Wolfgang Schäuble in an interview with “Handelsblatt” did not hide his concern about the current situation – He stressed that Germany’s prestige has been damaged while also referring to Angela Merkel
Mistakes made by himself and his party (CDU) regarding Russia were admitted by the former President of the Bundestag and former Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble in an interview he gave to the German newspaper “Handelsblatt”, and emphasized that “never before have I felt that the world situation is as threatening as today”.
As he said, he recognizes that both he and his party, as well as many in Germany, “did not want to see” the reality. “I’m angry about it,” he said. Already from the time he was interior minister, he says, he should have realized what was happening and underlined that Germany’s prestige has been damaged.
“I talked with my Russian counterpart then about how we could fight Islamic terrorism together. But I could just look at what Russia did in Chechnya. We might even have listened to the then president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, who after Russia’s attack on Georgia warned that “first Georgia, then Ukraine, then Moldova, then the Baltics, then Poland”. She was right,” says Mr. Schäuble, who, however, does not blame the former chancellor for this policy.
Also asked if he thinks Angela Merkel can be included in the list of “important chancellors”, he said it is still too early to put her on that list. However, he referred to Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt and Helmut Kohl.
“Whether Mrs. Merkel will rank among the great chancellors is perhaps too early to make a definitive assessment,” said the Wolfgang Schäuble.
Schäuble was also asked about his statement, that “anyone who gets cold, maybe put on a second sweater”, in view of a winter with an energy crisis. He defended his view by saying: “It is wrong to make big promises to the world. Democracy is not a bargain for opportunity. We must expect more from citizens. What’s the problem with putting on a sweater if it’s necessary?” he replies.
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