The Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed regret for his statement about “caliber experts” in the debate about aid to Ukraine. In an interview, he revealed that he was “annoyed by his formulation in retrospect,” especially because he did not want to further escalate the controversial debate. Steinmeier had previously made self-critical remarks about the “caliber experts.”
On April 30th, Steinmeier defended Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision not to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles and criticized German military experts for their enthusiasm and ambition. He made these comments during a newspaper event, as reported by “FAZ.”
Politicians from various parties criticized Steinmeier for his remarks. The CDU, Greens, and FDP accused him of not fulfilling his role as Federal President and of ridiculing experts to support the SPD’s election campaign. Norbert Röttgen, a foreign politician from the CDU, noted condescension in Steinmeier’s statements and criticized Scholz’s handling of the weapons systems debate.
Despite this criticism, there were voices within the SPD that defended Steinmeier. Ralf Stegner and other members criticized those who questioned the party’s peace, détente, and Eastern policy. However, some experts such as Jan Claas Behrends were critical of Steinmeier’s behavior and the SPD’s Russia policy.
The debate surrounding Steinmeier’s statement about “caliber experts” highlighted divisions within political parties and raised concerns about the Federal President’s impartiality and role in contentious discussions.