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The SPD has been struggling with the purchase of armed drones for the Bundeswehr for years. The group wants to postpone the decision on this. This causes problems for the coalition partner and costs the SPD its defense experts.
Armed drones, yes or no? The SPD is now opposing the Union on this issue, at least for the remaining legislative period. The parliamentary group agreed not to accept the Bundeswehr purchase requested by the CDU-led Defense Ministry. SPD defense expert Fritz Felgentreu announced it on Twitter and at the same time resigned from his post.
Earlier, faction leader Rolf Mützenich had joined party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans’ concerns, write the newspapers of the Funke media group. Mützenich told today’s parliamentary group meeting that the “broad and detailed debate” on the controversial arms project called for in the coalition agreement with the Union has not yet taken place.
“The decision presents me with a dilemma”
Felgentreu drew his consequences from the drone dispute and announced his resignation as defense policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group. The decision of his parliamentary group presents him with a “dilemma”. Either you dissociate yourself from him and, therefore, you are against your own party or you lose your credibility because you do not really agree. That is why he resigns from his position. In the debate on the use of drones in the armed forces, Felgentreu indicated that they agreed, but on the condition that they only serve to protect soldiers and not for targeted assassinations or autonomous operations.
Kramp-Karrenbauer is ready for a purchase
With the decision, the SPD parliamentary group runs the risk of fighting with its coalition partner Union. There have already been allegations that the SPD is endangering the lives and physical integrity of Bundeswehr soldiers by blocking the weapons project. According to the Funke report, Mützenich rejected the criticism. Even if the Bundestag decided in the coming weeks, the drones would only be armed after the Bundestag elections. So submitting to the pressure of time now is politically unwise, as quoted. On the contrary, he believes that it is politically and ethically necessary for the new Bundestag to vote.
The Federal Ministry of Defense had organized several public debates this year, after which the head of department Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) made the decision to buy armed drones. The military leadership of the Bundeswehr also strongly supports the acquisition.
In the 2013 and 2018 coalition agreements, the SPD enforced that a “detailed international, constitutional and ethical review” of the new weapons systems must take place before the Bundestag can vote on weapons.
