As of: March 10, 2024, 6:40 a.m
By: Stephanie Munk
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Olaf Scholz should finally explain the wiretapping scandal and his no to Taurus in parliament and the committees.
This is what CDU defense expert Wadephul demands in an interview.
Berlin - The CDU/CSU demands answers from Olaf Scholz (SPD): The opposition was actually pushing for the Chancellor to personally attend the special meeting of the Defense Committee next Monday (March 11th).
Scholz apparently rejects this - but will probably have to face the opposition in the government survey on Wednesday (February 13th).
CDU defense politician Johann Wadephul explains in an interview with
Merkur.de
from IPPEN.MEDIA why the Union insists on the Chancellor's answers.
Wadephul is deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and is responsible for foreign affairs and defense.
Bundeswehr wiretapping affair: Union suspects Scholz is lying on the Taurus question
Mr. Wadephul, the Union has demanded that Olaf Scholz comment on the Bundeswehr wiretapping scandal in the Defense Committee.
The Chancellor rejected this.
What do you want from Scholz?
The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has called for the Chancellor to appear in the Defense Committee because there are a whole series of questions about Taurus and the wiretapping affair that only he can answer.
It was Olaf Scholz who caused all the confusion of the last few days through his public statements to journalists.
He gave the impression that British and French soldiers were already on site in Ukraine and that this would be just as necessary for German soldiers in a Taurus operation.
Even leading defense politicians from the ranks of the traffic light now deny this.
Furthermore, the Air Force officers' statements from the intercepted conversation completely contradict Scholz's statements.
This contradiction is still in the world.
The Chancellor should have explained this to the Defense Committee; no one else can do that but him.
Since he is not willing to come to the special session, he will have to answer questions in front of the entire plenary session in the government questioning on Wednesday.
Johann Wadephul (CDU) in the Bundestag.
He is deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group for foreign affairs and defense.
© IMAGO
After the Taurus leak: Union wants to request a report on the wiretapping scandal in the Bundeswehr
So the Union is not concerned with the fact that the officers' conversation was intercepted by Russia, but with the Chancellor's statements about Taurus missiles?
It is also about the circumstances of the intercepted conversation, and we will also request a report from the Defense Committee on this.
Now there are warnings against letting the wiretapping scandal escalate into a major domestic political dispute, because that is exactly what Vladimir Putin is aiming for by publishing the conversation.
Doesn't the Chancellor's summons have the exact opposite effect?
It was not us who caused wrongdoing, if there was any, but the federal government.
Does that mean that we are no longer allowed to talk about such things in Germany and that there is a gag order, so to speak, for the opposition?
We live in a free state and must be allowed to discuss such things controversially.
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at a special meeting of the Defense Committee in May 2022. © Michael Kappeler/dpa
“Chancellor doesn’t answer questions in a completely normal way” – Union accuses Scholz of confusion
But how can Russia be prevented from succeeding in driving Germany apart domestically and isolating it from its partners abroad?
The Chancellor is driving the wedge in by not supporting Ukraine as much as is necessary.
It is now common knowledge that Ukraine urgently needs Taurus.
After weeks of silence, the Chancellor suddenly let the proverbial cat out of the bag during his visit to Sindelfingen: He does not want to hand over control of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, apparently out of mistrust.
This is tough stuff.
To do this, he must answer questions from Parliament.
I also don't want to fight a domestic political battle every day, but I want to concentrate on ensuring that Putin doesn't win this war.
And I would also like to support the government in this.
But Scholz communicates inadequately and, in my opinion, also makes wrong decisions.
(
The interview was conducted by Stephanie Munk.)