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The coalition between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and liberal Free Democrats, was at odds for weeks over how to respond to the surge in energy prices and inflation. The other is that Germans appear just as frustrated with his leadership as the rest of Europe. The cool reception Scholz has received in Europe is just one reason he has retreated inward. Germany’s stubborn pursuit of Russian gas and its quixotic, years-long pursuit of “dialogue” with Moscow in the face of President Vladimir Putin’s repeated transgressions (not to mention Scholz’s refusal to offer Ukraine more robust military support) have robbed Berlin of its credibility, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.Ĭzech Premier Petr Fiala sent a clear signal of what he thinks of his German counterpart’s European aspirations by skipping Scholz’s “landmark” Prague speech altogether. While many European capitals want German coordination (and money), they don’t trust Berlin to lead. The rest of Europe - which has learned to focus on Berlin’s actions rather than its rhetoric - isn’t convinced. “We take this responsibility very seriously,” he told Spain’s El País in an interview last week. In recent days, Scholz has gone even further, intoning Germany’s “special responsibility” to lead, as a major power at the center of Europe. “The historic decisions taken in the past months have brought us closer to this goal.”
“Many people have rightly called for a stronger, more sovereign and geopolitical European Union in recent years, for a Union that is aware of its place in the history and geography of this continent and acts strongly and cohesively around the world,” Scholz told his audience. In late August, Scholz even traveled to Prague with a planeload of reporters to deliver what was billed as a “landmark speech” on Europe at the city’s storied Charles University. That view is shared by the European Commission, but the German chancellor is pushing ahead anyway, even exploring whether the project could circumvent France altogether. Macron has vociferously opposed the plan, which would traverse French territory, arguing that it doesn’t make economic sense. Last week, Scholz visited Spain, where he pushed for the completion of new gas pipeline from the Iberian peninsula to northern Europe to compensate for the supply Germany has lost from Russia. Similarly, his government’s approach to looming gas and electricity shortages this winter has been squarely focused on Germany, rather than Europe. Within hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, for example, Scholz responded by announcing a €100 billion Sondervermögen, a special fund aimed not at European security, but Germany’s. Yet what worries European leaders more than the particulars of Scholz’s gas fund is the growing tendency of the Continent’s largest player to go it alone on key economic and security questions, which they fear will erode European cohesion.Įven as the German chancellor has spoken grandly of how Russia’s war has “breathed new life into the word solidarity” in Europe, Scholz hasn’t been inhaling. Though true, none of those programs comes anywhere near to matching the magnitude of the German proposal. Scholz defended Berlin’s plans, saying other countries in Europe were pursuing similar steps. “We have to find a common solution, otherwise countries with more budgetary flexibility will have an advantage over the others,” Kallas said in Prague. Both Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Estonian leader Kaja Kallas sounded similar concerns, though in more diplomatic language, calling for an EU plan to address the problem. Though the Polish premier has not been a fan of Scholz’s government even at the best of times, he was not alone. This is not fair, this is not how the single market should work,” Morawiecki said on the sidelines of an informal EU summit in Prague on Friday. “The richest country, the most powerful EU country is trying to use this crisis to gain a competitive advantage for their businesses on the single market. The concern is that the German subsidies will give the country’s manufacturers an unfair advantage over industry in other EU countries. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki even accused Scholz of “egotism” and of “destroying” the single market. Berlin’s plan to establish a €200 billion emergency fund to subsidize lower gas prices triggered a furious response from some European leaders last week.
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