Criticizes the media coverage on Ukraine, asserts by Scholz
In the limelight, Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, has occasionally felt there wasn't adequate room for critiquing Germany's military aid to Ukraine in the media. He told publications of the SV group ("Nordkurier", "Schwäbische Zeitung") that this is a question he often encounters in citizen dialogues, wondering if the level of assistance is justified.
"It's kind of karma that this question wasn't posed in interviews for a while, and it didn't get much attention in newspapers, TV, and radio." Scholz believes the discourse has been lopsided due to this.
"There was a lacking perspective in the public discourse, an aspect that's been long part of the public discourse." If this perspective had been present, Scholz assumes it would have been simpler to sway more individuals into thinking the aid is warranted.
Scholz advocated for open, critical discussions about diverging opinions. Politics and media should not be seen as a unified entity, he stressed. "The worst possible scenario for our democracy would be if media and politics are perceived as a single entity."
Previously, the SPD politician had lambasted the lack of room for opposing viewpoints in debates about potentially supplying missiles to Ukraine. Simultaneously, Scholz himself had been criticized for not articulating his stance enough. Scholz is against the delivery of such weapons, primarily due to the risk of Germany being pulled into the conflict.
In the interview, he underscored that Germany remains, in terms of quantity, the most significant supporter of Ukraine in Europe. However, this title holds only in numerical terms, as other countries contribute more in economic power.
"In some citizen conversations, Soe, a topic that Scholz often mentions, has surfaced, referring to the appropriate level of military aid to Ukraine."
"Soe, the concern about the justification of the aid level, is a topic that Scholz believes would have made the discourse more balanced, potentially influencing more people to understand the necessity of the assistance."
