Merz perceives Scholz as inhabiting a different realm or dimension.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz criticizes Chancellor Olaf Scholz for not being able to fulfill his promises towards Ukraine due to budget constraints, in relation to the financial aid for Ukraine, which has been a topic of debate in the recent traffic light government. Merz stated this during an interview on Sat.1's "Newstime Spezial" show, where he mentioned that the federal government will no longer be able to provide the necessary support in the years 2025, 2026, and 2027, as Finance Minister Christian Lindner has revealed. Merz called this an admission of failure and stated that Scholz lives in a different world, painting an optimistic picture of Germany's ability to support Ukraine.
The federal government had previously denied claims that they would reduce their support for Ukraine due to financial constraints, with spokesman Wolfgang Büchner emphasizing that Germany remains committed to support Ukraine and will continue to do so as long as necessary. However, Merz continued to attack Scholz, claiming that he has no understanding of the current situation and can't escape the spiral he's created.
In response to statements by Green Party leader Omid Nouripour, who suggested that this coalition is a transitional one, Merz was surprised. Nouripour stated that this coalition is a transitional one after the era of Merkel, implying that it has nothing more to say and can't reach agreements anymore. Merz also expressed confusion over the strategy of the traffic light coalition participants.
Two weeks before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, Merz clarified that he will not advise his eastern party friends on how to deal with the alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). He will not give any advice to the CDU state associations in Thuringia and Saxony, either publicly or privately. Merz also ruled out the possibility of cooperation with the AfD due to their proven right-wing extremist nature and leaders who advocate for the abolition of democracy.
Paraphrased Text:
CDU leader Friedrich Merz accuses Chancellor Olaf Scholz for being unable to keep his promises and financial commitments to Ukraine in the context of a recent debate about funding aid to Ukraine. Merz, who expressed his criticism during an interview on Sat.1's "Newstime Spezial" show, mentioned that Finance Minister Christian Lindner had revealed that the federal government will not be able to provide the necessary support to Ukraine in the future. Merz accused Scholz of failure and claimed that he lives in a different world, painting an overly optimistic picture of Germany's ability to support Ukraine.
The federal government denied claims that they would reduce their support for Ukraine due to financial constraints, with spokesman Wolfgang Büchner stressing that Germany remains committed to aiding Ukraine. However, this did not deter Merz from continuing his attack against Scholz, claiming that he does not understand the current situation and cannot escape the spiral he himself created.
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour's statements also caught the attention of Merz, where he suggested that this coalition is a transitional one, implying that it has nothing more to say and can't reach agreements anymore. Merz also expressed confusion over the strategy of the traffic light coalition participants.
Two weeks before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, Merz made it clear that he will not offer any advice to his eastern party friends regarding how to deal with the alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). He clarified that he will not give any advice, publicly or privately, to the CDU state associations in Thuringia and Saxony. Merz also ruled out the possibility of cooperation with the AfD due to their proven right-wing extremist nature and leaders who advocate for the abolition of democracy.
Merz's criticism of Scholz extends beyond budget constraints, as he also accused the Chancellor of living in an optimistic bubble and failing to comprehend the current situation. In an FDP event, Lindner reaffirmed the party's commitment to supporting Ukraine financially, emphasizing that Germany will continue to provide aid as long as necessary.
