“I think this verbal escalation, although I am myself a friend of clear language, is not good. I also think that the threads of military intervention is not good. [...] Everyone is showing off, without realizing where this could end. One enters a state of disaster in a trance and to this one can only say: wake up!” (Peter Gauweiler)
km. Peter Gauweiler, former Bavarian Minister of the Environment and Deputy CSU Chairman, spoke in an interview with the Russian news portal Sputnik (23 December 2017) regarding current issues in German and international politics as well as on the tasks of a new German government: “We have four decisive points. One of them is the question of open borders and how to deal with those who have already come to us in the last year and a half, in the context of the so-called wave of refugees. The other issues are include the saving of the Euro, the participation in military missions abroad for – I put it in quotation marks – ‘our values’ and the matter of sanctions against Russia. In all of these four points, the new government must set new course.”
Gauweiler, who sued the German Federal Constitutional Court against the Euro rescue policy, referred to a recent judgment of the highest German court: “I may remind you that the Federal Constitutional Court in August this year judged in a sensational decision the so-called ‘Quantitative Easing Program’ of the European Central Bank, as not compatible with the separation of powers and the principle of democracy of the Basic Law. According to this program, bond purchases for 60 billion Euros and larger were made monthly – meanwhile the total amount exceeds 2 trillion Euros.”
Asked whether direct democracy and referendums are just for “populists”, he replied clearly: “Referendums are not a populist question. […] In the end, the sovereign must always decide. And the Federal Constitutional Court has explicitly stated in its judgment on the Lisbon Treaty: When it comes to fundamental issues of sovereignty, the people must be called to vote.”
Gauweiler showed disappointment at the policy of the new US president: “In fact, despite all the controversy, I credited Trump for his election campaign promise, that the Americans would step back from their role as the policeman of the world. Accordingly, I am a bit disappointed that he is doing the opposite of many of his campaign promises.”
As in previous years, Gauweiler rates Russia’s role in world politics and development in that country differently than the mainstream policy has up to now. He considers the constant attacks on the country counterproductive: “I believe that Russia plays an important role. And we must not psychologically treat the Russians any worse now than in the days of Brezhnev. Russia has experienced quite a boom. Anyone traveling to Moscow today sees a great, prosperous, fantastic city.” In view of the sometimes very sharp verbal attacks, he added: “I think this verbal escalation, although I am myself a friend of clear language, is not good. I also think that the threads of military intervention is not good. […] Everyone is showing off, without realizing where this could end. One enters a state of disaster in a trance and to this one can only say: wake up! Of course, Russia has to be integrated into European structures. Of course, the sanctions imposed against Russia were stupid and urgently need to be removed. And of course, there must be a close cooperation between the US and Russia.”
He also defined Germany’s role in this conflict differently from the current German policy: “Germany has a mediator function because of our position. The centre between the Atlantic and the Urals lies between Berlin and Warsaw. We always have to be careful that the boat does not tip over to the wrong side. We can not relax here. Someone like me, born in 1949, never dared to hope that the Iron Curtain would fall, that the Red Army would withdraw so peacefully from Germany, would never have thought that the German economy had such great opportunities in Russia – and vice versa – and that we in Bavaria would enjoy seeing Russian guests shopping over here.” •
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