Scholz to address Bundestag today

Wednesday 26th June

Good morning.

A short and sweet post today.

The top story this morning is Olaf Scholz’s Regierungserklärung (government statement), which he is set to deliver to the Bundestag this afternoon. Officially, the 25-minute long statement will address the two-day meeting of the Council of Europe (meeting between EU27 heads of government) starting this Thursday, and the NATO summit in Washington DC on 9th-11th July. But the papers are pitching this as a moment for Scholz to show strength and call for unity amongst his party. His address to a meeting of his party’s ‘fraction’ (parliamentary party) yesterday, with an overarching message of unity, reportedly went well. That came as a surprise, given that SPD ‘fraction’ leader Rolf Mützenich (pictured, right) gave a feisty speech to reporters just before heading in, demanding an agreement on the Budget by ‘next week at the latest’ (the deadline is already the 3rd of July).

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa

In Spiegel’s top article today, Berlin correspondent Marina Kormbaki sums up Scholz’s position:

In his government statement today in the Bundestag, he should garner support. Officially, it should be about the upcoming EU summit and the upcoming NATO summit. "As in the group (meeting of the parliamentary party yesterday), the chancellor could try to present Germany as an anchor of stability in stormy times" "The message: It all depends on us, the budget must not fail."

This follows a period of — to put it lightly— turbulence for the Chancellor and his party, the SPD. They were roundly beaten in the EU elections, finishing third nationally and fourth in the East (see my breakdown of the results here). You can expect a report on the reception of Scholz’s speech to the Bundestag in tomorrow’s post.

See also:

Die Zeit has a piece on further development’s in the SPD’s deportation plan, in which migrants (including those granted asylum) will be sent back to their country of origin, including places like Syria and Afghanistan. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is now considering a policy in which even one post on social media deemed to ‘glorify terrorism’ would be grounds for deportation.