On Friday, January 29, 2021, the opposition sharply criticized the German government’s refusal to sign the United Nations‘ Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty, which came into force on January 22, 2021, in a special debate organized at the request of the Die Linke parliamentary group . The multilateral treaty prohibits the use, development, production and storage of nuclear weapons and the threat of their use. More than 80 countries have acceded to it so far, 51 have ratified it. In contrast, the NATO states declared in December that they would reject the treaty. „As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance,“ the alliance made clear.
Left party (DIE LINKE): End nuclear participation immediately
During the debate, the left’s foreign policy spokesman, Dr. Gregor Gysi, demanded that the federal government to withdraw US nuclear weapons from Germany and thus to end nuclear participation immediately. It is important to support every step „to get rid of this scourge of humanity“.
Germany bears this responsibility because of its history. Out of 30 NATO member states, only five would have such nuclear participation, 25 could do without it, Gysi emphasized. „And if a nuclear bomb is ever used from Germany, the answer will be Germany and not the USA,“ he warned.
Green Party: Nuclear deterrence doesn’t work
Katja Keul (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen) described the nuclear weapons ban treaty as a “milestone” and spoke of a “NATO wrong track”. Nuclear deterrence has never worked „because a nuclear war is not rationally feasible“.
Or does NATO really want to keep its promise to defend its Eastern European neighbors by dropping nuclear weapons?
Social Democratic Party (SPD): The contract is a new and important impetus
For the SPD , Gabriela Heinrich described the treaty as a „new and important impetus“. A world without nuclear weapons „remains the goal of social democratic politics,“ she made clear. But Germany cannot currently sign the treaty because this is incompatible with the alliance-political obligations in NATO. “It just doesn’t go together,” said Heinrich. The Federal Government should, however, participate as an observer at the Conference of the Parties in order to constructively support the goals of the treaty.
Just a few days ago, Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) urged new efforts for nuclear disarmament at a disarmament conference with representatives from 15 other countries in Jordan. “We live in a time that has turned into an armament spiral again. And if we just sit there and watch, it will have fatal consequences, ”he said in Amman. At the same time, he acknowledged Germany’s participation in NATO’s nuclear deterrent.
Christian Democrats CDU / CSU: A waiver does not make the world a safer place
In the opinion of the Union, AfD and FDP there is no alternative. Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU / CSU) judged that it is one of the “life lies of the left” to believe that the world will become safer by renouncing nuclear participation .
He sees Germany’s most urgent task in promoting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has been in force since 1970, and putting nuclear disarmament on the agenda there.
Alternative for Germany (AfD): The atom bomb kept peace
Armin-Paulus Hampel (AfD) said the deterrent with nuclear weapons had worked for all decades of the Cold War. „As macabre as it sounds, the atom bomb has kept peace.“
An end to nuclear participation is therefore „devastating for this country, for Europe, for the whole world“.
Liberal Party (FDP): The prohibition treaty relativizes an effective instrument
Also Bijan Djir-Sarai (FDP) spoke of an „essential pillar of European security architecture“.
The UN prohibition treaty relativizes an effective instrument, the NPT, whose expansion must enjoy priority in the international community. (joh / 29.01.2021)