Germany has lost its prestige as the leader of the European continent… and its leaders exchange insults in Parliament

Last Monday (16 this month), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his rivals were exchanging insults in the halls of Parliament.

That was the last day of Schulz’s coalition government, and he lost the vote of confidence he called for, which means that the country is heading to early federal elections on February 23.

Such a vote is usually only a technical procedure required by the German constitution. Social Democrats and conservatives alike have used it several times in the past to reach early elections.

But this time, the matter was difficult. During the discussion, Schulz directed sharp criticism at his coalition partners, considering that they lacked the “moral maturity” required to hold public office, while the conservative politician and potential next chancellor, the head of the Christian Democratic Party, Friedrich Merz, described Schulz’s deputy. From the Green Party, Robert Habeck, called him “the face of the economic crisis.” Merz, the current chancellor, also described Schulz as a “global embarrassment” to Germany. Schulz later responded in a television interview by belittling Meretz and describing him as “known for his empty talk.”

Personal insults

These personal insults were of a prohibited type in Germany, but now German democracy is under unprecedented pressure from within and without. The loss of decorum during last Monday’s discussion is evidence of this. Germany – the most powerful on the continent – may be destined for a tougher test than anything since reunification more than three decades ago.

Germany is living in a severe economic crisis resulting from high energy prices and decisions based on poor management. Giant car companies, previously a source of pride for Germany, such as Volkswagen, are now planning to lay off thousands of employees. The pride of German engineering may face an extinction-level event once the full impact of Chinese electric car imports hits the European market.

It is true that Germany radically changed its course from the “peacefulness” it pursued after World War II, when it was surprised by the war in Ukraine. But now, as Russia slowly establishes its presence in eastern Ukraine, right- and left-wing extremists in Germany are leading a backlash against support for the Ukrainian war effort. The far-right Alternative for Germany party wants to end arms deliveries to Ukraine and give victory to Putin. This extremist party achieved 18% of the votes, coming in second place, after Schulz’s party, known as the Social Democratic Party.

Extreme left party

The new far-left party is hostile to Ukraine, the European Union, and migrant policy, but supports Russia. It is uncertain whether this party is able to exceed the threshold of 5% of the votes required to obtain seats in the German Parliament, but it has indeed succeeded in changing public discourse.

Interestingly, the far right and far left are set to benefit from a second term for US President-elect Donald Trump, as they share his sentiments against “elites”, immigrants, free trade and globalists, the mainstream media, and international organizations such as NATO. ).

The next elections were scheduled to be in September 2025, but as a result of the collapse of the Schulz government, this agenda changed, meaning that Germany will face Trump’s return to the White House, without an existing government. Depending on the outcome and subsequent negotiations, it may take until May or June for a new coalition to be formed in Berlin.

This is a severe disaster considering the “fragile” situation in France, the second most important economy on the European continent. If the new French government headed by François Bayrou fails, France may head toward a complete constitutional crisis, which would destroy Emmanuel Macron’s presidency once and for all.

Critical situation

Given these major events on the European continent, it may drift leaderless at a time when its future is in jeopardy. Trump promised to impose tariffs on Germany. He threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO, and pledged to bring peace to Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but not all things seem bleak, as the Russian-Ukrainian war has led to undesirable consequences “from Putin’s point of view,” represented by the transformation of… Europe’s center of gravity is to the northeast. Poland and the Baltic states, defending a European security position, have become more powerful on the eastern side of the continent, along with Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic.

These smaller countries are now the new European leaders, while Europe’s major powers (traditional pillars of transatlantic cooperation such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France) are having difficulty keeping their house in order, and NATO’s Northeast Corridor must… Supports the coalition in the dangerous months ahead.

Schulz’s succession

Merz, the most prominent candidate to succeed Schulz, pledged to make more efforts in the field of defense, not only to please Trump, but in Germany’s true national interest. But he did not specify where the hundreds of billions of euros it would take to transform the Bundeswehr into a workforce ready to defend Germany and NATO would come from.

The new Cold War with Russia cannot be won, in light of the presence of the German debt brake system, which is the financial rule that severely limits borrowing at the federal level and in the states, but the matter is not only about defense, as the transformation in the German economy that Merz promised, will not It occurs without more government spending on education, innovation, infrastructure and investment.

Many Germans accept this reality. Decades of inadequate spending have created a crumbling infrastructure that urgently needs upgrading, from smelly school bathrooms to fiber cable networks and armed drones.

The conservative Christian Democratic Party – which has ruled the country for 16 years, out of the past 20 years – must bear some responsibility for the “miserable” state the country has reached. Many rely on their courage to change course and tell voters the truth. With 32% of the vote, they constitute the last major centrist party on the continent, and perhaps in the world.

Absent a miracle, under Germany’s highly representative voting system, they will likely have to form a coalition with at least one partner, either the Social Democrats, the Greens, or both.

This means that politicians who shout at each other need to find common ground, sooner rather than later. The election season is an appropriate time to present alternative visions, because when Germany goes to elections, it will be a vote of confidence, not only on the Schulz coalition government that recently lost, but also on the entire party system, on the German model, and on democracy itself.

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. Schulz directed sharp criticism at his coalition partners, considering that they lacked the “moral maturity” required to hold public office.