EU accession "owed to the war"?

Steinbrück sees Ukraine “far away” from admission criteria

Created: 06/23/2022, 12:14 p.m

Peer Steinbrück as a guest on "Maischberger" (ARD).

© ARD media library (screenshot)

The former SPD Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück paints a bleak picture of the future in "Maischberger".

Barbara Schöneberger, on the other hand, is joking.

Berlin – Peer Steinbrück, the SPD chancellor candidate from 2013, cuts a good figure in the political talk at “Maischberger” in the first.

He resonates with the audience, who eagerly applaud his comments.

Entertainer Barbara Schöneberger, also for the interview on the show, comments - actually asked about her opinion of Olaf Scholz - "Where's Peer Steinbrück when you need him?!" ?” colleague laughing and Schöneberger says: “Let’s run out quickly, then we’ll catch him!”

In fact, Steinbrück, who retired from big politics in 2016, is self-confident with Maischberger.

The man from Hamburg, who, unlike when he was active, sits in a casual outfit without a tie in the ARD armchair, seems as if he is far from finished with politics.

With a firm voice, he counts the most important questions of the coming legislature on his fingers: the consequences of Corona, foreign and security policy of the German Armed Forces, Ukraine's recovery plan, climate change, digitization, affordable housing, "the state of our schools" and ensuring a “demography-proof old-age provision”.

The clear words are received by the studio audience, who thank Steinbrück with applause.

"Maischberger" - these guests discussed with:

• Peer Steinbrück (SPD) -

  former Federal Minister of Finance

• Barbara Schöneberger -

  moderator

As experts: 

• Ulrich Wickert -

  author

  ,

  presenter, producer

• Michael Bröcker -

  Editor-in-Chief of "The Pioneer"

• Ulrike Herrmann -

  business correspondent for "taz"

He also doesn't mince his words when it comes to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The term "turning point" was correct, says the former finance minister, but the brief praise is only the start of clear Scholz criticism: "Politically, this turning point was not sufficiently explained," said Steinbrück, who described "rough times" with "three to five very difficult years”.

It is important to get the population in the right mood, who as a whole have not yet fully understood what the current turning point in time actually entails.

Scholz had to “impart the consequences better,” demands the SPD man.

Steinbrück is taking this task into his own hands at Maischberger: There will be “a clear slowdown in growth” and “clear pressure on public finances”.

Steinbrück considers compliance with the debt brake, which his successor, the current Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), has proclaimed for the coming year, to be unlikely: "I don't know how he wants to do it without tax increases".

And brings - in line with the SPD - an increase in inheritance tax on the tableau.

Maischberger is skeptical: "I don't know if the traffic light would survive that." Steinbrück, who was Minister at the time of the euro financial crisis, sees the causes of inflation in addition to the war in Ukraine and above all in the financial policy of the European Central Bank ( ECB) in recent years.

According to the SPD politician, they carelessly accepted the "risk hanging over us" through an "ultra-expansive policy of the ECB".

"A lot of money was pumped into the markets" and "should have known that the question is: How do I get the toothpaste back in the tube?" said the ex-minister.

Steinbrück skeptical about Ukraine's EU accession: it's due to the war

Steinbrück is also skeptical about Ukraine joining the EU.

Maischberger records an interview with the late former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who in 2015 called it "geopolitical nonsense" if the EU were to expand eastward and, above all, into Russia's zone of influence.

Steinbrück finds that Ukraine's candidate status is "owed to the war".

In the past, he himself had spoken out against further accession as long as the EU had “not been reformed”.

The Ukraine is currently "unfortunately quite a long way from the admission criteria," said Steinbrück bluntly.

Instead, he calls for a plan for a “future modus vivendi with Russia,” because Steinbrück is certain that “Putin will continue to be a constant.

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Experts for more German leadership in Europe, Steinbrück for more military

This tense situation means there is constant potential for escalation, above all because the USA is increasingly oriented towards the Asia-Pacific region and "expects more responsibility from Europe".

According to Steinbrück, Germany should play a leading role here.

The group of experts is also debating this.

SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil had held out the prospect of this leadership role in the Bundestag and the former "Tagesthemen" moderator Ulrich Wickert agrees: the European neighbors would support this leadership, Germany must now also deliver in terms of security policy.

The Pioneer Editor-in-Chief

Michael Bröcker agrees: "Scholz has to show that he can also be a military leader one day." Only "taz" business correspondent Ulrike Herrmann disagrees and finds that the Europeans should "act in unison" with the Americans, it is "ludicrous that the SPD now wants a leadership role".

Steinbrück also attests that the Bundeswehr is a "difficult topic" for the Greens and his own party, "because we suddenly realize that the Bundeswehr is not the technical relief organization".

Nevertheless, it is right to “significantly increase deterrence”.

Barbara Schöneberger describes her independence as a great strength

Steinbrück does not out of hand show that the current situation, the dependence on Russia, has something to do with the wrong policy of the past few years and admits: "We were blind and we were naive, and criminally naive." Chancellor Gerhard Schröder destroyed his "life's work" and himself "also for the history books".

Barbara Schöneberger also praises independence – if only on a private level.

It was the only thing her mother, a housewife, advised her in relation to life: "Be independent".

She managed to do that, according to the successful media woman, it was probably her “great strength”.

Conclusion of the “Maischberger.

The week” talks

In the show, Ulrich Wickert demonstrates a strange wit and comments on a new neologism in Maischberger: "scholzen".

In Ukraine, this is a synonym for not sticking to agreements, Maischberger explains.

Wickert, on the other hand, finds: "Scholzen follows Merkeln and means explaining political decisions without emotion".

He adds: "By the way, Scholzen is the opposite of Haben".