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff tries to lure out the SPD minister.
It was "already very surprised" that he had on Turkish territory, the proposal of a cabinet colleague "so ridiculed" whether he regrets this statement?
Maas does not agree with that, but instead speaks the contents of his conversation with his Turkish colleague. "I do not see the problem that you make of it," said Maas to the Liberal.
If he did not disavow the Minister, the FDP faction vice wants to know. He did not believe that "the colleague disavowed that" she continued to hold talks on her proposal with colleagues from other countries.
Finally, the minister turns again to Lambsdorff and justifies his appearance in Ankara in one sentence: "Unfortunately, I can not answer foreign policy advances, which are demanded abroad, with silence."
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